This type of poker has a particularly warm feeling for me. A long time ago, I was running a provincial gambling club and saw 3 Card Poker in a computer game simulating a casino. Those were the days when such games came on CD. I immediately saw great potential in this poker game and convinced the owners of the establishment to offer it to our customers. The success was huge: the players loved it, and we made good money from it.
But let's get back to the rules of the game.
General Description of 3 Card Poker
Derek Webb is the author of this poker game. The simple rules and exciting gameplay explain its growing popularity. A standard 52-card deck without jokers and a table with a special layout are used in this game.
It has three sectors for bets. The upper sector is called Pair Plus. The next ones are Ante and Play. The table with the layout for Caribbean Stud Poker or Oasis Poker is used at many casinos.
The casino represented by the dealer serves as an opponent of the player. The neighbors at the table don't serve as the opponents.
The aim is to beat the dealer by collecting a higher-ranking hand or choosing the right time to make a Pair Plus bet.
Considering that players receive only three cards, the ranks of hands slightly differ compared with the standard ones. The valid hands in descending order are enumerated below.
- Straight flush is a hand consisting of three cards of one suit in sequence.
- Three of a kind is a hand that contains three cards of one rank.
- Straight is a hand that contains three cards of different ranks in sequence.
- Flush is a hand consisting of three cards of one suit.
- Pair is a hand that consists of two cards of the same rank.
- High card is a hand that contains the highest-ranking card.
As you can see, a three of a kind is the second high hand, and a straight beats a flush.
Types of Bets
Three Card Poker has two kinds of bets that are independent of each other.
- Ante/Play are basic bets. When the player makes them, he hopes to get a hand whose rank is higher than the dealer's hand. The ante is the initial bet. The Play bet is made when the player decides to continue the game and compare his cards with the dealer's cards. Their sizes are equal. If you win, these bets are paid 1:1.
- Pair Plus is an optional bet that wins if the player receives a pair or higher directly after the deal. It is not allowed to make it without the ante. Its size usually can not exceed the ante. It is paid regardless of the outcome of the main game and the presence of any poker hand in the dealer's cards. The Pair Plus bet is not paid if the player folds (if he does not make a Play bet.)
Payouts for the Pair Plus bet can vary, so you can find a range of multipliers below:
- Straight flush - 40:1.
- Three of a kind - 20-30:1.
- Straight - 5-6:1.
- Flush - 4-3:1.
- Pair - 1:1.
Three Card Poker Gameplay
Players make their bets and receive three cards. Having evaluated their ranks, they decide whether to make a Play bet of the same size as the ante or to fold, losing the ante. As soon as all players decide, the dealer reveals his cards.
The lowest-ranking dealer's hand is a queen or better, or a pair and better. In this case, the dealer compares his cards with the player's cards and makes payouts for the ante, the Play bet, or collects losing bets. If the ranks of hands are equal, the player usually wins.
In the presence of a pair, the dealer also pays for a Pair Plus bet if it has been made.
If the dealer does not have at least the lowest-ranking hand or a queen, the ante is paid 1:1. The Play bet is not paid.
The maximum payout limit at the Three Card Poker tables is usually not provided.
Bonuses in 3 Card Poker
Three Card Poker provides players with the opportunity to receive a bonus payout. To do this, it is not necessary to make a side bet. Users just need to show the dealer one of the bonus hands, including straight, straight flush, and three of a kind. The bonus is paid without taking into account the fact whether the dealer has a hand (and its rank) or not.
Bonus payouts may differ. Users can find a table with the range of multipliers below.
- Straight flush - 5-4:1.
- Three of a kind - 4-3:1.
- Straight - 1:1.
How to Win at 3 Card Poker?
The strategy of playing the basic bets in three-card poker is not so complicated. Play if you have at least a queen, and the next highest card is a six. Also, remember that a pair comes about one time out of four. Here's a selection for fans of different types of poker.
Where to Play 3 Card Poker?
You can try out three-card poker for free on Casinoz. The site presents all the best models of famous brands. They are discussed in separate reviews of the thematic section. The articles are accompanied by demo versions, which can be tested without registration and without time limits. Enjoy!
To play poker for real money, you need to choose an honest and quality casino, register, log in, and make a deposit. Listed below are the online casinos you can trust.
Personal Experience
I liked to play poker for money, which I did many times in different casinos. Mostly, I played in real establishments, but I also tried my luck online. Three card poker is one of the best types of poker against casinos. The return to the player is quite high, the gameplay is dynamic, there are several independent bets - in short, exciting and promising.
What do you think about three-card online poker? Have you ever played it for money? Have you won? Tell us about your personal experience in the comments. Casinoz readers will be grateful for your honest feedback.
