Three card poker is a casino card game that was launched in the 1990's and is based on the UK game of Brag. Three card poker could be considered as two games in one as you can either make the Ante / Raise bet, the Pair Plus bet or both. Below are the best casinos for three card poker as well as a guide that covers all you need to know to get started playing.
Please Note : Bonus offers are for new players only. Terms and conditions apply and you must be 18+ to play
Three card poker is a relatively new casino game having been developed in the 1990's by Prime Table Games. While the casino version is new, the idea of playing poker with just three cards dates back to the 16th century with the British game of Brag. Today the game is quite popular as it offers a range of betting options, big pay outs for some hands and a relatively low house edge.
With only three cards in play, three card poker uses a smaller selection of hand rankings compared to regular poker games. The biggest difference from normal hand ranking is that the straight ranks higher than the flush. The hand rankings are as follows.
You have the choice of two different bet types - the Ante / Raise or the Pair Plus. You can bet on either or both.
To play the Ante / Raise bet you place a chip on the ante section of the table. You are then dealt three cards and can either raise by placing the same bet in the raise section or fold. If you raise your hand is compared with the dealers hand to determine the outcome.
The dealers hand need to be queen high or better to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify you win even money on your ante bet and the raise is returned. If the dealer qualifies and your hand beats the dealer you win even money on both bets. If the dealer hand beats your hand you lose both the ante and raise bets.
Most game variations include and Ante bonus payoff which comes into play if your hand is a straight or better. These wins are paid even if the dealers hand wins. The pays are typically 5 to 1 for a straight flush, 4 to 1 for three of a kind and even money on a straight.
The Pair Plus bet can be made together with the ante bet or separately. If played alone this bet is resolved as soon as the cards are dealt regardless of the dealers hand. The pay off's for the pair plus bet are much higher than the ante bet and are typically as follows.
There is no strategy for the pair plus bet as you have no input into the cards you are dealt. For the Ante / Raise bet there is some strategy involved as you have to decide whether to fold or play. An easy strategy to follow is to always raise on hands of Q, 6, 4 or higher. The reason for this is that on this hand the value for raising is statistically better than the loss for folding.
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