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Basic 3 Card Poker Rules


3 card poker rules are easy to follow and understand. Unlike many poker variations that are played against opponents, 3 card poker is a table game played against the house.TrI Card Poker Rules

You can practically learn how to play 3 card poker in less than five minutes. Every time you see people playing at a 3 card poker table, you need to know that all of them are playing their hand against the dealer’s hand and not against one another.

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3 Card Poker Game Rules

3 card poker features an exciting twist to the standard poker game as we know it. When you engage in tri-card poker, you will have to bear in mind a number of factors. You can qualify for great payouts when you play this version of poker. Here are a few rules you can follow if you want to maximize your chances of winning:

3 Card Poker Rules

1 Pay the Ante to Play

If you want to effectively play three card poker, you need to pay an ante. The only time you should not pay the ante is if you want to pay the pair plus bet. You are not forced to pay the ante if you pay the pair plus bet. However, doubling-up on your wager, you can pay both the pair plus bet as well as the ante.

2 Decide When to Play

You need to ensure that you play hands that are six, queen, and four or better. This is due to the fact that you always play this specific hand, and the dealer needs to have a queen-high hand in order to be able to play. Moreover, this is the most optimal way to play three card poker.

3 You Get Three Cards

To kick start the game, you will be dealt three cards each. There is no particular way in which the cards are dealt in this version of poker. Gambling sites are given a chance to deal the cards either face down or face-up. However, the majority of casinos, whether online or land-based, will deal the cards face-up.

4 You are Allowed to Pay a Pair Plus Bet

If you are confident that you will be dealt a pair or better, you can decide to pay a pair plus bet. Therefore, although you are dealt the lowest pair possible in poker, and the dealer has a better hand, you are still able to win real money.

5 Three Card Poker Is A Heads-Up

The truth is, 3 card poker is a heads-up between the player’s hand as well as the dealer’s hand. This sets this game apart from other casino games such as Texas hold’em, Omaha as well as seven-card stud. Tri card poker games are played between the number of players sitting at the table.

What Happens When You Win?

As we have mentioned above, playing tri-card poker is very simple and straightforward. Learning the rules of the game is just as easy. So, now that you have understood how the game works, you want to know what to do next when you have won. Here are a few steps of what will happen when you win:

  • You get your ‘play’ bet back if the dealer’s hand is worse than a jack-high.
  • You get your ‘play’ and the ante if the dealer’s hand is better than a queen-high.

Types Three Poker Bets

There are only two types of bets in three card poker. These are the Ante as well as the Pair plus bet. You can use the same or different amounts to play these bets at the same time. Below we discuss in detail these bets:

Ante: The ante is also referred to as play, and it is the main bet in this game. This is the wager you will have to make against the dealer’s hand.

Pair Plus: This is a separate bet made with the hopes that you will be dealt a hand that features a pair or better. This bet is also known as the pair plus additional wager. With this bet, you will be paid out based on a pay chart. Moreover, the payout is based on the type of hand you hold.

Three Card Poker Hands

Three card poker hands are derived from the standard game of poker ranking. These hands have been slightly adjusted to suit this type of card game. Mainly, the adjustment is focused on the straight and flush. Additionally, it can be a bit tricky to make a straight in three card poker compared to making it in a flush. Therefore, this game reverses the straight and flush hand ranking. Here are the most common poker hand rankings from lowest to highest:

Pair: this is made up cards that are identical.

Flush: these are three cards from the same suit.

Straight: any three cards that are consecutive.

Three of a kind: this is three cards that are identical.

Straight flush: three cards from the same suit that are in sequence.