Whats 3 Card Poker Rating: 4,5/5 8381 votes

As the name suggests, three card poker is played with three cards. A hand begins with the player placing an ante in the designated box and receiving three cards. Based on the hand they’re dealt, the player makes one of two options: Play – continuing in a hand by matching their ante bet. The poker 3 cards game is described as a poker-style casino game in which the player will play against the dealer. Besides, 3 card poker games use a 52 card deck, and three cards are offered to the player and the dealer. The three-card poker game’s main objective is to make a three-card poker hand better than the dealer’s hand. Three Card Poker, invented by Derek Webb in 1994, is the Poker version most people play when they head to their Casino. Three Card Poker isn't played against other players. Instead, you play. Three Card Poker is actually two games in one. There is the Play/Ante game where you are playing against the dealer to see who has the highest hand. There is also the Pair Plus game where you are wagering on whether or not you will be dealt a pair or better. Three Card Poker relies on the traditional poker hand hierarchy to determine winners, but rather than five cards only three are needed. This means high-card (A-3-2) is the lowest qualifying hand, followed by one pair (9-9-2), flush (any three cards of the same suit), straight (6-7-8), three of a kind (9-9-9), straight flush (6-7-8 of the same.

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Table Of Contents

  • Three Card Poker is a simple and fun Casino game based on Poker
  • 3-Card Poker requires a strategy but a very straightforward one
  • How to play Three Card Poker is explained in this article
Card

Three Card Poker game has been around since the very beginning of the card game that is Poker.

Since its invention, it has grown in popularity and is fair to say Three Card Poker is among the most well-known Casino games in the world.

A few facts have helped the game grow in stature over the years:

Whats 3 Card Poker
  • Three Card Poker is easy to learn and easy to play
  • Unlike some Casino games, Three Card Poker is not just based on luck because there's an element of skill involved in your hand selection
  • You can play Three Card Poker online for free and for real money right on this page

Three Card Poker is a fair slow-paced table game that is very simple to learn.

How to Play Three Card Poker

Three Card Poker, invented by Derek Webb in 1994, is the Poker version most people play when they head to their Casino.

Three Card Poker isn't played against other players. Instead, you play against the dealer.

Poker

You only have to be concerned with what your cards are and what the house's cards are. Making a mistake only punishes you and not your fellow players like at some other card game tables.

OK – so you want to try Three Card Poker? Good choice!

Here are the basics.

Three Card Poker Bets

In Three Card Poker game, the player makes an ante bet.

The dealer gives each player and themselves three cards. The dealer's cards are face down and you can only examine your own cards.

If you’ve made the ante bet then you must either fold or call.

Folding forfeits your ante wager, calling (raising) means you must make an additional play bet that is equal to your ante.

The dealer then turns over their cards.

Three Card Poker Outcomes

The dealer needs a queen-high or better to qualify:

  • if the dealer doesn't qualify, you win even money on the ante bet and play bet is a push
  • if the dealer qualifies, your hand is compared to the dealer's hand and the best hand wins

Whose hand is better?

  • If it is yours, congrats! You win even money on the ante and play bets.
  • If the dealer has a better hand, both your ante and play bets lose.
  • If it is a tie, then both the ante and play bets are a push.

But that’s not all.

If you have a straight or better, you receive an ante bonus regardless of the value of the dealer's hand.

Card

If you have placed a pair plus bet, it is paid based on the value of your hand. This pays out differently depending on where you play.

Play Three Card Poker Online - it's FREE!

Practice Three Card Poker online before you play for real money. Or claim a bonus (or two) and dive into the real money games.

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How to Win at Three Card Poker: The Strategy

Three Card Poker has a relatively small house edge, usually around 3.3 percent. If you play optimally, that is.

This edge can increase significantly with side bets or incorrect strategy.

To avoid this, follow a couple of simple Three Card Poker strategy tips:

1. Don’t Make The Pair Plus Bets

Betting on the pair plus increases the house edge by more than 2.3 percent.

It is tempting with big payouts (e.g. straight flush pays 40 to 1) but you’re bound to lose more making this bet even if you have a rare bigger payout from it.

So, forget about the times you could have won a big payout when you've not placed a pair plus bet. Simply try to play in a way that minimizes the house edge.

2. Remember One Strategic Combination of Cards

It’s not only the Three Card Poker rules that are easy to learn. So is the Three Card Poker strategy.

What

You only need to remember one combination of cards and base your decision to call or fold on it:

  • Call with or higher hand
  • Fold everything else

See, I’ve told you it was simple.

Because of it, you will find this game in a more relaxed setting as it’s pretty easy to avoid mistakes and nobody is worried about making mistakes that affect other players.

Where to Play 3-Card Poker Online

There are many options to play 3-Card Poker on the Internet, but some sites offer better bonuses and value than others.

As a new player at this online Casino, you’ll get some free spins for Slots on registration (before making a deposit) and extra cash as well as more free spins when you finally make a deposit.

That's a great way to earn some free money before hitting the 3-Card tables.

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3 card poker is a simple variation of poker which is a great way to win and have fun without having to consider so many things as in a game of Texas Hold’em, for example. This makes it a very popular game that is loved by many casino players.

The history of 3 card poker leads to a British game called Brag which eventually made its way to the United States where it was called Casino Brag. Later, the name of the game was changed to what we call it nowadays – 3 card poker. The game is considered to have been created by the famous poker player Derek Webb who thought that regular poker was slow and boring sometimes which made him think of a simple and fun version of it. 3 card poker was created in 1994 and was first played in casinos in Great Britain.

You can read the full 3 card poker history in our relevant section – start reading our 3 card poker history article.

As we mentioned before, 3 card poker rules are simple and every game starts with the dealer shuffling a deck of 52 cards before dealing 3 cards to the player and 3 to himself. There are two types of bets with different payouts in this game – Pair Plus and Ante and the players can place either of them or both. Pair plus is a bet that you will have a pair or better in your cards while the ante bet is a bet against the casino dealer. Each of the bets has got its own payout schedule and players need to consider it before deciding what type of bet to place. You can take a look at our odds and payouts section to get a better knowledge of the payout schedules.

What Is 3 Card Poker

You can read the full 3 card poker rules in our relevant section – start reading our 3 card poker rules and hand rankings article.

What Beats What In 3 Card Poker

Generally, there are no 3 card poker strategies because this game is all about dealing cards and paying out according the the payout schedule and the hand you’ve got. However, we’ve got a strategy for you which will help you decide when to raise and fold.

What Are The Rules For 3 Card Poker

If you’d like to test any of our strategies and play in an online casino, you can CLICK HERE, sign up, deposit, get a bonus and try your luck.