Three Card Poker Tips And Tricks
As poker is a game of skill, it is unavailable on casino floors. Gambling establishments may have dedicated card rooms that let you enjoy Texas Hold’em, but when strolling their gaming aisles, the closest thing you can find to it is 3 Card Poker. It offers a dose of fast-paced table action with a low house edge and side-bonus bets that feature terrific odds. You can play up to 70 hands per hour on such a table and make out like a bandit.
Invented by professional player Derek Webb in 1994, this casino-poker variant did not immediately set the world on fire. Venues in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Reno rejected it before it found a home at the Grand Casino Gulfport in Mississippi, where it flourished. Nowadays, it is available at almost all gaming locales, and it ranks as the industry’s top proprietary table game. It competes for this title with its sibling – Caribbean Stud.
If you want to experience an exciting poker game where you play against a dealer, you can even do so on your smartphone. Online, the selection of 3 Card Poker casinos is vast, and such platforms let you choose between two opponents, software or croupier. Below, we list strategies and tips that should assist you en route to decent-sized wins at land-based and internet casinos.
Basic 3 Card Poker Rules
For the uninformed, we will provide a quick rundown of the rules of this game. You start a hand by making an ante bet. You can also make a pair plus one, wagering that you will have a pair or better. You do not have to beat the dealer to receive a payout on this bet.
Once you make the ante wager, you get three cards, as does the dealer. After inspecting your hand, you can place a play bet, which puts your hand up against the dealers. The play bet must be a sum that is equal to your ante. If you do not choose to play, the dealer will collect your ante and pair plus wagers. If you make a play bet, the dealer will turn over his cards, and so will you.
The game utilizes a hand ranking system that is similar to regular poker. If you have a better hand than your dealer, you get to collect on your ante wager. To win your play bet, the dealer must have a qualifying hand. That means he must have a queen-high or better. If he does, your hand must beat his for you to win that wager. In short, that is about it.
Tips and Tricks to play Three Card Poker Online. First things first, you just need to register yourself by filling up an online form. Once your form is filled up, you will get your username and password which you can use to play various stages of three card poker. Typically, the best poker strategy involves some betting and hand collection tricks that can be used at tournaments and other forms of competition. Top Three Card Poker Betting Strategy Three Card Poker is the easiest-to-play poker variation. 3 Card Poker Tips 3 Card Poker is one of the most popular table games of all time. However, unlike blackjack where the rules are standard at virtually every casino, both online and land-based, 3 Card Poker payoffs for both the Ante Bonus and the Pair Plus wagers do vary (see strategy and odds page).
- Three Card Poker is a simple, yet fun game that can be found in just about any online casino. To understand the game, all you need to know is that your 3 card hand must beat the dealers. That’s the basics of it and if you follow a few straightforward tips, you can start to maximize your winnings.
- The Optimal Strategy for Three-card Poker The optimal strategy is quite easy, with three card poker. First of all, it is recommended to bet only Ante and therefore Play bet. The PairPlus bet has a significantly higher house edge, as much as 7.28%.
Note that different payouts apply to the ante and the pair plus bets. For instance, at most venues, a straight flush gets you a win of 40 to 1 on a pair plus bet, while the ante payout for the same hand is 5 to 1.
The Queen-Six-Four Strategy
Casino gamblers universally accept only one 3 Card Poker strategy. That is to play when you have a hand consisting of Queen-6-4 or higher and fold on everything else. It is that simple.
In 3 Card Poker, the hands get ranked from the highest one to the next highest. For instance, if you and the dealer both have a queen-high hand, the winner is the one who has the second-highest card. If you have a six and the dealer a five, you win. If you both have the same second-highest card, then you move to the last card in your hand to determine the winner.
If you get a Queen-7-3, you must fold because your lowest card has a value below 4. Why is this a decent strategy? Well, it is the first hand where the expected loss goes below the1 unit loss for folding. Meaning, your expected loss is 0.993378, which is less than the sum you lose if you fold the hand. In other words, the house edge when following this strategy falls in the range between 2.2% and 3.4%.
Pair Plus Only Strategy
Technically, there is no strategy that you can use on a pair plus wager, as you make it before you get your cards. The only tactic we can share regarding this side-bet is to make it without the play bet. It has a house edge that is lower than the main game. The house edge on a pair plus bet falls in the range of 2.14% to 2.32%, depending on the payout. It is a rarity to have an opportunity to play the side-bet only in any game, and it is even rarer to find a game where the house’s advantage on it is so low.
Making a pair plus wager removes the need to make hard calls during the main game. You no longer have to worry if the dealer has a queen or if you are going to raise or fold. It further simplifies this already straightforward game.
Common 3 Card Poker Mistakes
Like most other popular table games, 3 Card Poker has its set of variations. The most established ones are Macau, Ultimate, California, Prime, and 3 Card Brag. The latter is the game from which 3 Card Poker originated, and it follows a similar structure. However, what is also common, are venues that offer additional side bets beyond a pair plus wager. None of these have a reasonable house edge, and most of them flaunt massive win potential in your face, daring you to make them. Do not.
The Millionaire Maker side-bonus offers a cool million dollars for a 6-Card royal flush in diamonds. That amount is the most you can win on this bet, regardless of your bet size. The Millionaire Maker also features other payouts, such as a 5 to 1 for three-of-a-kind and 10 to 1 for a 5-Card straight. Its default house edge is 18.10%, and the minimum sum you can lay down is $5 if you choose to utilize this side-bonus.
The Six-Card Bonus is likely the most popular of the additional bet options. It has a house edge of 15.28%, and payouts get determined when pitting your five-card poker hand against the dealer’s one. It is a game within a game. Avoid it as well, and never make a progressive bet or a prime one if offered.
Also, stay away from progressive betting systems commonly used on roulette and slots, such as the Martingale, the Labouchere, the D’Alembert, and the Paroli pattern. They can dig you into a hole, from which you may not be able to climb out of, amassing staggering losses.
3 Card Poker Tips
Always ask to look at the pay-structure of a table you plan on using for your 3 Card Poker adventure. Venues may advertise games using this name, but they may incorporate a ruleset associated with one of its variants. Even slight changes in the game’s pay structure can shift the house edge dramatically in the casino’s favor. Thus, never be afraid to ask your dealer anything regarding payouts.
It is also wise to avoid playing multiple hands. You may believe that by doing so, you are gaining an advantage. Well, that is not true. First off, some venues only allow you to play two hands at once at the most. Now, you may think that the first hand will give you valuable information about the second one, which will lower the house advantage on that one. However, in the long-term, you are losing money by playing two or more hands. If you do the math, you’ll see that the second-hand’s lowered house edge is only an improvement of only 0.06%. The tactic also neglects the risk associated with making the play bet. So it is best to stay away from it altogether. That is unless you are more after entertainment than money.
To Wrap Up
3 Card Poker is fun to play, but it has limitations that stop you from utilizing any super-useful tactics. It is chance-based, designed for casino play, and like most table games in this genre, it involves zero skill to play. To maximize profits when playing it, you should follow some of the advice mentioned above and implement an appropriate betting strategy only if your bankroll allows it. Searching out how to win at 3 Card Poker is unlikely to yield any further tips regarding this casino-poker variant. Pay attention to which rules and payout variations the table you are playing at is utilizing, and practice proper bankroll management.
About the Author
Shelly Schiff is a professional writer with eleven years of experience supplying websites with content regarding the online gambling industry. She is most well-known for her collaborations with OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com, one of the top iGaming info hubs on the internet. Slots are her area of expertise, but Shelly also fancies herself a bit of a table fanatic. In her leisure time, she likes watching TV shows and reading Jim Thompson-like novels.
Just what is it? Three Card Poker is also known as Tri Card Poker, Trey Poker and Poker Three but why all the names for the same game? Well, it all started out as a name protected casino table game called 3 Card Poker that became very popular. Then it seems that others wanted to offer the game without paying the royalties due so they just renamed it. So whether it's called 3 Card, Tri Card or just plain Tri Poker, the rules are the same, the optimal playing strategy is the same and a lot of players love it.Three Card Poker is two gambling games in one. You are usually allowed to play either one or both games at the same time, but some casinos will require you to play both. The two games are 'ante/play', where you compete against the dealer, and 'pair plus' that has different bonus payouts for hands of one pair or better. When both games are played at the same time, players may wager different amounts on each game.
The games are played with a standard 52 card deck. The cards are distributed to the dealer in groups of three by an automatic shuffling machine. The player's table layout is shown at the right. The rules are also printed on the table at each player spot, just like this: (note :) The rules listed below are FULL PAY. Always look for these!
- Play MUST EQUAL Ante
- Dealer Plays With QUEEN High or Better - At some casinos dealers play with a King High or Better. The result is a much higher house advantage.
- When Dealer Does Not Play:
- Play Pays: PUSH
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
- When Dealer Plays:
- Play Pays: 1 to 1
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
3 card hand values: The first thing you will probably notice from the hand rankings list below is that a straight has a higher ranking than a flush. That's simply because there are fewer ways to make a 3 card straight than a 3 card flush. As in most poker games, aces play both high and low to a straight. An ace high straight flush is the highest hand you can get and some casinos have also added a mini-royal flush to the ante bonus and pair plus pay table.
Rules - Ante/Play & Pair Plus
This game starts with the players placing bets in the 'ante', 'pair plus' or both spots on the table layouts. The ante and pair plus wagers can be any amount within the posted table limits. The players and the dealer all get three cards, face down. The players all look at their hands and either fold by giving their cards back and losing their ante bet, or play by placing a bet, equal to the ante, in the 'play' spot on the layout. Note that even if the player folds, pair plus wagers are still paid on any pair or better.
| Hand Rankings | Full Pay Pair Plus Table | Full Pay Ante Bonus Table |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-Royal | - | - |
| Straight Flush | 40 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 | - |
| Pair | 1 to 1 | - |
| High Card | - | - |
The dealer then turns over his cards. If he does not have queen high or better, he doesn't 'qualify' to play and pays the active players even money on their ante bets and those with a straight or better are paid the additional ante bonus shown above. These players get a 'push' on their play bets. If he does have a qualifying hand, those who cannot beat it lose their antes and their play bets, but can still win the ante bonus with a straight or higher. Those who can beat the dealer win even money on their ante and play bets plus the ante bonus, if any.
Strategy - Ante/Play
In Three Card Poker ante/play, the only thing the expert player needs to know is how high his or her hand should be to produce the best possible long term results, if played. The answer to that question is Q-6-4 or higher.
High card hands between Q-6-4 through K-Q-10 are loss limit plays. These are hands with negative expectations. They will lose less if played than they will in ante forfeiture losses if they are not played. Ace high hands and better have positive expectations. The house advantage for ante/play, against the optimal strategy shown below is a comfortable 3.37%. Not too bad for the player.*
Optimal Three Card Poker Strategy
- Always play Q-6-4 or higher
- Never play anything lower
* Note: The house advantage percentages referred to are based on the full pay schedules shown above. Be aware that lower payouts, especially in pair plus, are used in many places that double and triple the house advantage against the player. Avoid games with a pair plus payout of only 3-1 for a flush instead of 4-1 etc. and look for full pay games.
Pair Plus 'Non-Strategy' and Unequal Bets Play
Since the only decision the player has to make in pair plus is how much to bet, there is no optimal strategy involved. However, at full pay the low house advantage of 2.3% makes it about as attractive as any table poker game you can find. You can't bet five dollars and win a house here, but the payouts are very generous and you should get a pay hand of some sort about 25% of the time. This is a good game but you want to remember that the win/loss swings are much more volatile in pair plus than in ante/play.
| Poker Hand | AB1 | AB2 | AB3 | PP1 | PP2 | PP3 | PP4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 5 | 5 | 4 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Three of a Kind | 4 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| Straight | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Flush | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
| Pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| House Advantage | 3.37% | 3.61% | 3.83% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 5.6% | 7.3% |
| AB = Ante Bonus, PP = Pair Plus | |||||||
Most places allow you to make unequal bets on the two games. A conservative bet would be two units on ante/play and one unit on pair plus, or equal bets. A more aggressive approach is to place more on pair plus than on ante/play. Many good players prefer to keep their pair plus to ante play ratio on the conservative side and try to get a little ahead before they get aggressive and load up on the pair plus.
Three Card Poker Tips And Tricks Tips
6 Card Bonus
The 6 card bonus side bet is an optional wager that gives players one more chance to win. To play, place a bet within table limits inside the 6 card bonus betting circle. Depending on the casino you may also be required to place a wager on the ante and/or pair plus betting spots. You then combine your three card hand with the dealer's three card hand to form the best five card hand. A 6 card bonus winning hand is paid regardless of the outcome on the ante/play bet. Some of the more popular pay tables are listed below and will vary by casino.
| Poker Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 100 to 1 | 100 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 20 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
| Flush | 15 to 1 | 15 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 15 to 1 |
| Straight | 9 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 8 to 1 | 7 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| House Advantage | 6.74% | 8.56% | 10.23% | 15.28% |
| Hit frequency | 7.2798% | 7.2798% | 7.2798% | 7.2798% |
Even the best pay table gives the house a larger than acceptable advantage of 6.74%, which makes the 6 card bonus side bet a bad gamble.
Progressive
The progressive side bet, developed by Shuffle Master in 2008, adds a jackpot element that is popular with many players. The rules are simple: Place a bet, within table limits, on the progressive betting sensor and play your hand as usual. If your hand is a mini-royal AKQ of spades, you win the jackpot. The pay tables below show typical payouts and house edge numbers.
| Poker Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Envy |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKQ Spades | 100% | 100% | $100 |
| AKQ Hearts/Diamonds/Clubs | 500 for 1 | 500 for 1 | $25 |
| Straight Flush | 70 for 1 | 100 for 1 | |
| Three of a Kind | 60 for 1 | 90 for 1 | |
| Straight | 6 for 1 | - | |
| Seed Amount | $1,000 | $1,000 | |
| House Advantage | 22.33% | 22.85% | |
| Hit Frequency | 3.72% | .45% | |
| Probability of top payout | 22,100 to 1 | 22,100 to 1 | |
| Top payout average ($1 wager) | $4,000 | $5,000 |
Note that the payouts are listed as odds-for-1 which means the original wager is not returned. With a house advantage of 22% you should stay far away from this game unless the jackpot is very, very high.
Envy Bonus Payout
If you place a wager on the progressive side bet and another player seated at the table has AKQ suited (a mini-royal), you are eligible for the envy bonus payout. Here are a few rules to be aware of:
- Players with AKQ suited are paid according to the pay table and are not eligible to receive their own envy bonus.
- Dealer with AKQ suited does not trigger the envy bonus.
- If you are playing multiple hands and hit a mini royal, the other hands are eligible for the envy bonus. (the hands are considered independent of each other)
Prime
Prime is an optional side bet that was invented by Derek Webb, the same man who invented three card poker. To play you must put a wager on the prime betting spot, ante/play and/or pair plus as required by the casino. If all three of your cards are the same color or your cards and the dealer's cards are all the same color, you win.
What Is The Best Strategy For 3 Card Poker
| Hand | Pay Table 1 |
|---|---|
| Your three cards and the dealer's three cards are all the same color | 4 to 1 |
| Your three card hand is the same color | 3 to 1 |
| House Advantage | 3.62% |
If your three cards are not the same color, the prime bet is lost and collected by the dealer. The ante/play and pair plus games are played out as usual.
The house advantage on prime is 3.62%... not too bad for a side bet.
Three Card Poker Tips And Tricks Games
| Rank | Casino | Sign Up Bonus | Bonus Code | Full Pay Games | Visit Casino |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% up to $/€/£ 250 | Ante/Play Pair Plus | ||||
| €200 Free or 200 Free Spins | Ante/Play Pair Plus |