3 Card Poker
A popular game in both bricks and mortar casinos and online casinos, it is possible to win big at 3 card poker, if the cards fall right. First of all though, you need to know how to play the game.
-The game starts with one of the two modes of play- the ante on the bet. You can also bet on the Pair Plus section in front of the ante. The Pair Plus section is a wager which pays off when you receive a pair or better on the selected odds that are reflected on the ante box. You intially receive three cards and you have to then decide whether to play them on the 'play' box behind the ante. If you decided to play, you then match the bet which you have placed in the ante section. At this point you are gambling that your hand will be better than the dealers.
The dealer will then turn over his 3 cards- If the dealer has a queen or better, he officially 'opens' which means that your bet on the ante and play box will be against the hand of the dealer. In order to win this bet you need to have a better hand than the dealer, whether a higher card, better pair or even a better flush. If you do beat the dealer, you will get paid even 1 to 1 on the ante and play bets. Meanwhile, you might be wondering what is happening with your pair plus bet - if you have made one. This bet gets paid out regardless of the hand the dealer has, the odds for the strength of hand are outlined below-
Straight Flush- ie. 7,8,9 same suite- 40-1
3 of a Kind- 30-1
Straight- 6-1
Flush- 4-1
Pair- Even Money
So an ideal world would be one where you've just put a load of cash on 'Pair Plus' and you get a straight flush!
If the dealer opens with queen or better and you have a straight or better, you also get paid a bonus amount on your ante and your play bets. This is broken down as follows-
Straight Flush- 5 x 1
3 of a Kind- 4 x 1
Straight- 1 x 1
There is no skill in the game, apart from choosing whether to play your hand against the dealer. Optimum play means that you play any hand which is better than a Queen, 6 and a 4. This brings down the house edge to the minimum. The house edge at 3 card poker tends to be between 2.72% and 2.26% depending upon where you are playing. This also assumes you are playing the optimum strategy.
Varying your bets might help if you hit your hands when you have a load of chips on. The game can be fun if you have a rush of cards and it is a great game as you have the capacity to win hundreds of pounds or dollars on 1 hand if you get a straight flush. It can also be very frustrating if you go along time without any cards and keep on missing out on pairs. It can be especially fun, building up the tension by looking at one card at a time, hoping the 3rd card can offer the elusive magical three of a kind or straight flush!!
You can play 3 card poker in most casino's in the UK and in Vegas. There are also plenty of opportunities to play 3 card poker online, which can be fun as long as you stay in control!!!
