- 3 Card Poker Payouts In Las Vegas
- How To Win At 3 Card Poker
- Three Card Poker Pay Table
- Three Card Poker Progressive Payouts
You’re probably heard of one of the oldest card games played at casinos—poker. But have you ever heard of Three-Card Poker? This is one of my favorite card games played at tables or even on machines at select casinos.
Being just one single card more than a hand of blackjack, this game is far simpler than other popular poker variants. It’s a great way to learn the ins and outs of the game before you hit the Texas Hold ’Em tables (or even just a friendly game with a group of buddies).
The casinos edge for the Pair Plus is 7.27 percent and for the Ante wager it's 3.37 percent based. Three Card Poker is dealt with a single 52-card deck that is shuffled after each hand. The goal of the game is to have a higher scoring card than the dealer. There are two wagers to be made in the main.
The rules are similar, with a few exceptions. In the following article, I’ll be going over the rules and payouts that are common for this game.
A Brief History
The casino variant of this game was first created pretty late in the game, so to speak. I was surprised to learn three-card poker was created in 1994 and wasn’t patented until 1997. Created by Derek Webb, the goal was to create a version of poker that was played speedily, like other table games.
Webb had three ideas in mind as he created this variant. He wanted the rules to be easily understood, the payouts were meant to be large enough to attract players, and the house edge was such that casino owners would be keen on adopting it into their businesses.
Webb established a business he called Prime Table Games in order to market his game to casinos in the United States and United Kingdom. Because the UK had regulations against such a table game, his application wasn’t strong enough to convince regulators to change their rules. It was suggested that he gain some experience in the US first.
He caught his first break in Mississippi at the Grand Casino Gulfport when casino VP Barry Morris adopted the game after Webb was rejected in Las Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City. Just three years later, UK gaming regulations were adjusted to allow the introduction of Three-Card Poker in 2002.
The Basics and Advantages
This game is very similar to a standard game of poker, like Five-Card Draw or even Texas Hold’em. The main difference? You guessed it—you get three cards to make up your best hand instead of the standard five-card hand you’d get with the other two variants we mentioned.
Another difference here is that, as far as which hand you need to beat, it simply comes down to your hand versus the dealer’s hand. That’s right, there’s no need to worry about the other players at the table; though they may or may not be there playing, they also aren’t worried about beating you. This being the case, there’s no need to focus on bluffing or worrying about whether the guy sitting next to you has a superior hand.
Initial Betting
Payouts are obviously going to be vastly different in this game since there’s not a pot in the middle of the table. In order to play, you have to place an ante bet at least.
In addition to the ante bet, you have the option to place an additional bet. The optional bet is the pairs plus bet. After you receive your cards, you also have the option to place a play bet, which is essentially a raise bet.
The optional play bet is whether you want to play your hand against the dealer. Both the ante and play bet only pay out if your hand beats the dealer’s, but the pairs plus bet is paid based on whether you get a pair of cards or better dealt to you. The play bet must be equal to the ante bet. If you don’t place the play bet, you are essentially folding your hand, and lose your ante bet.
After the Cards Are Dealt
Now that you have your cards and all possibilities of bets have been laid down, here are the different hands you may get and the probability of each.
There are a total of six outcomes for your hand in Three-Card Poker. They are, from the best to worst, straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, or high card.
In a deck of 52, there are a total of 48 straight flush possibilities. Because there are a total of 22,100 possible hands, that equals to .22%, or roughly 1 out of 460.
Next, we have three of a kind. There are a possible 52 three of a kind possibilities in a standard deck. This gives us .24%, or 1 out of 425.
Now, we’re nearing the more likely, but not entirely likely, scenarios. With a straight, we have a possible 720 three card straights in a deck. With these numbers, we’re looking at 3.26%, or roughly 1 out of 31.
As we move closer to the most likely hands, we are now looking at the same suited flush. Here, we have a possible 1,096 flush options in our deck. This gives us a 4.96%, or roughly 1 out of 20.
Moving along, we are now at the pair. There are a total 3,744 possible pairs in a deck of 52. This stands at 16.94%, or roughly 1 in 6.
At this point, we’re at the most likely hand you are to receive of them all. This is known as the high card hand, and it’s the hand you’ll receive if none of the other listed hands are dealt. There are a whopping 16,440 total possible hands that aren’t listed above in a standard deck. This is the equivalent of 74.39%, or roughly 3 in 4.
Basic Payouts
After the ante and pairs plus bets are placed, the cards are dealt. If the dealer doesn’t receive a queen or better, their hand is folded, the ante bet is returned, and the optional play bet is no longer on the table. If the dealer’s hand is in play, the optional play bet must be equal to the ante bet.
After hands are compared, the ante and play bets are paid out 1 to 1, and an ante bet bonus is paid out as follows: a straight is paid out 1 to 1, or double your bet, three of a kind is paid out 4 to 1, or five times your bet, and a straight flush is paid out 5 to 1, or six times your bet. Most of the time, the house pays the player for ties.
Some casinos now offer a mini royal payout in the ante bonus. A mini royal is a suited ace, king, and queen.
The most common payouts for this bonus pay table are: 50 to 1 for a mini royal in spades, 10 to 1 for a mini royal, 4 to 1 for a straight flush, and 3 to 1 for three of a kind.
If you decide not to place the play bet, your ante bet is forfeited, but the pairs plus bet is still in play.
Pairs Plus
Now that you’re familiar with the different strategy of hands you’re going to receive in this game, let’s talk about the pairs plus bet. This is my favorite bet to lay down because the payouts can get astronomical, and neglecting to put down this bet can have you kicking yourself in the rear when the right cards are dealt.
First, we’ll look at the payouts for a pairs plus pay table without mini royal.
As the name of the bet suggests, you’ll only receive a payout if you receive better than a pair. A pair pays out 1 to 1, meaning you get your bet times two if you score a pair.
Next up, we have the flush. A flush is when all of the cards in your hand are of the same suit. With this hand, the payout is 3 to 1, meaning you will get four times your pairs plus bet.
A straight is when you get three consecutive cards of any suit, including ace, two, and three, all the way up to queen, king, and ace. This will pay out 6 to 1, or seven times your bet.
Three of a kind is pretty self explanatory. The payout here is 30 to 1, or 31 times your bet.
Finally, a straight flush is the ultimate combination of a straight and a flush, or three consecutive cards of the same suit. This hand will pay out a whopping 40 to 1, or 41 times your bet.
Now, let’s move on to the pay table when the house offers payouts for mini royals. A pair pays out 1 to 1 here as well. A flush is paid 3 to 1, straights are paid out 6 to 1, three of a kind are 25 to 1, straight flush gets 40 to 1, and a mini royal is paid out 80 to 1.
Conclusion
The primary reason this game was so enticing to this gambler is because of the pairs plus bet. The first time I played the game, I won $460 on a hand by betting $10 on each of the three bets because I got the much desired straight flush. As you can see, the pairs plus can really add up even if you don’t beat the dealer’s hand.
Playing this game will give you a feel of poker while allowing you to play without the stresses of playing against a table of competitors, making it feel a little like blackjack in the style of play. Good luck and don’t forget to place those pairs plus bets!
There are many casino poker variants to choose from, but unquestionably, three card poker is among the most fast-paced and thrilling. This essential guide takes you through everything you need to know; we breakdown the rules of 3 card poker and explain how to play the game. Plus, we cover all the side bets, bonuses, and payouts; and reveal the perfect three-card poker strategy.
How to play three card poker
The important elements of creating great casino poker games are to firstly make the rules easy to understand, and secondly, the payouts have to be appealing to players. Derek Webb, the game’s inventor, combines these factors to a tee. Learning the basics of how to play three card poker only takes a minute or two.
Of course, you want to refine your play with a proven strategy, but we’ll get to that part later. For now, let’s explain 3 card poker rules and guide you through the gameplay.
Three card poker rules
Once you know the rules, you’ll be well on your way to being able to play 3 card poker online. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck. Here’s a step-by-step guide to a single round.
- To begin a round, the player must place an ante bet.
- The dealer then deals three cards to the player, which are face-up, and three cards to himself, which are face down.
- Based on the three cards, the player can either fold the hand or continue by placing a play bet.
- If the player folds, he loses the original ante bet wager.
- If he continues, the cost of the play bet is equal to the ante bet.
- Assuming the player continues, the dealer turns over his three cards.
- The dealer’s hand needs to be at least Queen high to qualify.
- If the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify, the player wins even money (1:1) on the ante bet, but the play bet is pushed (returned).
- When the dealer does qualify; the player’s hand is compared to the dealer’s hand. The winner is determined according to the order of 3 card poker hand ranks.
- If the player’s hand wins, he gets paid 1:1 on both the ante bet and the play bet.
- If the dealer’s hand wins, both bets are lost.
- It is possible for the hands to tie. In which case, the ante and play bets are pushed.
- Regardless of the outcome of the round, if the player holds a straight or higher, he wins an ante bonus (as described below).
Poker hand ranks
There’s a slight alteration in the poker hand ranks for this game (compared to most other forms of poker). The reason is that you are less likely to hit a straight draw than you are to get a flush draw. This is the ranking order, starting with the highest three card poker hand at the top:
- Straight flush: 3 cards of the same suit in consecutive order.
- Three of a kind: 3 cards of equal face value.
- Straight: 3 cards of mixed suits in consecutive order.
- Flush: 3 cards from the same suit but not in consecutive order.
- Pair: two cards of equal face value.
- High card: none of the above hands, means you only have a high card.
Three card poker odds and payouts
3 Card Poker Payouts In Las Vegas
We described the standard 1:1 payouts in the 3 card poker rules outlined above, but those are just one part of this game. The excitement jumps up a few notches because three card poker also includes an ante bet bonus. The ante bet bonus is based purely on the player’s three cards. Therefore, you can win this bet but still lose the round.
Ante bet bonus payouts:
- Straight flush: 5 times the ante bet
- Three of a kind: 4 times the ante bet
- Straight: 1 times the ante bet
Pair Plus bet
Before the start of a hand, players can also make a Pair Plus side bet. Again, this wager is independent of the outcome of your game against the dealer. It’s based on the 3 cards you are dealt.
Pair Plus bet payouts:
- Straight flush: 40 to 1
- Three of a kind: 30 to 1
- Straight: 6 to 1
- Flush: 4 to 1
- A pair: 1 to 1
Six Card bonus
The six card bonus is another optional side bet, but not all three card poker games offer this wager. It uses the three player cards and the three dealer cards from which you must form a five-card hand that is on the pay table to win.
Pair Plus bet payouts:
- Royal flush: 1000 to 1
- Straight flush: 200 to 1
- Four of a kind: 50 to 1
- Full house: 25 to 1
- Flush: 15 to 1
- Straight: 10 to 1
- Three of a kind: 5 to 1
These poker hand rankings are more traditional with a royal flush being the best possible hand, and the flush payout is valued higher than the straight.
3 card poker strategy
We can categorize casino card games into two types. The first are games of chance, such as baccarat and Dragon Tiger. The others are decision-based games like blackjack, Caribbean Stud, and Casino Hold’em. Three card poker drops into the second type because the player makes a decision after seeing his cards on whether he wants to fold or continue by making the play bet.
All of these decision-based games have an optimal strategy. However, some of these involve studying playing charts, which dilutes the entertainment value of the game when you first start playing. The 3 card poker strategy doesn’t bother with such complexities. In fact, you only need to remember 3 cards.
The optimal three card poker strategy for the ante and play bet is QUEEN – SIX – FOUR
This means if your hand is equal to, or stronger than, Q-6-4, you should always raise and make the play bet. What you need to remember is to look at each card separately.
- Start with your highest card. If it’s lower than a Queen – you fold the hand.
- If the highest card is a King or Ace – you raise.
- If the highest card is a Queen, you must look at the second highest card. If lower than 6 – you fold the hand. But, if higher than 6 – you raise.
- If the second highest card is 6, you move onto the third card. Lower than 4 means you fold. 4 or higher, and you raise.
House edge
When choosing what casino games to play, you should always consider the house edge. This is essentially the advantage the casino has. The good news is the three card poker house edge is competitive, which is why this game has grown in popularity.
- The house edge for the ante and play bet combination is 2.01% when using the Q-6-4 strategy described above.
- For the Pair Plus bet, the house edge is 2.32% based on the pay table used in our example. This is reasonable value for a side bet.
- The same cannot be said for the Six Card Bonus bet. It has a house edge of 14.36% using the pay table shown. Therefore, even though the royal flush pays 1000 to 1, this side bet will cripple your bankroll over the long-term.
New players should note that the term ‘house edge’ is rarely used these days. Instead, the theoretical return to player (RTP) percentage is given. The RTP can be calculated by: 100% – house edge. Therefore, the RTP for the ante – play bet is 97.99%.
Tips for playing 3 card poker
Using our experience, and from talking with other three card poker players, we’ve composed a few easy-to-follow tips to help you get more from this game.
- Follow the Q-6-4 strategy. It can be tempting to play J-10-8 because the cards are all reasonably high, but this is not smart, and you will end up losing more than you win.
- Check the pay tables before you play. Several software developers have created their own variants, and there is also live 3 card poker. Just because the title of the game is the same, it doesn’t mean the pay tables are. This has an impact on the RTP, and you want to play where you get the best value.
- Avoid the Six Card Bonus wager. The RTP for this bet is 85.64%. That means on average (over the long-term) for every $100 wagered, you win $85.64.
- Manage your bankroll. You don’t want to play $20 ante bets, and $20 play bets if you only have $100 in your casino account. Look to divide your budget so you can get 50 to 100 hands out of what you have.
- Practice by playing free three card poker games. Most online casinos, after you have registered, will allow you to play in demo mode. This allows you to practice your playing and betting strategy. Please note, you won’t be able to play live 3 card poker games for free.
Live three card poker
The award-winning Evolution Gaming, in partnership with Scientific Gaming, has created a spectacular live dealer three card poker game. This brings you all the authentic gameplay that you get in a land-based casino, but from the comfort of your own home.
It should be noted that there is usually a trade-off playing live games. Most of the time, the RTP is lower due to the extra costs involved in operating these tables. For instance, we’ve read reports that the ante bonus on Evolution’s live variant pays 5 to 1, but you need a mini royal flush to claim it.
This title also has the two side bets we talked about above. However, the pay table for Pairs Plus is not identical. Playing live, there is a maximum payout of 100 to 1 for a mini royal. This may appear more rewarding, but the payout for a straight is less, so the house edge ends up being higher. With that said, playing three card poker live is a great experience, and we think it’s worth trying even though the RTP is not as high.
Where to play online three card poker
How To Win At 3 Card Poker
Three card poker may not have the iconic status of roulette or blackjack, but it’s catching up in the popularity stakes. Thanks to there being both virtual RNG and live games, you can now find this poker variant in hundreds of online casinos around the world, including:
- 888casino
- PlayOJO
- Mr Green
- Ignition
The decision where to play three card poker depends on what you want from the casino. Each operator has its strengths and weaknesses. Some offer larger bonuses, while others have faster payouts or better mobile apps. If you’re looking for your first casino, we recommend checking out our online casino reviews section for an honest point of view. In terms of bonuses specific for 3 card poker; the truth is that there aren’t many. You can use a casino’s welcome bonus to play, but the wagering requirements combined with game weighting limitations means you are unlikely to score a profit from these offers.
Three card poker – F.A.Q.
To summarize the main points of this article, we’ve included this general three card poker FAQ.
Is there any strategy to 3 card poker?
Yes, and it’s very straightforward. The strategy is Queen – Six – Four. If your hand value is lower than that, you fold. If equal or higher, you make the play bet.
Three Card Poker Pay Table
What is the highest hand in 3 card poker?
The highest hand is Ace – King – Queen of the same suit. This is known as a mini royal. There are no trump suits in three card poker.
Do I play against other players?
No, three card poker is a player vs dealer game. If you play live, you can play alongside other players although each of you has to take on the dealer.
Can I play free 3 card poker?
Three Card Poker Progressive Payouts
Yes, nearly all online casinos that offer an RNG version will allow you to play free 3 card poker in practice mode.