A Beginner's Guide to 3 Card Poker (Poker Three)

2006 June 06, Erana Hansen

3 Card Poker is a very popular and simple casino game. Each player is dealt three cards and you compete against the dealer, and not other players, as you might in Texas Hold'em or Draw Poker.

The hand rankings for 3 Card Poker are as follows:

• Straight Flush - 3 cards in a row of the same suit.
• Three of a Kind - 3 cards of the same ranking.
• Straight - 3 cards in a row, unsuited.
• Flush - 3 cards not in a row, but of the same suit.
• Pair - 2 cards of the same ranking, with 1 other card.
• High Card - 3 cards unsuited, not in a row and of different rankings.

There is no raising or discarding cards in 3 Card Poker - you simply choose whether to double your bet and allow your hand to compete against the dealer's hand, or you can choose to fold, sacrificing your initial wager.

If you decide to play and compete against the dealer's hand, one of four scenarios will occur:

• Dealer does not qualify (dealer only has a High Card hand of Jack-high or lower) - player's Ante bet wins 1:1, Play bet is returned.
• Dealer qualifies (dealer has High Card hand of Queen-high or any higher made hand) - Both Ante and Play bets win 1:1.
• Dealer qualifies and dealer beats player - both Ante and Play bets lose.
• Dealer qualifies and dealer ties player - both Ante and Play bets are pushed back to player.

One last thing to remember - the player's Ante bet has an extra bonus that does not depend on the dealer's hand. Different casinos will offer different pay tables for this bonus. Usually, if the player has a Straight or higher, a bonus is paid.

PairPlus:

PairPlus is a sidebet you can wager on if you are playing 3 Card Poker. There is no skill involved but it's a lot of fun and you can win big! You simply place a wager, and are paid according to the hand rankings of your 3 cards, with the big payouts coming if you hit a Straight Flush or 3 of a Kind.

Conclusion:

3 Card Poker is a fun, little game you can play without learning complicated cards or any special rules like you might decide to learn if you play Blackjack. You don't necessarily need big hands to play, as you can win if the dealer doesn't qualify. I hope you enjoy this variant of poker!

Ed note: Hit some straights and flushes in 3 Card Poker at Carnival Casino.