What is Three Card Poker?
Three Card Poker is a casino table game where you’re dealt three cards and compete against the dealer’s three-card hand. You can also bet on the quality of your own hand regardless of what the dealer holds. It’s one of the most popular table games in both land-based and online casinos.
How the game works
You place an Ante bet and optionally a Pair Plus side bet before cards are dealt. Both you and the dealer receive three cards face down. You look at your hand and decide to either fold (losing the Ante) or Play (placing a Play bet equal to the Ante). The dealer needs at least queen-high to qualify. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, the Ante pays 1:1 and the Play bet pushes. If the dealer qualifies and you beat them, both bets pay 1:1 plus an Ante Bonus on strong hands.
Pair Plus side bet
Pair Plus pays based on the strength of your three-card hand regardless of whether you beat the dealer. A pair pays 1:1, a flush pays 4:1, a straight pays 6:1, three of a kind pays 30:1, and a straight flush pays 40:1. The house edge on Pair Plus is around 7% — higher than the main game but appealing for the potential payout on strong hands.