Three Card Poker
Beat the dealer's three cards, or bet on your own hand.
How to play
- You place an Ante and get three cards. Then you either fold and lose the Ante, or play and put up a Play bet equal to the Ante.
- The dealer needs a queen high or better to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, the Ante pays 1 to 1 and the Play bet comes back.
- If the dealer qualifies, the better hand wins, and both bets pay 1 to 1. A tie gives both bets back.
- The Ante Bonus pays extra for a straight, three of a kind or a straight flush, whatever the dealer holds.
- Pair Plus is a separate bet on your own three cards. It pays on a pair or better and ignores the dealer.
With three cards a straight is rarer than a flush, so it ranks higher. From the top: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card.
Odds
With the best strategy, the Ante and Play bets have a house edge of 3.37% of the Ante.
Pair Plus with the 1, 3, 6, 30 and 40 pay table has a house edge of 7.28%.
The Ante Bonus pays 1 to 1 for a straight, 4 to 1 for three of a kind and 5 to 1 for a straight flush.
Pair Plus
| Bet | Pays |
|---|---|
| Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Flush | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 30 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 40 to 1 |
The house edge is the share of every bet that the casino keeps over time. With a 2% edge you lose 2 of every 100 you bet on average over a long run. Any single session can still go either way.
Best play
- Play every hand of queen, six, four or better, and fold anything lower. That one rule is the best strategy.
- Pair Plus has more than twice the house edge of the Ante, so keep it small or skip it.
Practice
Play money only. Nothing on this page is real money.