Three card poker is a fast table game in which the player and the dealer each receive just three cards and the hands are compared. You never play against other players, only against the dealer, so the game is far simpler than traditional poker.
This guide covers the flow of a round, the three-card hand ranking, the Pair Plus side bet and dealer qualifying. It then compares the game with Casino Hold'em, which borrows the community cards of Texas Hold'em but is also played against the dealer. The house edge figures are general and always depend on the game's paytable.
The game uses a standard 52-card deck. A round starts with an ante bet placed before any cards are dealt. You may also place a Pair Plus side bet, which is settled as a separate game.
You and the dealer each receive three cards. You see yours, the dealer's stay hidden. You then have two options:
The dealer qualifies with Queen-high or better. That means the highest card must be a queen or stronger.
If the dealer does not qualify, the ante pays 1:1 and the play bet is returned. If the dealer qualifies, the hands are compared. A better hand wins both bets at 1:1, a worse hand loses both, and a tie returns the bets.
Many tables also pay an ante bonus for strong hands regardless of the dealer's hand. A common paytable is straight flush 5:1, three of a kind 4:1 and straight 1:1, but the exact odds vary by game.
With three cards the ranking differs from five-card poker, because the frequency of each hand changes. From strongest to weakest:
Three of a kind beats a straight and a flush because those two hands are much more common with three cards than with five.
Pair Plus does not depend on the dealer's hand at all. It pays when your hand is a pair or better. A typical paytable pays 40:1 for a straight flush, 30:1 for three of a kind, 6:1 for a straight, 3:1 or 4:1 for a flush and 1:1 for a pair.
The house edge depends on the table: about 7.28 % when a flush pays 3:1 and about 2.32 % when it pays 4:1. Always check the game's own paytable before placing a side bet.
In the ante and play game the house edge is about 3.4 % per ante bet. That figure assumes you play whenever your hand is Queen-6-4 or better and fold anything weaker.
That rule is the whole strategy, and it only keeps the edge as low as it can go. No strategy removes the house edge. Our catalogue has two Habanero versions: Three Card Poker (RTP 97.99 %) and Three Card Poker Deluxe (RTP 98.04 %).
Casino Hold'em combines Texas Hold'em community cards with dealer-versus-player play. You place an ante, you and the dealer receive two cards each, and three community cards, the flop, are dealt. You then fold and lose the ante, or place a call bet equal to twice the ante.
Two more community cards follow, and both you and the dealer make the strongest five-card hand from seven cards. The dealer qualifies with a pair of fours or better. If the dealer does not qualify, the ante pays 1:1 and the call bet is returned.
If the dealer qualifies and you have the better hand, the call pays 1:1 and the ante pays by hand strength: usually 1:1, with higher odds from a flush upward, for example flush 2:1, full house 3:1, four of a kind 10:1, straight flush 20:1 and royal flush 100:1. If the dealer's hand is better, you lose both bets.
Casino Hold'em often has an AA side bet that pays when your two cards and the flop make a pair of aces or better. The house edge per ante is typically about 2.2 %, but it depends on the paytable.
The catalogue has 53 poker games, from live tables to table games and slot-style versions. RTP ranges from 93.74 % to 99.7 %. Casino Hold'em is available from Mascot Gaming (RTP 99.3 %), Playtech and Pragmatic Play Live (both 99.18 %), and Evolution offers 2 Hand Casino Hold'em (97.84 %).
Similar games include Caribbean Stud (Habanero, 97.48 %) and Three Card Rummy (Betsoft, 98.04 %). Playing is entertainment, and stakes should stay within your budget.
Three card poker is a table game played against the dealer. Each side gets three cards. You place an ante, look at your cards and either fold or place a play bet equal to the ante, then the hands are compared.
The dealer qualifies with Queen-high or better. If the dealer does not qualify, the ante pays 1:1 and the play bet is returned.
From strongest to weakest: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair and high card. Three of a kind beats a straight and a flush because it is rarer with three cards.
Pair Plus is a side bet that pays when your hand is a pair or better, whatever the dealer holds. Its paytable and house edge vary by game.
Casino Hold'em is a dealer-versus-player game using Texas Hold'em community cards. You get two cards and after the flop either fold or place a call bet worth twice the ante.
The dealer qualifies with a pair of fours or better. If not, the ante pays 1:1 and the call bet is returned.
About 3.4 % in the three card poker ante and play game and about 2.2 % in Casino Hold'em. The figures depend on the paytable, and no strategy removes the house edge.