The players and the dealer all get three cards, face down. The players all look at their hands and either fold by giving their cards back and losing their ante bet, or play by placing a bet, equal to the ante, in the 'play' spot on the layout. Note that even if the player folds, pair plus wagers are still paid on any pair or better.

• The object is to have your three card poker hand to beat the dealer’s three card poker hand. You first make an Ante bet. After receiving your three card hand, you can surrender your hand and Ante wager or make a Play bet equal to your Ante bet before the dealer’s hand is revealed. If you win, you win both of your bets.
• The Queen-Six-Four Strategy. Casino gamblers universally accept only one 3 Card Poker strategy. That is to play when you have a hand consisting of Queen-6-4 or higher and fold on everything else. It is that simple. In 3 Card Poker, the hands get ranked from the highest one to the next highest.

Playing Three Card Poker is Easy and Fun. You are dealt three cards and the dealer is dealt three cards. The object is to have your three card poker hand to beat the dealer’s three card poker hand. You first make an Ante bet. After receiving your three card hand, you can surrender your hand and Ante wager or make a Play bet equal to your Ante bet before the dealer’s hand is revealed. If you win, you win both of your bets. The Ante and Play wagers pay even money (1:1). This is how the game is played nearly everywhere, including Las Vegas.

However at the California Grand Casino, because we show you one of the dealer’s cards before you make your Play bet, you are Playing With Better Odds Than Vegas and other casinos. Seeing one of the dealer card’s also changes the correct strategy for deciding when to make your Play bet. You will want to adjust your strategy so you can maximize your opportunity to win.

You are also playing against other players, not the casino. So at the California Grand Casino you have the opportunity to wager on the dealer hand if you want to do so.

3 CARD POKER – THE BASICS

Let’s start with a few basics. If you bet and the dealer does not have Queen or better, the dealer does not play; you win your Ante bet and your Play bet pushes (neither wins nor loses), even if the dealer’s hand beats your hand. If the dealer has Queen high or higher then you must beat the dealer to win. If you win, you’re paid on both your Ante bet and Play bet. If you lose, the dealer takes both bets.

The ranking of most hands is the same as in Poker except you are using only three cards and a straight is higher than a flush. So a mini-royal flush (AKQ) and straight flush are at the top of the hand rankings, followed by three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, and high card. If your highest card and the dealer’s highest card are the same, the tie is broken by the second-highest card, then the third highest card. If your hand and the dealer’s hand are exactly the same, you tie and the bets push.

BASIC 3 CARD POKER STRATEGY

The usual strategy for when to make the Play wager is to bet whenever you have Queen-6-4 or better, including any time your high card is an Ace or a King, no matter how high your other two cards are, and also anytime your hand is Q-7 or better, regardless of your third card. Fold if your hand is not at least that high. If your high card is a Jack or lower, fold, no matter how high your other two cards are.

MODIFIED THREE-CARD POKER STRATEGY WHEN YOU KNOW ONE OF THE DEALER’S CARDS

When you have the advantage of seeing one of the dealer’s cards, you should change your basic strategy. If the dealer card is:

• A Jack or Lower = Always Make a Play Bet. The odds that the dealer hand won’t qualify or will be lower than yours are increased.
• Queen = Only Play with Q, 9, 2 or better. If the dealer is showing a queen, your second card now needs to be stronger.
• King = Only Play with a K, 9, 2 or better. The same logic applies here. You need at least the same high card as the dealer and a stronger second card better than the average card value.
• Ace = Only Play with an A, 9, 2.

You also have the option of playing the hand house-way. This takes all the guess work out deciding when you should play. To play your hand house way, you put up your Ante and your Play bet, and the hand will be played according to the strategy outlined above.

OPTIONAL BONUS WAGERS

One of the exciting aspects of Three Card Poker is the opportunity to win large amounts through optional bonus wagers. You can win up to 1,000 times your wager on a bonus bet. There are two bonus bets: the Pair Plus bonus and the 6 Card bonus.

The Pair Plus bonus is based on the three cards in your hand. If you’re dealt a pair or better in your three cards, you win the Pair Plus bonus wager. The amount you win depends on what type of hand you are dealt.

The 6 Card bonus looks at the three cards in your hand and the three cards in the dealer’s hand. If, after combining the 6 cards, you can make a poker hand of three of a kind or better, you win the 6 Card bonus wager. The amount you win depends on what type of poker hand you can make with the six cards.

MONEY MANAGEMENT IN THREE CARD POKER

We want you to have a good time when you are here. When playing you should always think about money management. Your bet sizes should be relative to your bankroll. For example if you are playing win a $300 bankroll you should probably only make bets of $10-$20 per hand to make your play opportunities last longer. You should also think about win and loss limits. This means if you win you leave with your winnings and if you lose you do not lose more than you can afford.

If you want more information about how to play Three Card Poker, don’t hesitate to come to the California Grand Casino in Pacheco and ask a staff member. We are more than happy to explain any of our action-packed games.

Crucial 3 Card Poker Tips for Winning

Three Simple Cards, Oh So Fast

Three Card Poker is not about winning pots. It’s about winning as much money as you potentially can using the hands you determine to play.

The dynamics are different in 3 Card Poker since it’s just you versus the dealer. This game is more like a combination of blackjack and poker. The following techniques will give you an edge when playing 3 card poker.

Three Card Poker Tips And Tricks Without

How do you Play 3 Card Poker?

Before learning winning techniques, it is more important you get a brief overview of how to play 3 Card Poker.

Three Card Poker Tips And Tricks For Beginners

First, the goal is to create the best poker hand with three cards. To start, you place an ante wager and/or a pair plus wager. This means you expect making at least a pair or better. Three cards are then dealt face down to each player including the dealer. At this point, you are only playing the dealer and NOT the other players at the table. After looking at your hand, you then determine to place another bet (this is the play wager, and is equal to the amount of your ante wager) to pit your hand against the dealer’s hand.

If you fold, the hand is over and the dealer will collect your ante wager and/or pair plus wager. If you place a play wager, all cards will be turned over to determine if you have a better hand than the dealer. If the dealer has a Jack or worse, your play wager is given back. If the dealer has a Queen or better, both the play wager and the ante are paid out at 1 to 1 if your hand beats the dealer. If the dealer’s hand wins, he keeps both the ante and play bets. The pair plus bet outcome is completely independent to what the dealer has.

Top 7 questions when playing 3 Card Poker

Of course reading answers to the most popular 3 Card Poker questions are the best way to get ahead of your opponents.

What are Some Tips Playing 3 Card Poker?

The general guideline is you should ‘play’ all hands better than Queen, Six and Four. You should fold anything worse than those cards.

What is The Lowest House Edge Bet?

You immediately learn the Ante bet returns the lowest house edge when playing 3 Card Poker. As a result, placing solely Ante bets and staying away from the Pairs Plus betting options will help you optimize your wins when playing 3 Card Poker.

When do I Raise my Ante Bet?

Only raise your Ante bet when you have at least a Queen, Six, and a Four (or any higher value hand) when playing the Ante bet option in 3 Card Poker. Similarly, fold any card combinations with a lower value.

What are ‘Pairs Plus’ Bet Winnings?

Most casinos fluctuate their payouts when you win the Pairs Plus bet option in 3 Card Poker. In either case, it is always the highest payout. Keep in mind if you come across a site or casino who offers cheaper payouts for the Pairs Plus bet, then that game entraps players to make income for the dealer (or house).

How Much Money do I Need in Reserve?

You will forcibly fold a possible winning hand simply because you do not have enough cash to continue to play your cards. In order to avoid this, you need to have plenty of cash in your bankroll when you play the Ante bet option in online 3 Card Poker.

What if I Tie The Dealer’s 3 Card Hand?

A tie is when both you and the dealer get the same hand combo value when playing the Ante Bet. As a result, each separate casino will have separate rules. In most cases, the casino classifies a tie in 3 Card Poker as a push. The best case scenario is when a casino looks at your tie (with an Ante Bet) as a win!

Three Card Poker Tips And Tricks Online

What are 3 Card Poker Tournament Strategies?

The goal of a 3 Card Poker tournament is for you to win as much as you can in the shortest amount of time. Consequently, many players use a higher risk strategy when playing 3 Card Tournament Poker. At this point, the best thing to do is place Ante Bets solely. Next, figure out how many rounds you can play in the tournament with your amount of bankroll.

Get Excellent Playing Experience Free of Risk

One final 3 Card Poker playing tip is to set up your own mock table and play for FREE. Just Google search for a ‘3 Card Poker Table image’ enlarge it, and print it out. Finally, you can get an excellent understanding of how to play this game without risk and embarrassment. Once you get comfortable perfecting your greatest strategy, you can then start using your real money!