Skip to main content

3 Card Poker – How to Play Three Card Poker

Updated on: November 24th, 2020

3 card poker rulesOne of the things that make 3 card poker so popular is how easy it is to play. The game of skill requires you to create the best-ranking hand with only three cards. With over 2 decades under its name, three card poker is a great game to play against the house.

To get started learn how to play 3 card poker with our expert rules, strategy and top tips. Not only can you play the game for free but when you play for real money, you stand to collect big payouts!

Best Poker Sites

1

$9000 Bonus

97% Payout

Rating: 4.9/5

97% Payout

$9000 Bonus 97% Payout - Rating: 4.9/5
2

Bonus $5000

98% Payout

Rating: 4.5/5

98% Payout

$2500 Bonus 98% Payout - Rating: 4.7/5
3

$2500 Bonus

98% Payout

Rating: 4.7/5

98% Payout

$2500 Bonus 98% Payout - Rating: 4.7/5
4

$5000 Bonus

98% Payout

Rating: 4.7/5

98% Payout

$5000 Bonus 98% Payout - Rating: 4.7/5
5

$6000 Bonus

97% Payout

Rating: 4.8/5

97% Payout

$6000 Bonus 97% Payout - Rating: 4.8/5
6

$10,000 Bonus

96% Payout

Rating: 4.8/5

96% Payout

$10,000 Bonus 96% Payout - Rating: 4.8/5
7

$5000 Bonus

98% Payout

Rating: 4.8/5

98% Payout

$5000 Bonus 98% Payout - Rating: 4.8/5

3 Card Poker Rules

We have made learning how to play 3 card poker super easy. Follow these ten steps to get started.

  1. You will make an ante or pair plus bet
  2. The dealer will give you three cards then give himself three cards face down.
  3. If you made the ante bet you will either raise or fold. Should you fold, you will lose your ante.
  4. If you decide to raise you will be required to make Play bet, that is equal to your ante.
  5. The dealer will reveal his cards, and he need a queen or better to qualify.
  6. Should the dealer not If not qualify, you will win even money on your Ante. The Play bet will push.
  7. Your hand will be compared to the dealers if the dealers hand qualifies. The higher-ranking hand will win.
  8. If you have the higher hand, then both bets will pay out even money.
  9. You will lose your bets if the dealer has the higher hand
  10. It will end in a push is you and the dealer tie
three card poker hands

How to Play

As you can tell from the rules, playing 3 card poker is not difficult at all. The game is played with a 52-card deck like most online poker games.  Three card poker is a combination of two games, the pair plus game and at the ante game.

The first part of game, the pair plus lets you bet on whether or not you will receive a pair or better. The second part for the game, which is the ante allows you to wager against the house. The bet is based on who will have the higher-ranking hand.

At some casinos, you be required to make an ante bet before you can make the pair plus bet. At the same time, others let you choose if you want to make an ante or not. When you hand beats the dealers, your bet will pay 1 to 1 on the ante and play bet. Should it end in a tie, both bets will be a push.

3 Card Poker Hands

There are less poker hands in 3 card poker each with their unique payouts, let’s take a look at 3 card poker payout explained below

HandExplainedAnte BetPair Plus Bet
Straight flushSuited Ace, queen and king5 to 140 to 1
Three of a kindThree cards from the same suit in sequence4 to 130 to 1
StraightThree cards that rank the same like three 4s or three 5s1 to 16 to 1
FlushAny three cards from the same suit4 to 1
PairOne pair and any other card1 to 1

 

3 Card Poker Strategy

To improve your odds in three card poker, the optimal suggest that you play all hands that include Q-6-4 or better. And if your hand doesn’t have the mentions cards, you should fold.  The house has an edge of about 2%, but this the ante and pair plus payout will vary from casino to casino.

Of course, the idea is to play three card poker and win money. But there are some perks to playing the game of free. With free three card poker, you get to familiarise yourself with the gameplay, rules and strategy risk-free. That isn’t all here are some other reasons why you should play 23 card poker free before you make real money bets.

  • Explore the side bets such as the pair plus and six cards
  • Earn the free play bonus from top casino sites
  • Test out the casino and software providers version of the game

3 Card Poker Online: Tips

We want you to have a fair chance at winning like expert players. So, we had our p r0o gamblers turned experts share a few tips and tricks to help you win. Unfortunately, these tips will not guarantee you a win, but they will definitely improve your odds.

  • Remember to fold hands that are lower than Q, 6 and 4
  • Don’t always play the pair plus bet as it has as 4,49% house edge
  • Have a look at the side bets and how much they payouts
  • Have a set bankroll and sit to it
  • Play at the best real money casino online
  • Claim the welcome bonus
  • Practice on free games before you make real money bets.

Play Three Card Poker

Not only is this poker variation lots of fun, but it has some rewarding side bets. Bit before you can go wild with the side bets, take some to practice the game and familiarise yourself with every aspect o the game.

With that, there are many other poker variations that we are certain you will enjoy. Here is a list of the best poker guides online.

 

Last Updated :