How to Play 3 Card Poker: Complete Guide
3-Card Poker is a simple casino game where your goal is to have a better three-card poker hand than the dealer.
I have been studying and gambling on this game for years now, and I seem to be winning lately, so I thought I’d share my experience.
I wrote this article for beginners who want to learn the basic rules of the game and would like to see a visual step-by-step on how to play.
Table of Contents
Use the following icons to jump to your chosen section.
Game Rules
First, let’s start with the basics. Take a look at the general rules of the game.
- You play against the dealer, not against other players.
- The goal is to make the best hand possible with only three cards.
- Unlike Blackjack, you can’t draw additional cards. You’ll have to play with the hand you’re initially dealt.
- The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards.
- The house edge for three-card poker online is around 3.7%.
3 Card Poker Hands
The hands are slightly different than the traditional poker hierarchy.
For example, a Straight beats a Flush because it is harder to get based on each card’s number in the deck. Another difference is that the best hand in 3-Card Poker is the straight flush.
Take a look at the infographic below to see the hands in descending order of strength.
Terminology & Bets
Here are the terms you need to know to fully understand how to play 3-Card Poker.
- Ante: The initial bet every player has to do before cards are dealt.
- Pair Plus Side Bet: An additional bet that pays out if you get a pair or better. You can place this in addition to the Ante.
- Play Bet: The bet placed after seeing your hand that lets you compete with the dealer. It must be equal to your Ante.
- 6 Card Bonus Bet: A side bet where you wager on your cards, plus the dealer’s cards being a strong 6-card poker hand. (Not recommended).
- Fold: Surrender your Ante bet.
- Raise: Place a bet that’s double your Ante after seeing your hand.
How to Play 3 Card Poker
Playing three-card poker is quite simple. After the Ante bets have been made, three cards are dealt heads up to each player and the dealer.
The player must decide to either make a play bet or fold, losing the Ante bet. Afterward, the dealer’s hand is revealed, and payouts are awarded.
If you’re a more visual person, here are the steps you’ll go through in a single game with pictures.
Understand the Game Layout
Take a look at this three-card poker table setup to understand how the game plays and where you should place your respective bets.
Place Your Bets
The next thing you have to do when playing a new round is to make your wagers. You have a couple of options here.
You must place an Ante before cards are dealt, but you can place a pair plus a side bet or both.
I placed a $1 Ante bet for the purpose of this example.
Three Cards Get Dealt
The cards get dealt. You will get three face-up cards, while the dealer will get three cards face-down.
In the example below, you can see I got a Straight.
Make A Decision
At this point, you need to decide whether to raise or fold. You must raise equal to the Ante to continue playing and see the dealer’s cards.
If you don’t think you can win, then you can fold and lose your placed bets.
I had a Straight, so I decided to raise.
Completing the Hand
Once you make your choices, the dealer reveals their cards and compares them. You do not need to make any further decisions.
Keep in mind that the dealer needs at least a Queen high card to play. If not, you get your Ante bet and play bets back.
In the example below, you can see the dealer qualified because they have a King, and I won the hand with my Straight.
Payouts Are Awarded
Once all the cards are revealed at the end of the hand, the house pays the winnings based on a paytable.
In this example, I get a 1 to 1 payout.
3 Card Poker Basic Strategy to Win
Once you understand the basic strategy of 3-card poker, it can be easy to recognize and read situations where you can employ optimal play. This section will help you decide when to raise or fold different hands when playing.
According to professional poker player Phil Ivey,
“Understanding when to raise and fold in 3 Card Poker can drastically improve your gameplay and increase your winnings. It’s crucial to stick to a solid strategy and avoid making emotional decisions at the table”
The minimum hand you want to be raising is Q-6-4.
The game is played according to poker hands, where the highest card is rated first, then the second highest, and then the third highest. So if you hold a King, then you play no matter what.
If you hold a queen, you must hold at least a 6, and if you hold a Queen and 6, the third card must be at least a 4. Conversely, fold every hand that is Q-6-3 or below.
Some people use a training tool to practice. You can play as you see fit, but particular plays have a statistical advantage based on math.
3 Card Poker Cheat Sheet
- Raise any hand stronger than Q–6–4
- Fold any hand Q–6–3 or weaker
Play Free Three Card Poker
Do you want to play 3-Card Poker for free? Try this game demo and get a feel for the table layout and how to place your bets.
You won’t keep your winnings, but you can practice your skills.
3 Card Poker Payouts
The payouts depend significantly on the cards. As explained above, the dealer needs at least a queen for their hand to qualify.
If the dealer qualifies and your hand wins, you get a 1:1 payout on the Ante and the raise. If you lose, then all bets are lost.
A push is a tie, in which case all wagers get returned. If the dealer doesn’t qualify after your Ante and raise, you get a 1:1 payout on only your Ante.
Side Bet & Ante Paytables
When placing the side bet or getting a great hand, you may qualify for an additional payout. While you may see slight variation from site to site, the following are the standard three card poker paytables.
Pair Plus Side Bet Payouts
Some online casinos offer an 80:1 payout for the mini royal flush in addition to the following paytable.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 40 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 |
| One Pair | 1 to 1 |
Ante Payouts
You may see different Ante bonuses, but the payout is usually whenever you make a straight or better.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 4 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 |
| Flush | No Bonus |
| One Pair | No Bonus |
If you lose to the dealer, you obviously lose both bets. When you fold without raising after getting your cards, you also lose the pair plus bet.
This isn’t a problem, though, because if you did win the pair plus bet, you certainly wouldn’t fold the hand; you’d always raise.
3 Card Poker Game Variations
Here are some of the most popular 3-Card Poker variations you’ll find out there.
Triple Edge Poker
Triple Edge Poker is Betsoft’s version of 3-Card Poker. It features the familiar Ante and the Pair Plus side bets and the ability to play multiple hands at once. You must build the best hand using only three cards. The stronger your cards, the larger the payout.
Triple Edge Poker is nearly identical to 3-Card Poker. You don’t draw or use community cards after the initial deal. It’s simply your hand pitted against the house.
With optimal play, the game has an overall house edge of 5.32%.
Three Card Rummy
Three-Card Rummy is another variant of the game. It plays exactly the same as 3-Card Poker, but the goal is to get lower points than the dealer to win.
The dealer and the player get three cards each. The dealer’s cards are face-down, while the player’s cards are face-up.
The player then decides to either fold or raise the bet based on their card total. The player with the lowest hand wins.
Face Up Three Card Poker
In Face Up Three Card Poker, the dealer will show one of their three cards to the table throughout the hand rather than keeping it concealed.
The first major difference between the classic Three Card Poker and the Face-Up variety occurs here, as the dealer’s hand will show one “up” card along with two “hole” cards.
The second major rule change in Face Up Three Card Poker concerns the concept of dealer qualification. This means that the dealer must show down a “qualifying” hand of queen high or better in order to trigger certain payout conditions.
Ultimate Three-Card Poker
Ultimate Three Card Poker is the more extreme version of 3 Card Poker, following similar rules and gameplay. Using only three cards to make the winning hand, players look to beat the dealer.
Playing with a basic strategy offers a house edge of 5.42 percent. When compared to regular Three Card Poker ( 0.33% – 4.28 house edge), Ultimate Three Card Poker isn’t really the best bet in terms of gambling strategy.
After all, you can enjoy an almost identical gameplay experience by playing the classic version of the game while instantly shaving your house edge by an order of magnitude.
4 Card Poker
Four-card poker is very similar to Three-Card Poker, but it requires one extra card to make a winning hand.
The objective of Four Card Poker is to form the best four-card poker hand out of the five cards you’re dealt.
The game utilizes an adjusted form of the traditional poker hand hierarchy, as you’ll only be using four cards in your hand rather than five.
You’ve Learned to Play!
You have all the resources you need to start playing three-card poker. You’ll be able to find it in some form at most online and land-based casinos.
Whether you’re trying to learn how to play quickly or just looking for a step-by-step demonstration of how the game plays, we hope this guide helped you achieve your goal!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most common questions we get regarding three-card poker.
What is the house edge of 3 card poker?
The house edge in three-card poker is 3.37% on the Ante and raise bets, and it’s 7.28% for the pair plus bet. This is quite high when it comes to casino table games. Roulette with a single zero is 2.7%, blackjack is 0.28% with excellent rules, baccarat is 1.06% on the banker, and craps is 1.36% on the don’t pass line, and they don’t come bets. So as you can see, 3 Card Poker isn’t great in this respect.
Can I play 3 card poker online?
You can play 3 Card Poker online, which is excellent for almost everyone who wants to play the game.
This is because you can usually find better odds and more favorable games online than in a brick-and-mortar casino.
Online casinos have tiny overheads compared to live casinos, and they also don’t need dealers or people to run the games. This completely different setup lets them offer smaller stakes games and a much lower house edge at times.
Should I play 3 card poker?
Like all casino table games, you need to try them out and see if you enjoy the gameplay itself. This is where online play is a great option, as you can play at low stakes, or even for free, to see if you like the game.
