How To Play Three Card Poker?

How to play three card poker game

If you love poker then there are many poker variations to give a try even with your mobile. One such is three card poker also called Tri Card poker. Like any poker game the game is played between the dealer and the player. This means the other players at the table will play no part in whether you win or lose.

To play three card poker join any Australian friendly online casino and register yourself as a player. Make a choice to play for free or with real money. To play with real money make some deposit in real dollars or Bitcoins, grab the online casino bonus and get started to play three card poker.

About Three Card Poker

Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker

Three card poker uses a standard deck of 52 cards. The game consists of two hands which allows you to win some, all or more than your bets back. At the same time it also means you can lose both bets. The two games consist of the Ante and Raise and the Pair Plus. The object of betting on the Ante and Raise is that your hand must beat the dealer’s hand using a three card poker hand ranking. In Pairs Plus, players are wagering on whether their hand will contain at least a pair or better. In Three Card Poker players have the option to be on one hand, or both hands with no restrictions as to which hand you want to bet on.

How to play Three Card Poker?

Three card poker to play
Three card poker to play

Once you load the game on your gaming screen, begin to play poker instantly.

Now place the Ante bet, the you are dealt three cards face up and the dealer will than take his three cards face down. If you think your hand can beat the dealers you will have the option to raise which forces you to place a bet equal to the ante bet. If you feel the dealers hand will beat yours you can opt to fold however the Ante bet will be lost.

If you did Raise your hand, the dealer will reveal his three cards and must have a Q or higher in order to play. Your hand will play against the dealers and if your hand beats his, you will be paid according to the chart below. If the dealer does not hold at least a Q, the hands will not play against each other.

The player will receive 1/1 on his original Ante bet and the Raise bet will be considered a push. If the players hand has a straight or better according to the three card poker hand rankings, the player will be paid based on the Ante bonus. Ante bonus must have been placed prior to receiving any cards.

Pairs Plus can only be won if the player was dealt a pair or better. This is a separate bet from the Ante and will be paid according to the chart below. Players should note that you will be required to place your bet first before seeing any cards when wagering on Pairs Plus. Any wins in Pairs Plus pays 1:1. Additionally if you bet on the Ante but fold your Raise you also lose your bet placed on Pairs Plus.

Rules to play Three Card Poker

The game commences when all players make their bets in the box mentioned as ‘Ante’. You can also wager on the optional bet called ‘Pair Plus’. All players in the game and the dealer will get 3 cards dealt face down. If you think your hand is high enough to beat the dealer, place an equal amount of your original bet in the box mentioned ‘Bet’, or you can fold wherein you will lose the original bet along with the optional bet, if played. The dealer needs a ‘Queen’ high or better to qualify. If the dealer qualifies, then the player’s hand will be compared to the dealer’s hand and the higher hand will win. If the dealer does not qualify, then the player will win even money on the Ante bet and the ‘Play’ bet will be a push.

Pair Plus bet will win, regardless of the dealer’s hand when you have a Pair or above and the payouts are as follows :

  • Mini Royal – 50 to 1
  • Straight Flush – 40 to 1
  • 3 of a kind – 30 to 1
  • Straight – 6 to 1
  • Flush – 3 to 1
  • Pair – 1 to 1


If you have a straight or higher hand, then you win Ante Bonus provided the dealer qualifies and the payouts are as follows :

  • Mini Royal – 5 to 1 | Straight Flush – 4 to 1
  • 3 of a kind – 3 to 1 | Straight – 1 to 1

Pair plus winnings are paid based on the pay table

  • Dealer must hold a Q to play
  • Three card straights always out rank any three card flushes in 3 Card Poker.

Three Card Poker Hand Values

Cards are ranked from 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, with 2 being lowest and ace being highest. Players will use a three card hand ranking to determined hands. Thus a straight is higher than a flush.

3 Card Poker Payouts – Ante and Raise Only

  • Straight Flush – 40:1
  • 3 of a Kind 30:1
  • Straight 6:1
  • Flush 4:1
  • Pair 2:1

3 Card Poker Payouts Ante Bonus

  • Straight Flush 5:1
  • 3 of a Kind 4:1
  • Straight 1:1

You can play three card poker as free game app also which is available at app store and Google play store for iPhone and Android.

Live Three Card Poker

Three card poker Live casino
Three card poker at Live casino

Live three card poker is fast-paced variation game. Setting it apart from standard poker and lending it a slightly blackjack-like air is the fact that players do not play against each other; rather, they are trying to beat the dealer as said above.

If you are pro at this game you will be able to make calculated decisions very quickly and decisively if you want to stand a chance of winning a hand. You must be able to understand if the other players are bluffing or not, that way you know if you stand a chance of beating the dealer- and being able to determine if the dealer is employing the same bluffing strategy or not will be greatly beneficial. Rounds are played very quickly and the payout is always very nice, which is one of the reasons behind the game’s popularity.

When playing at a live casino, it is important for you to develop a winning strategy if you want to come out ahead. Here are a few tips that will help any player be it pro or newbie, to make some wins.

Most important thing to remember before you begin the game is that it’s just a game meant for fun and not to chase the losses.

Don’t get distracted by the fact that 3-Card Poker is a simple and easy game to play. That is true nevertheless, but still, your goal is to win no matter how easy the game is, and the best way to win is to find an optimal strategy and avoid playing at random. Just as with all casino games, winning is not going to be always easy. But you will find that correct strategies will make you last as longest as possible.

Raise in ante and play whenever you are dealt a queen, a six and a four (or greater). This is the borderline hand, anything lower just fold and wait for the next hand. Since the dealer needs a queen or greater to qualify and the hands are scored according to the highest card then the next highest card and finally the last card, this combination of cards will give you the greatest chances of winning and the lowest rate of losing.

Side bets in Triple Edge Poker
Side bets in Triple Edge Poker

Side bets are fine to play only if you have a large bankroll and luck on your side. Apart from that, side bets are there to make a profit to the live casino. These are the ones that make the money because they have a higher house edge. The payouts for side bets are huge, for example, if you hit Mini Royal with the Pairs Plus side bet, you are paid 100 to 1. However, if you are serious in surviving the game and maintaining a healthy bankroll, don’t play them.

If you are adamant on making the Pair Plus side bet, and want to have the lowest house edge at the same time, bet the same amount on the side bet as the one for the ante. But, as said above the best strategy is to avoid the temptation to make the side bets or only if you can afford. If you do don’t play it regularly, you won’t come ahead in the long run.

Many inexperienced live Three Card Poker players play every hand as blind as a bat. The mathematical calculations for playing blind will always be against you. Note this if you play blind the house edge is 7.6%, which is huge compared to 3.4% if you play the dealer strategy. It’s as simple as adding one plus one, it’s logical.

From the above tips it’s clear that you need to:

  • Know that luck is just as important as skill and will factor in a great deal.
  • Also important to fold if players have less than three of a kind.
  • Know out the difference between the “Ante and Play” and “Pair Plus” rounds.
  • Understand that there are numerous bonuses that can be won
  • You need to be confident of the bets that you place.
  • Also getting too confident and comfortable with one’s strategy will not help anything
  • Take the game easy with calmness and patience of mind. Don’t get frustrated over your losses and do not chase them and stick to your bankroll.

The above wonderful tips will help you some up with your own strategy once you practice and  become perfect in the game play for beating the dealer at three card poker. Once you have figured out exactly what you must do to win, you will find that you are more likely to win, with patience and ease in this wonderful simple poker game. You can play live three card poker from Evolution gaming with Bitcoins at Bitstarz Casino.

Click here to play now.