Three Card Poker Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering This Video Poker Game
This comprehensive guide provides an in-depth look at Three Card Poker strategy, helping you become a master at this video poker game. Learn the rules and strategies you need to improve your odds of winning and maximize your winnings.
Three Card Poker is a variation of the popular casino game, Video Poker. It is a game of skill and strategy, in which the player must make decisions throughout the game to maximize their chances of winning.
The game is quite simple to learn and can be quite rewarding if played correctly. In this Three Card Poker Strategy guide, we will discuss the strategy and tips needed to become a master player of this video poker game.
Three-Card Poker: What is it?
Three Card Poker combines two games into one and is exclusively played against the dealer using a regular deck of 52 cards and the same fundamental rules as other video poker variants.
The Ante/Play variation is the first and pits the player against the dealer to see who has the best hand.
In the second variant, called Pair Plus, players can make a side wager on whether they’ll be handed a pair or better. But, in the majority of casinos, players must additionally place an Ante bet in addition to the Pair Plus wager.
The Rules of Three-Card Poker
Each player has access to three betting circles on a typical Three-Card Poker table. Pair Plus is the circle at the left, while “Ante” and “Play” are the circles immediately next to it.
The player places an Ante wager, which must be equal or higher than the table minimum, and a Pair Plus wager, which is optional. Following that, the dealer deals each player three cards, but his remain face down.
The player must decide whether to play or fold if they have a bet inside the ante circle. The player loses their ante if they choose to fold. But if the player wants to keep playing, he or she must make a second wager in the Play area that is equivalent to his or her Ante.
When all of the wagering is completed, the dealer displays his three-card hand.
Unless the dealer produces a “qualifying” hand consisting of queen-high or better, the players will receive payments for both Ante and Play bets.
However, if the dealer has a hand that satisfies the minimum requirements, it is compared to the player’s cards to determine who wins. If a player has a winning hand, they will undoubtedly get rewards on both their Ante and Play bets. In the event that the dealer has a better hand, the player loses both bets.
The tiebreakers are beneficial to the player.
Hand Rankings in Three-Card Poker
Because each hand is just three cards long, the rankings deviate from traditional poker rankings. The following are the high-to-low rankings for three-card poker hands:
- Three cards in a row that are of the same suit make up a straight flush.
- Three identical rank cards make up a three-of-a-kind;
- Straight: three cards of different suits dealt back-to-back
- Three cards from the same suit make up a flush.
- A pair is two identical-rank cards.
- High card
Three-Card Poker Bonuses
A player will receive an ante bonus depending on their ante and the pay table that is presented at the table if they have a straight, three-of-a-kind, or straight flush. Typically, the bonuses for a straight, three of a kind, and straight flush are 1:1, 4:1, and 5:1, respectively. If appropriate, a player will still earn their Ante bonus even if they have a worse hand than the dealer. This incentive often has a house edge of 3% or less.
Payouts for ante bonuses
- Straight Flush: 5 to 1.
- 3:1 Three of a kind
- Straight – 1:1
Punters can also obtain the following Pair Plus bonuses
Bonus Payouts for Pairs Plus
- Straight flush: 40:1
- 3 of a kind: 30:1
- Straight: 6 to 1
- Pair – 1:1 Flush – 4:1
Three-Card Poker Strategy
Three-Card Poker has an incredibly uncomplicated strategy given that there are only three cards.
Based on the statistical likelihood that he can defeat any other random three-card hands, a player should fold if he holds a hand lower than Q, 6, or 4. A play wager should always be placed on hands that are higher than this queen-high hand with a 6-4 kicker.
No matter how much we’d like to share with you more advanced tactics for playing 3 Card Poker, the game is simply too easy and plain to support them. Make judgments based on data and just use correct math.
You shouldn’t be losing more money than the statistical house edge predicts as long as you stick to the right selection of opening hands.
