Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker is the friendliest poker variant in the casino: three cards each, one decision, and hand rankings that are almost but not quite the ones you know. You are playing against the dealer, not other players, and there is exactly one thing to learn — when to raise and when to fold.
How a hand works
- Place an Ante bet.
- You and the dealer each receive three cards. Yours are face up.
- Decide: Play (matching your ante) or Fold (surrendering it).
- If you play, the dealer's hand is revealed and the two are compared.
The dealer must hold queen high or better to qualify. If they do not, your ante pays and the play bet is returned regardless of what you hold — which is worth knowing before you fold a weak hand.
Rankings are not the same as five card poker
With only three cards, the probabilities shift, and the rankings shift with them. A straight beats a flush in three card poker, which is the reverse of the five-card game and catches out experienced players constantly.
From high to low: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card. Three of a kind is rarer than a straight here, which is why it ranks above it.
The one rule worth memorising
Raise on Queen-Six-Four or better. Fold anything worse.
That single rule is optimal strategy for the game, and following it costs you very little against perfect play. It exists because of the dealer's queen-high qualification: hands below Q-6-4 do not win often enough to justify doubling your money, and hands above it do.
Most money lost at three card poker is lost by playing every hand out of impatience, or folding decent hands out of caution. One rule fixes both.
Pair Plus and side bets
Pair Plus is a separate bet on your own hand being a pair or better, paid regardless of what the dealer holds. It pays attractive multiples for a straight, three of a kind or straight flush.
It also carries a materially higher house edge than the ante and play game. It is not a scandal — it is entertainment priced as such — but it should not be your main bet if you want the session to last.
See Ultimate Texas Hold'em for a deeper poker variant, or Caribbean Stud for the five-card version. Everything settles in rand.
Frequently asked questions
When should I raise in Three Card Poker?
On Queen-Six-Four or better; fold anything worse. That single rule is optimal strategy and costs very little against perfect play. It exists because the dealer needs queen high to qualify, so weaker hands do not justify doubling your bet.
Does a flush beat a straight?
No — and this is the trap for experienced poker players. In three card poker a straight beats a flush, the reverse of the five-card game, because with only three cards a straight is the rarer hand.
What happens if the dealer does not qualify?
The dealer needs queen high or better to qualify. If they do not, your ante pays and your play bet is returned regardless of your hand — which is why folding marginal hands too readily costs you money.
Is Pair Plus worth playing?
It pays attractive multiples for a straight or better and carries a materially higher house edge than the main ante and play game. Fine as entertainment alongside the base bet, expensive as your main one.
18+. Gambling involves risk and can be addictive. Play responsibly. National Responsible Gambling Programme 0800 006 008.