Three-card poker is a casino table game based on poker. It is the most profitable proprietary table game ever when measured by win generated for casinos or by revenue generated for the rights holders.
The game was first invented by Derek Webb in 1994 and was later patented in 1997. Webb’s idea was to create a game which used the poker rules of three-card draw, but without the need for players to bet against each other.
Instead, players would bet against the house.
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and is dealt from a shoe containing six decks. The dealer gives each player three cards, face down.
The player may then look at their cards and either fold, losing their ante, or continue by placing a play wager, equal to their ante.
If the player continues, the dealer then reveals their cards. The dealer needs a queen high or better to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, the player is paid even money on their play wager and their ante is returned. If the dealer qualifies and beats the player, the player loses both their ante and play wagers.
If the dealer qualifies and ties the player, the player’s ante is returned and they push on their play wager. If the dealer qualifies and loses to the player, the player is paid even money on their ante and is paid according to a paytable on their play wager.
The basic paytable for 3 Card Poker is as follows:
Hand Payout Royal flush 500 to 1 Straight flush 40 to 1 Four of a kind 25 to 1 Full house 8 to 1 Flush 5 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 Three of a kind 3 to 1 Two pair 2 to 1 Pair 1 to 1
There are also some bonus payouts available for certain hands if they are made with a specific combination of cards. These are known as bonus hands and they include:
Hand Payout Mini Royal 10% of main pool Straight flush 5% of main pool Four of a kind 2% of main pool Full house 0.5% of main pool Flush 0.
4% of main pool Straight 0.3% of main pool Three of a kind 0.2% of main pool Two pair 0% of main pool Pair 0% of main pool .
The Rules of Three Card Poker are quite simple: you are dealt three cards, you can choose to either fold or stay in the hand by placing a bet, if you stay in and the dealer has a qualifying hand then you compare your hand against theirs – if you have a higher hand you win, if you have a lower hand you lose (ties result in a ‘push’ where your stake is returned). The aim of Three Card Poker is simply to have a higher hand than the dealer – it doesn’t matter what other players at the table have as this part of Three Card Poker is effectively played as solitaire!
In order to win at Three Card Poker you need luck but also some skill in knowing when it’s right to stay in or fold – this comes with practice but also with understanding what kinds of hands give you the best chance of success. For example, any high card hand gives you good chance (as it’s tough for the dealer to beat), but if you’ve been dealt three cards all from one suit then this gives you an even better chance as it’s more likely you’ll make a flush (a hand where all three cards are from one suit).
