Three card poker strategy

Nowadays, there are a large number of variations of everyone’s favorite poker, both in traditional establishments and in online casinos. They are in demand because they contain elements of the classic or base game, but at the same time they are simpler and faster.

Among such top gaming products as Ultimate Texas Holdem, Pai Gow Poker and others, three-card poker occupies a special position. Since its rules are very simple and easy to learn, it seems that players all over the world like it very much. You can play quite a lot of hands in a short amount of time and, if you’re lucky, continue your winning streak.

Basics

Three Card Poker is played with three cards. The distribution begins with the fact that the player puts an ante in the indicated box and receives his three cards. Depending on the distribution, he chooses one of two options:

1. Play – continue the distribution, balancing the ante bet.
2. Fold – abandon your ante bet without risking any more money.

If it is decided to play, the user will call the ante bet, so if the ante was $5, then another 5 must be wagered, for a total of 10. The dealer then shows his hand, and the comparison takes place.

If the player’s hand beats the dealer, he gets paid 1 to 1 on the ante bet, and if the dealer has high queen or better, the player also gets paid 1 to 1 on the game bet. Otherwise, the bet will simply be returned to the participant of the process, and he only wins back his winnings on the ante.

In addition to the standard regular payouts, it is also possible to win gameplay bonuses with ante for substantially strong hands. If the player rolls a three of a kind, he will be paid 4 to 1 on his money, while hitting a straight flush will pay 5 to 1 on the ante bet.

Hand ranking in three card poker

Due to the fact that only three cards are dealt to the dealer and players and there is no help from any community cards, hand strength differs somewhat from traditional poker rankings. Here is the order, from lowest to highest:

• high card;
• a pair;
• flush (three cards of the same suit);
• straight (three consecutive cards, eg 5, 6, 7);
• three of a kind;
• straight flush (three consecutive cards of the same suit).

If both the dealer and the player have the same higher-ranking hand, such as a flush or a straight, the one with the highest card in the combination wins.

Three Card Poker Strategy

Unlike some other casino games that require complex decisions at several different stages, the 3 Card Poker strategy is easy to learn. All you need to remember is what hands should and shouldn’t be played.

So you need to put “Play” and follow your hand if it fell out, containing Q 6 4 (queen, six and four) or higher. Any combination that is worse than this should be immediately discarded and wait for the next hand.

You need to follow the right math and make decisions based on statistics. As long as a player sticks to the right choice of starting hands, he should not lose more than the house’s statistical advantage dictates.