Unlike blackjack or a traditional poker game, there’s not a huge amount of strategy that goes along with optimal 3 card poker play. Instead, the basic strategy for the ante-play involves betting whenever the player’s hand consists of a Q-6-4 or better, folding if their hand ranks any lower. Tips and Tricks to play Three Card Poker Online. First things first, you just need to register yourself by filling up an online form. Once your form is filled up, you will get your username and password which you can use to play various stages of three card poker. How to Play Three Card Poker The game starts when you make an ante and/or a PairPlus bet. You and the dealer each get three cards. You get to look at your cards, but the dealer’s cards are dealt face down and stay face down. The Queen-Six-Four Strategy. Casino gamblers universally accept only one 3 Card Poker strategy. That is to play when you have a hand consisting of Queen-6-4 or higher and fold on everything else. It is that simple. In 3 Card Poker, the hands get ranked from the highest one to the next highest.
Even though 3 Card Poker tends to be a simpler version of traditional poker, the game still poses its challenges. Mastering the odds and making the right call still requires skill and understanding just like it would in any regular game of poker. In our 3 Card Poker strategy, we will tell you more about the frequency of winning hands, help you come up with a working ante-play combination strategy and generally assist you with pay tables and odds.
Like with any strategy for poker variants, it is crucial to understand the math behind the game. The first step to devising any successful 3 Card Poker strategy is to familiarize yourself with the Pair Plus odds. There are 22,100 winning hands, or around 25.6% of the total possible combinations. In 3 Card Poker you win if you successfully produce a pair, flush, straight, three of a kind or straight flush. And of course, the payout will depend on the strength of your hand.
Some casinos get tempted to introduce another, conciliatory reward, which is actually pretty decent. Known as mini-royals, this hand consists of Queen, King and Ace of the same suit, but are only added to the gameplay at the discretion of the casino.
Now, you may be wondering. Why would you play any game that only pays one in four times when there are others that arguably pay better? The key lies in the payout ratio. While most other games have a 1:1 payout for most bets, 3 Card Poker doesn’t mind offering you a bit more if you happen to be just a bit lucky.
A straight flush will usually grant you 40:1 and mini-royals, if applicable, could distribute a 50:1, 100:1 or even a whopping 200:1 payout. Now, the chances of turning a mini-royal are 1 in 5,252 according to the hand frequency. Most pairs will start at a 1:1 payout, and then a flush will usually offer 4:1, and a straight 5:1.
If we had to sum up this chapter, we would mention that games that pay 5:4 on straights and 4:1 on flushes usually have a smaller house edge than games that offer 6:1 on straights and 3:1 on flushes. It’s a mild difference, but still one to help you make the correct choice for yourself. Naturally you want the more frequent payers and lower house edges as no matter how lucky or psychic you’re feeling on the night, house edges are real and built into every game.
The house edge will vary between 4.49% and 7.28% for most versions of 3 Card Poker, which definitely gives the house a pretty big advantage.
Another 3 Card Poker strategy to look into is how you read and play the Ante Play odds and payouts. Each game begins with the ante, which you either bet to match up or fold if you don’t feel too sure. Now, remember that the dealer will only play if they are holding a Queen or better. If they don’t, they will fold, which will secure you a quick 1:1 payout on both your ante and bet pushes.
The payout doesn’t depend on the strength of your hand, so long as the dealer has decided to fold. Now, if the dealer decides to play, you will have to beat him or her with a stronger hand, naturally. Remember that any ties are broken by the second highest card you both have. If all three cards are the same, all bets are off and you start from the beginning.
So, what 3 Card Poker strategy is there for ante-play? A popular community wisdom is to only bet when you have Queen-6-4 or better. Now, you will probably argue, that you sometimes get a Queen, but then again, your second and third cards aren’t really as good.
Well, while this can be a reason for hesitation at first, most experienced players will know when to play and when to fold. Generally, Queen is a good start, but if your second card is 5, you should fold. The same goes if your second card is 6 but the third one is 2 or 3.
Now, one thing that everyone factors in their 3 Card Poker strategy for ante play is the ante bonus, which will be paid to you every time you get three of a kind, a straight or a straight flush. The ante bonus will be paid out to you directly, no matter whether you end up beating the dealer or otherwise.
Owing to the ante bonus the house edge will usually fall a little. It’s almost as thinking about the game as French Roulette. Thanks to the ante bonus, you can slash the house edge to 2.01% from 3.37% previously.
Before we move on to the final notes, if you already feel armed with the information and odds you need to practice a few hands of real money poker, we’ve recently come across MoneyPokerSites.com which actually have fairly good selection of poker sites to play on and they’re separated into poker for US players, Canadian, New Zealand, etc. so just make sure not to jump into a poker room that isn’t available in your country.
Now, looking at the odds and payouts, one thing that stands out is that 3 Card Poker is definitely a bit more challenging than any of the other table games out there. Players who opt for popular gems as roulette or blackjack often have to deal with pretty small house edges, and a payout frequency that can be controlled with the help of a strategy, such as Martingale, Fibonacci or any of their variants.
However, in 3 Card Poker, the house edge is usually a bit steeper than, say, blackjack, and winning combinations happen 1 in 4 times. Yet, the game has its appeal and it’s definitely a worthwhile choice owing specifically to the big payouts you can turn off a single bet. The ante-play bonus makes it possible to hedge your bets a bit and offset any potential loss whereas a payout on anything bigger than a pair already offers a pretty good return.
If you are one of the lucky players to hit a mini-royal, assuming this type of bet is available, you will make up for your last 100 hands, especially if they turned out somewhat unsuccessful. It’s easy to stay on top of the game so long as you design and stick to the best 3 Card Poker strategy based on the odds and payout values.
Playing Three Card Poker is Easy and Fun. You are dealt three cards and the dealer is dealt three cards. The object is to have your three card poker hand to beat the dealer’s three card poker hand. You first make an Ante bet. After receiving your three card hand, you can surrender your hand and Ante wager or make a Play bet equal to your Ante bet before the dealer’s hand is revealed. If you win, you win both of your bets. The Ante and Play wagers pay even money (1:1). This is how the game is played nearly everywhere, including Las Vegas.
However at the California Grand Casino, because we show you one of the dealer’s cards before you make your Play bet, you are Playing With Better Odds Than Vegas and other casinos. Seeing one of the dealer card’s also changes the correct strategy for deciding when to make your Play bet. You will want to adjust your strategy so you can maximize your opportunity to win.
You are also playing against other players, not the casino. So at the California Grand Casino you have the opportunity to wager on the dealer hand if you want to do so.
3 CARD POKER – THE BASICS
Let’s start with a few basics. If you bet and the dealer does not have Queen or better, the dealer does not play; you win your Ante bet and your Play bet pushes (neither wins nor loses), even if the dealer’s hand beats your hand. If the dealer has Queen high or higher then you must beat the dealer to win. If you win, you’re paid on both your Ante bet and Play bet. If you lose, the dealer takes both bets.
The ranking of most hands is the same as in Poker except you are using only three cards and a straight is higher than a flush. So a mini-royal flush (AKQ) and straight flush are at the top of the hand rankings, followed by three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, and high card. If your highest card and the dealer’s highest card are the same, the tie is broken by the second-highest card, then the third highest card. If your hand and the dealer’s hand are exactly the same, you tie and the bets push.
BASIC 3 CARD POKER STRATEGY
The usual strategy for when to make the Play wager is to bet whenever you have Queen-6-4 or better, including any time your high card is an Ace or a King, no matter how high your other two cards are, and also anytime your hand is Q-7 or better, regardless of your third card. Fold if your hand is not at least that high. If your high card is a Jack or lower, fold, no matter how high your other two cards are.
MODIFIED THREE-CARD POKER STRATEGY WHEN YOU KNOW ONE OF THE DEALER’S CARDS
When you have the advantage of seeing one of the dealer’s cards, you should change your basic strategy. If the dealer card is:
You also have the option of playing the hand house-way. This takes all the guess work out deciding when you should play. To play your hand house way, you put up your Ante and your Play bet, and the hand will be played according to the strategy outlined above.
OPTIONAL BONUS WAGERS
One of the exciting aspects of Three Card Poker is the opportunity to win large amounts through optional bonus wagers. You can win up to 1,000 times your wager on a bonus bet. There are two bonus bets: the Pair Plus bonus and the 6 Card bonus.
The Pair Plus bonus is based on the three cards in your hand. If you’re dealt a pair or better in your three cards, you win the Pair Plus bonus wager. The amount you win depends on what type of hand you are dealt.
The 6 Card bonus looks at the three cards in your hand and the three cards in the dealer’s hand. If, after combining the 6 cards, you can make a poker hand of three of a kind or better, you win the 6 Card bonus wager. The amount you win depends on what type of poker hand you can make with the six cards.
MONEY MANAGEMENT IN THREE CARD POKER
We want you to have a good time when you are here. When playing you should always think about money management. Your bet sizes should be relative to your bankroll. For example if you are playing win a $300 bankroll you should probably only make bets of $10-$20 per hand to make your play opportunities last longer. You should also think about win and loss limits. This means if you win you leave with your winnings and if you lose you do not lose more than you can afford.
If you want more information about how to play Three Card Poker, don’t hesitate to come to the California Grand Casino in Pacheco and ask a staff member. We are more than happy to explain any of our action-packed games.