Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker is an extremely popular casino game. Typically it is played on a modified Blackjack table and the players play against the dealer and dealer only. Play begins with the player placing an Ante bet and, if he chooses to do so, a wager on a Pair Plus. The dealer will then deal each player three cards face down and them himself three cards face down. If the player made the Ante bet he must either Fold or Raise his hand. If the player decides his hand is not good enough and folds he will lose his Ante. If the player decides to stay in the hand he must make a bet equivalent to his Ante bet to play out the hand.
At this stage of the play the dealer will reveal his cards. In order to qualify the dealer must have Queen high or better. Much like Caribbean Stud if the dealer does not qualify the player is paid even money for his wager and the hand is now completed. However, if the dealer does qualify the players hand is compared to the dealers and the highest hand wins and is paid off accordingly. This results in being paid for both the initial Ante as well as the players bet. If the player and dealer tie the hand then the hand is considered a “push” and the bet and Ante are returned to the player with no loss.
Should the dealer have a higher hand the player loses both the Ante and his wager accordingly. If the player made an Ante bet and reveals a Straight or higher that player is paid an Ante bonus no matter what hand the dealer holds. Pair Plus bets will be paid out based entirely on the value of the player’s poker hand.
Some casinos have a bonus for what is called a “Mini-Royal Flush.” This hand is [A][K[Q] suited. You will have to see the respective pay table at your casino to determine exactly what the payout is at that location.
So what is the optimum Three Card poker strategy?
Well, considering the dealer has to qualify with at least a queen you would need to play at least [Q][6][4] and raise with queen high each time. I know to the average poker player this might not make too much sense. However, by mimicking the dealer strategy you lower the house edge to around 3.45 percent which is considerably better than the 7.65% edge the casino would have should you choose to not play dealer strategy.
Ultimately you do not need to be a rocket scientist in order to play and do well at Three Card poker. However, you do need to put the time in to understand where your optimal play is and what the rules are in the casino you happen to be playing in. Remember, all casinos are not alike and some have rules that others don’t. It’s up to you to know these rules before you sit down to play so that you can avoid and take advantage of them accordingly.
One of the biggest mistakes casino patrons make is not reading the rule book or asking the dealer or floor manager what the house rules are so that they know exactly how to go about playing the game optimally. By assuming you may already be putting yourself at a considerable disadvantage. Usually there will be a booklet available or even practice sessions for each of the table games on the floor for newer players that want to experience the game. It doesn’t cost you anything to take advantage of these practice sessions and it is well worth your time and effort. By learning the game play and casino rules this way you can avoid making the wrong play when it really counts against your bankroll.