3 Card Poker Rules
Ruth | March 30, 2023 | Updated on: July 31st, 2023
Recently updated on March 30th, 2023
Learning the 3 card poker rules is as simple as learning the poker rules, and it only takes a few minutes 5 minutes. Three-card poker is a modified variant of standard poker that offers additional benefits. We’re talking about faster games, more rounds and new methods to win. Three card poker rules are the same whether you play online or with a live dealer.
Here, you’ll be able to learn how the payouts work and how to use all of the additional features with the help of our guide. The stable rankings for three card poker have an exciting element that players should consider when playing.
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3 Card Poker Game Rules
In three card poker, you will compete against the dealer rather than other players. When a player places an ante, the game begins. A 52-card deck is used to play the card game, and three cards will be dealt face down. You will then examine your hand and determine whether or not to fold or continue betting.
You will lose the ante and the pair plus wager if you opt to fold your hand. If you want to keep playing, you must place a play wager, after which the cards will be turned face-up, and a winner will be decided. If your hand beats the dealers’, your stake pays 1 to 1 on the play bet, 1 to 1 on the ante, and a push occurs if the game finishes in a tie.
Only six hand types are used in 3 card poker, and the hand rankings are based on the typical actual poker hands. Hands like four of a kind, royal flush, and full house fade away due to the structure of the poker game.
How To Play 3 Card Poker Rules
Only two sorts of bets are available in three card poker. The bets can be placed in the same or different amounts simultaneously. Players can take advantage of an additional bonus feature in the poker game, for straight or better hands.
- Ante: The main bet, commonly known as play, is the ante. You wager against the dealer’s hand with the ante.
- Pair Plus: The stand-alone wager in an additional bet placed in the hopes of being dealt a pair or better hand. The pair plus bet is based on the hand you have and is paid out according to a pay chart. It’s important to remember that the pair plus bet is unrelated to the house edge, which can be as high as 7%, and there’s a good risk you’ll lose money in the long run.
3 Card Poker Rules Payouts
Players should keep in mind that payouts vary in each casino, although most will adhere to the essential pay tables that we have mentioned below. If the players have a straight or better hand, they will receive the ante bonus. Players will win the pair plus wager on hands with a pair or better. Even if the player’s hand loses to the dealer, the wager still wins.
The payouts for each hand are listed below, based on your bet.
| Hand | Ante Bonus | Pair Plus Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 5: 1 | 40: 1 |
| Three of a kind | 4: 1 | 30: 1 |
| Straight | 1: 1 | 6: 1 |
| Flush | – | 4: 1 |
| Pair | – | 1: 1 |
The 6-card bonus is a side wager based on the ranks of five-card poker hands. The hand comprises the players’ hands and the dealers’ hands.
- Royal Flush: 1000 to 1
- Straight Flush: 200 to 1
- Four of a kind: 50 to 1
- Full house: 25 to 1
- Flush: 20 to 1
- Straight: 10 to 1
- Three of a Kind: 5 to 1
3 Card Poker Hand Rankings
There is only one significant exception to the normal poker hand rankings to be aware of. The ranking order for straights and flushes is reversed because making a straight than a flush in three-card poker is more difficult.
In 3 Card Poker, a straight is more valued than a flush. Aside from removing any hands that require more than three cards, there are no further modifications to the hand rankings. There are only six possible 3-card poker hands; things are relatively straightforward. Here’s how they’re ranked:
| Hand Rankings | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | Three cards in a row from the same suit |
| Three of a kind | three cards that are all the same. |
| Straight | Any three cards in a row |
| Flush | Three cards from the same suit |
| Pair | Two similar cards form a pair. |
| High Card | A hand comprises three cards that do not form any of the hands mentioned above. The highest-ranking high card hand is a king, ace and 9, while the lowest-ranked high card hand is a 2, 3, and 5. |
3 Card Poker Rules And Strategy
Three-card poker employs a straightforward Optimal Strategy. If you have a Queen, six, four, or better in one hand, the approach advises that you should gamble. You should fold if your hand is less than that. As enticing as it may be, making pair plus bets puts players at risk of losing more money and raises the house edge. When examining the chances, the probability of hitting a pair plus is roughly 25%:
- Straight Flush: 0.22%
- Three of a Kind: 0.24%
- Straight: 3.26%
- Flush: 9%
- Pair: 16.94%
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