Three Card Poker

A popular casino card game, 3 Card Poker offers a range of betting options and some big pay offs for certain hands. Each game is played with one 52 card deck of cards with three cards dealt to the player and three dealt to the dealer. The aim of the game is to get the best possible hand.

Hand rankings in three card poker are slightly different from those in normal poker as a straight is higher than a flush. This is due to the fact that it is harder to make a three card straight as opposed to a flush. As there are only three cards in play the highest hands are straight flush followed by 3 of a kind.

There are two betting options when playing three card poker, the Ante / Raise bet and the Pair Plus bet. You can choose to play both or either of the two. First we will look at the Ante / Raise bet.

The Ante / Raise bet is a game of beating the dealers hand. You place a wager on the ante section of the table and then receive three cards. You then have to decide if you think your hand is good enough to beat the dealers hand which you cannot see. In general you should bet with any hand of Q,6,4 or better. This is because the dealer must have Queen high to qualify.

Once you have decided to bet the dealers cards are revealed. Here there are a couple of outcomes. If the dealer has a better hand than yours you lose. If the dealer does not qualify then you get 1 to 1 on your ante and your bet is returned. If the dealer qualifies and your hand is better you get 1 to 1 on both your ante and your raise bets.

There are also additional ante bonuses for some hands, these are :

  • Straight (1 to 1)
  • Three of a Kind (4 to 1)
  • Straight Flush (5 to 1)

The second betting option is the Pair Plus bet. Here you are betting that your three cards will contain a pair or higher. This is a one play bet as you either win or lose on the initial deal and have no further choices to make. Pay offs for the Pair Plus bets can be big if you hit the right cards. These are :

  • Any Pair (1 to 1
  • Flush (4 to 1)
  • Three of a kind (30 to 1)
  • Straight (6 to 1)
  • Straight Flush (40 to 1)

These pay offs can vary from casino to casino but are generally the same. The house edge for three card poker ranges from around 3% on the ante bet and just over 2% on the pair plus bet.

If you are looking to play three card poker online then check out our Top Rated UK Casinos as all of them feature the game with the correct pay offs for all of the Pair Plus and Ante bets.

Top 3 Card Poker Casinos

William Hill
William Hill Casino Review Play
  • Bonus : Stake £10 Get 100 Spins
  • Software : Playtech

18+. Play Safe. New customers only. Opt in required. 1x per customer. Fishin Pots of Gold only. Min £10 stake. Max 100 Free Spins at 10p per spin. Free Spins expire 24 hours from issue. Max redeemable £30. Eligibility rules, game, location, currency, payment-method restrictions and terms and conditions apply. #ad..

UK Casino Club
UK Casino Club Review Play
  • Bonus : £700 Welcome Package
  • Software : Microgaming

18+ and new customers only. To receive full bonus £3391 is required in deposits. Min deposit £10. First bonus must be claimed within 7 days. 60x wagering. Full terms apply

Betway Casino
Betway Casino Review Play
  • Bonus : £1000 Welcome Package
  • Software : Microgaming

18+ only New customers only. Opt in required. 100% match up to £250 on 1st deposit of £20+. Additional bonuses of up to £250 and up to £500 on 2nd and 3rd deposits of £20+. 50x bonus wagering and weighting requirements apply. Credit card, debit card and Pay Pal deposits only. Irregular gameplay may invalidate your bonus. Full terms apply.