3 Card Poker is a casino card game that combines poker hands with quick casino-style betting. In this version you play against the dealer, not other players. And instead of five cards like in regular poker, you get just three.
The goal is simple: Make the best 3-card hand you can, and hope it’s better than the dealer’s.
It’s fast, easy to learn, and you’re free to choose how you want to play. Some players go for simple bets and small wins. Others aim for the bigger payouts that come from bonus bets. Or you can mix both styles. This flexibility is what makes the game so popular.
This guide will walk you through everything from the basic terminology to game tips. By the end you’ll know how to play 3 Card Poker like a pro and have some solid strategies up your sleeve.
3 Card Poker is played heads-up against the dealer. Each player and the dealer receive three cards. You are only competing against the dealer’s hand, not against other players at the table. If multiple players are at the table, each one separately compares with the dealer.
The main game involves two bets: Ante and Play. You must bet Ante to play against the dealer. After seeing your cards, if you want to continue, you must place an additional Play bet (equal to the Ante). If you fold, you lose your Ante and the round ends for you. The Pair Plus side bet is independent and optional, based solely on your hand’s value, with no further action needed after the initial bet.
The dealer needs a Queen-high or better to qualify and “open” for play. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, all remaining Ante bets automatically win even money and Play bets are returned to the players.
If the dealer does qualify with Queen or higher, then it’s a normal showdown: best hand wins. If your hand outranks the dealer’s, you win on both the Ante and Play bets (each pays 1:1). If the dealer’s hand outranks yours, you lose both bets. These outcomes are settled for each player individually. All winning Ante and Play bets pay even money (1:1).
As a player, you can’t change the odds, but knowing the rules and using the right strategy (coming up) ensures you’re playing on the best possible terms.
When the dealer doesn’t qualify, the round ends immediately in a sense: Ante bets win even money (1:1 payout) and Play bets are returned to players. You essentially win your Ante by default when the dealer can’t play.Side note: if you folded, you’ve already lost your Ante, so the dealer not qualifying doesn’t give you anything. The only exception is if you placed a Pair Plus side bet – that still gets evaluated, because it’s not tied to whether you folded or not. If your hand was, say, a pair or a straight and you had a Pair Plus bet active, you can still win that payout even if you folded.
5. Compare hands (if the dealer qualifies): If the dealer does have Queen-high or better, then it’s a normal showdown – your three-card hand vs. the dealer’s three-card hand.
If your hand is stronger: you win even money (1:1) on both Ante and Play.
If the dealer’s hand is stronger: you lose both.
If it’s a tie (rare but possible): both bets are returned.
6. Payout side bets and bonuses: Regardless of who wins the main hand, the dealer will also settle any side bets now. If you made a Pair Plus bet, the dealer will pay it according to the predetermined paytable if your hand was a pair or better (we’ll detail typical payouts in the next sections).
3 Card Poker uses special hand rankings that are slightly different from standard poker. This is the order, from best to worst:
A key difference: in 3 Card Poker, a straight beats a flush. That’s the opposite of regular poker. This is because with three cards it’s actually harder to make a straight than a flush, so straights are valued higher.
Ante Bonus (Extra Payouts)
This is paid automatically, even if you lose the hand:
These vary depending on the casino, but here’s a common structure:
Always check the table’s paytable. Some casinos may lower the payouts to increase house edge!
Some tables offer an additional side bet called the 6 Card Bonus. This bet uses your three cards plus the dealer’s three to form the best five-card poker hand.
With some casinos, 3 Card Poker tables may have a small progressive jackpot bet you can make. This typically pays a progressive jackpot if you hit a very specific hand, like a mini royal in spades (Ace-King-Queen of spades) and fixed smaller prizes for other hands like straight flush or three of a kind.
Now that you know the rules, let’s talk strategy. While 3 Card Poker is a relatively simple game, having a basic 3 card poker strategy and some smart habits can do wonders.
Your one big decision in 3 Card Poker is whether to place the Play bet or to fold after seeing your hand. Mathematicians have crunched the numbers and derived a simple rule for this: Always play (raise) if your hand is Queen-6-4 or better, and fold if it’s weaker.
Example: Q-7-2 is higher than Q-6-4 (because the 7 beats the 6 in the second spot), so you would play Q-7-2. Q-6-3 is slightly lower than Q-6-4 (since the third card 3 is below 4), so you would fold Q-6-3.
This rule of thumb keeps you from making the most common mistake of playing very weak hands or folding decent ones.
The Pair Plus bet is settled independently regardless of whether you fold or play the main hand, so treat Pair Plus as a separate bet entirely. You either choose to bet it or not each round, but don’t let it sway your Ante/Play decision.
3 Card Poker outcomes are independent and highly random. You can lose many in a row or win many in a row purely by chance.
Progressive betting systems can lead to very large bets and quickly tapped-out funds. Much better to keep your bets consistent or modestly scaled to your bankroll. Maybe increase a bit when you’re winning and having fun, but always within reason.
Like all casino games, 3 Card Poker should be played with an eye on your bankroll.
Decide how much money you are willing to risk in the session and stick to it. If you’re a beginner, start at tables with lower minimums (like £5 or £10) to get a feel for the game.
Side bets like Pair Plus or 6 Card Bonus can drain your bankroll faster. Some seasoned players avoid side bets entirely to maximise their bankroll longevity, which from a pure strategy perspective is sound. As a beginner, it’s okay to indulge, just do so thoughtfully.
AnteYour first bet. You must place this to start a hand.
Pair PlusA side bet that has nothing to do with the dealer. If you get a pair or better, you win a bonus payout, even if you lose the main game.
PlayAnother bet, placed only if you want to continue after seeing your cards. It must be the same size as your Ante.
FoldIf you don’t like your cards, you fold – which means you give up and lose your Ante.
Dealer QualifyIn 3 Card Poker, the dealer “qualifies” to play only if their hand is at least Queen-high. Queen-high means the best card in the dealer’s hand is a Queen or higher (King or Ace). If the dealer doesn’t qualify, special rules apply (explained below).
PushA tie. If you and the dealer have the same hand, your bet is returned.
3 Card Poker is a relatively modern game. It was invented in 1994 by Derek Webb, a British card player and casino game developer.
According to Webb himself, casinos and players ended up liking the game so much because of three key factors:
After some early legal battles and tweaks, the game became a hit in Vegas and is now firmly entrenched in casinos worldwide – a modern classic, one might say.
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