Three Card Poker

 

Three Card Poker is a casino game based upon standard poker rules. It is currently the most popular proprietary table game of all time when measured by revenue for rights owners or by winnings generated by casinos. All casino game odds are in favour of the house, but Three Card Poker has done very well because of the fun and simple nature of the game. In this article, you will learn about the history of Three Card Poker, the rules, hand rankings, payouts, strategies and common variations of the game.

 

 

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The History of Three Card Poker

 

A relatively new game, Three Card Poker was first invented in 1994 by a man named Derek Webb. Webb also coined other names for the game call Brit-Brag and Casino Brag. After he invented the game, he applied for and was given patents in the U.S. and Great Britain. Due to the immediate success of his game, Webb created a marketing company called Prime Table Games, used solely for the marketing of Three Card Poker. The game was not initially legal to play in casinos in the UK until the UK gambling regulatory commission changed their stance in 2002 and allowed the introduction of Three Card Poker.

 

Three Card Poker Rules and Gameplay

 

The object of Three Card Poker may seem a bit confusing at first, as there are two ways to win: your three cards may beat the dealer's three cards, or you can win by having a good hand of your own. How this is achieved is through Three Card Poker's two modes of play: the Ante and the Pair Plus.

Ante - This bet denotes that you want to play against the dealer's hand. The ante wager is placed before the cards are dealt. After receiving your cards, you must determine in you think your hand will beat the dealer's hand. If you think it will, then you must place a bet equal to your ante wager on the Play space. Once this is done, the dealer will show their cards. If your hand beats the dealer and the dealer's hand qualifies, you win equal money on both your ante and play.

Qualifying - For the dealer to qualify, they must possess a Queen or higher in their hand. Whether it's a Queen high, an Ace, a pair, or a straight, anything higher than a Queen means they qualify.

Pair Plus - This bet is betting solely on your own card's merit. If your hand meets the qualifications of a winning hand, you will get paid according to the below table, regardless of the dealer's hand.

The Ante and the Pair Plus bets can, and usually are, played on each hand. You can win on all three bets including the play wager. However, if you are playing both, you can win your ante and play, yet still lose your Pair Plus, and vice versa. For example, here are a couple of scenarios that can and will be found in regular Three Card Poker play:

Hand One - You bet $5 on your Pair Plus and also on your ante. You look at your hand and you have a Queen, a Queen, and a four. You would decide to play the hand, and place another $5 on the Play space. The dealer shows their cards to reveal a King, a King, and a seven. You would win on your Pair Plus because you have a pair or better, but would lose both your ante and play.
Hand Two - Same bets. This time you are dealt a straight and the dealer turns up a four, eight, and 10. You would win on your straight and ante, but your play wager would push because the dealer didn't qualify.
Hand Three - Same bets. You are dealt a King, a five, and a three. Based on traditional strategy (explained later), you would again play this hand. The dealer shows a six, a five, and a nine. You will lose your Pair Plus bet, win your ante (because you beat the dealer) and push your play (because the dealer didn't qualify). You would essentially break even on the hand.
Hand Four - The optimal hand, with the same bets. Your cards reveal a pair of Aces with an extra six. You would obviously play this hand. The dealer shows a pair of fours with a nine also. You would win your Pair Plus, your ante, and your play.
 

 

The Hand Rankings

 

There are several different ways to have a winning hand in Three Card Poker. The list below will show you all of the possible winning hands and their normal payout odds, matched against your Pair Plus wager:

Straight Flush: 40 - 1 payout odds. A straight flush is when your three cards are in sequential order and of the same suit.
Three of a Kind: 30 - 1 payout odds. Three of a kind is when all three of your cards are of the same rank.
Straight: 6 - 1 payout odds. A straight is when all of your cards are in sequential order.
Flush: 4 - 1 payout odds. A flush is when all of your cards are of the same suit.
Pair: 1 - 1 payout odds. A pair is when two of your three cards are of the same rank.

It is important to remember that your odds come from your pair plus bet only - ante and play wagers pay even money when you win. There are some casinos that offer an ante bonus for big hands. If you achieve a straight flush (5 - 1), three of a kind (4 - 1), or straight (1 - 1) the house will pay you an additional bonus to your normal payout for your ante and play wagers. The play bonus is still dependent upon the dealer qualifying.
 

 

Three Card Poker Basic Strategy

 

There are many people who have looked for ways to beat the house at Three Card Poker, and while it is always in the house's advantage, there is one very simple method that can be used to optimize your odds. The strategy is to play every hand in which your hand is equal to or better than a Queen, six, four. There are mathematics experts who have crunched the numbers and discovered that this strategy provides you with your best chance to win.

Other players like to use a betting strategy to help win. There are two common betting strategies used by players today:

Double Your Pair Plus - This strategy is for players who would rather bank on their hand getting a Pair Plus or better. By doing this, you can lessen the effect of a loss of your ante and play bets if and when they lose. This effect is shown by visualizing yourself betting $10 on Pair Plus and $5 on ante and play. You get a small pair, and the dealer gets a higher one. You will win $10 for your pair, but lose the other $10, leaving you even. If you had bet even money, you would have lost $5.
Double Your Ante - This is for those players who would rather bank on beating the dealer. If you bet $10 on ante and $5 on pair plus, you can lessen the effect of a bad hand so long as you still beat the dealer. For example, you have a King high and the dealer has queen high - you will win on your ante and play for $20 total, while also losing your $5 Pair Plus bet. This has gained you $15 instead of $5.

Both strategies are acceptable, and you may choose which you prefer. For beginners, it is advisable to play the Pair Plus exclusively until you get a feel for the game.

Three Card Poker popularity has grown very rapidly in its popularity since its inception less than two decades ago. It has done so by creating a game that is fun, easy to play, and can yield big winnings. Learning the game and your own strategies can take some time, but with practice, you will learn how to play effectively.