How To Play 3 Card Poker To start, the player places an ante wager and/or a pair plus wager, betting that they will have a hand of at least a pair or better. Three cards are then dealt face down to each player and to the dealer. You are only playing the dealer and not other players at the table. The following are the traditional rules for a game of Three-Card Poker: Play begins with the player making up to two wagers. The first is known as the Ante, and the second is known as the Pair Plus wager. Both of these are optional bets in some casinos, while others require the Ante wager to be made. 3 card hand values: The first thing you will probably notice from the hand rankings list below is that a straight has a higher ranking than a flush. That's simply because there are fewer ways to make a 3 card straight than a 3 card flush. As in most poker games, aces play both high and low to a straight. Another variation is 'six card bonus', in which the players are given a payout based on the best five-card poker hand that can be made using any combination of the player's three cards and the dealer's three cards. Payoff ranges from 5 to 1 for three of a kind to 1000 to 1 for royal flush. Payoffs are paid regardless of whether any other bets pay.
Three Card Poker is a casino table game based on poker.
History[edit]
The casino variant of Three Card Poker was first created by Derek Webb in 1994 and patented in 1997.[1] Webb's goal was to create a version of poker that played with the speed of other table games. It was important to Webb that he got the correct mix of three important factors for any casino game: the game rules were easy to understand, the payouts were large enough to attract players, and the house edge was enough that casino owners would be interested in adopting the game.
Webb established a business called Prime Table Games to market the game in both the United States and United Kingdom.[2] The British Casino Association, now known as the National Casino Industry Forum (NCiF) suggested that Webb gain some experience in the US first, since the UK had regulations against such a table game and his application was not strong enough to convince regulators to make significant changes to their rules and regulations for a new game.
The first to adopt the game was Barry Morris, Vice President of Grand Casino Gulfport in Mississippi, after Webb had unsuccessful sales pitches with casino owners in Reno, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. A key aspect of Webb's offer to Morris was to stand on the floor to train the dealers himself, as well as watch to make sure the game was being played correctly.[3] United Kingdom gambling regulations were changed to allow the introduction of Three Card Poker in 2002.
Prime Table Games continued marketing Three Card Poker until 1999, when Shuffle Master acquired the rights to the game outside the British Isles. The sale was prompted by a lawsuit filed that year in US federal court by Progressive Gaming International Corporation (PGIC), the then-owners of Caribbean stud poker, alleging patent infringement; Shuffle Master agreed to defend that litigation as part of the purchase. Subsequently in 2007, Prime Table Games showed in a countersuit that the 1999 PGIC litigation was based on invalid patent claims; PGIC settled for $20 million.[4] Further, Prime Table Games filed suit against Shuffle Master in 2008 alleging in part that Shuffle Master had undisclosed knowledge that the PGIC claims were invalid prior to the 1999 purchase; it was later settled for over $2 million.[5]
Rules[edit]
Three Card Poker is played as heads-up between the player's hand and the dealer's hand. After all ante wagers are placed, three cards are dealt to each player and the dealer. Players have a choice to either fold or continue in the game by placing a 'play' wager equal to their ante. Hands are then exposed and wagers resolved.[6]
The dealer's hand must be Queen high or better for the dealer hand to play. If the dealer does not play, then there is no action on play wagers and ante wagers are paid 1 to 1. If the dealer does play, the dealer and player hands are compared. If the player hand loses, both the ante and play wagers are lost. If the player hand wins both the ante and play wagers are paid 1 to 1. If the hands are tied, then there is no action on either wager.[6]
Additional optional bets are offered. The Pair Plus wager is a bet that the player's hand will be a pair or better. The Pair Plus wager wins if the player has at least a pair of twos. The payoff applies regardless of the dealer's hand, as the Pair Plus wager is not in competition against the dealer's hand. Some casinos also offer an Ante Bonus, which is paid on the ante wager for a straight or better. The typical Ante Bonus paytable pays 5 to 1 for a straight flush, 4 to 1 for a three of a kind, and 1 to 1 for a straight. Like the Pair Plus wager, the Ante Bonus pays regardless of whether that hand beats the dealer's hand.[6]
Hand ranks[edit]
Straight flush
Three of a kind
Straight
Flush
Pair
High card
| Hand Ranks of Three Card Poker[7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Description | Frequency | Probability |
| Straight flush | Three suited cards in sequence | 48 | 0.22% |
| Three of a kind | Three cards of same rank | 52 | 0.24% |
| Straight | Three cards in sequence | 720 | 3.26% |
| Flush | Three suited cards | 1,096 | 4.96% |
| Pair | Two cards of same rank | 3,744 | 16.94% |
| High card | None of the above | 16,440 | 74.39% |
| Total hands | - | 22,100 | - |
Probability of Queen high or better is 69.59%[citation needed]
Variations[edit]
Some venues have added a wager called Prime in United Kingdom casinos and the game is known as Prime Three Card Poker. The Prime wager is optionally placed before cards are dealt and pays on the color of the player cards. If all three cards are the same color the payoff is 3 to 1. However, when included with the dealer hand if all six cards are the same color then the payoff is increased to 4 to 1.
Another variation is 'six card bonus', in which the players are given a payout based on the best five-card poker hand that can be made using any combination of the player's three cards and the dealer's three cards. Payoff ranges from 5 to 1 for three of a kind to 1000 to 1 for royal flush. Payoffs are paid regardless of whether any other bets pay.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Three Card Poker'. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- ^'Intellectual Property Office patent entry'. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
- ^'3CardPoker.com'. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^Stutz, Howard (November 7, 2007). 'Progressive agrees to pay $20 million to end lawsuit'. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^Stutz, Howard (January 14, 2011). 'Charge hurts Shuffle Master earnings'. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ abcMatt Villano (August 27, 2014). 'Winning a 3-card poker can be tough'. SfGate.
- ^'Three Card Poker - Wizard of Odds'. wizardofodds.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
bet is the only required bet. Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus are both optional bets. Once the bets have been placed, both player and dealer are dealt three cards. Hands are ranked from highest to lowest: Straight Flush, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Pair, High-Card. See Hand Ranking page for a more detailed explanation.Pair Plus
The Pair Plus bet wins when the player has a pair or better in their hand. Even if the player loses to the dealer, the Pair Plus bet wins if the player has a pair or better. However, if the player folds, the Pair Plus bet is forfeited. The pay table for Pair Plus is as follows:| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 40 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 |
| Pair | 1 to 1 |
6-Card Bonus
Let It Ride Payouts
The 6-Card Bonus bet is an additional optional bonus bet. It pays based on the highest five-card poker hand that is made out of the player's and dealer's six cards combined.. It has a house advantage of 10.23%. The pay table for 6-Card Bonus is as follows:| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 25 to 1 |
| Flush | 20 to 1 |
| Straight | 10 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 5 to 1 |
Ante and Play
3 Card Poker Strategy
Before cards are dealt the player makes an Ante wager. After being dealt a hand of three cards the player may either:- Fold and lose the ante bet.
- Play and make a further wager equal to the ante bet.
| Result | Ante bet Pays | Play Bet Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer does not qualify | Win Even Money | Push |
| Dealer qualifies, player's hand wins | Win Even Money | Win Even Money |
| Dealer qualifies, player's hand ties | Push | Push |
| Dealer qualifies, player's hand loses | Lose | Lose |
If the player hand consists of a straight or better a bonus is paid on the Ante bet not depending on the dealer's hand or whether the player wins or loses. The bonus pay outs can vary between casinos with a typical pay table below:
| Hand | Bonus Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 4 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 |
Rules Courtesy of ReviewPokerRooms.com