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Easier than blackjack
and faster than Pai Gow Poker, 3 card poker
is probably my favorite table game at a
casino. Actually, I think my favorite game is craps, but I
can't stomach the swings. I like a low-risk game that still
gives you the opportunity for a big hit. The only problem I
have with 3 card poker is finding a low limit game at a
brick and mortar casino or on a casino cruise. I can't
really afford to place a
£10 ante and £10 pair plus bet,
and finding a cheap table, even in Vegas, is seemingly
impossible. This is why I play online. There's always a
table available to fit anyone's limit. I play £2 a hand at
Grand Monaco, our casino of
the month.
3 Card Poker - How the Game is
Played
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Three Card Poker
(sometimes referred to as Tri-Card Poker) consists
of two different wagers (ante and pair plus). The
player can wager on either one or both bets. He/she
can also bet a different amount of chips on each
bet. Both games are based on hands consisting of
three cards. One of the bets in Three Card Poker,
the ante, is played against the dealer hand. The
other proposition, called pair plus, is just a bet
that you will have a pair or higher. One interesting
tidbit in which 3 card poker varies from normal 5
card poker games - It is easier to get a flush than
it is to get a straight, and it pays out
accordingly. If you want to play online, it is very
important that you pay attention to the pay tables.
There are some online casinos that pay 35 to 1 for a
straight flush instead of 40 to 1. Be careful! (All
casinos on this page pay 40 to 1.) |
After you place your bets, the
dealer will deal you three cards face-up (online; face-down
at a traditional casino). If you like your cards you are
looking at and played the ante bet, raise the dealer by
matching your ante bet. If not, fold. The dealer will show
his/her cards at this point. If he/she has a Queen or
higher, you must beat the dealer's hand to win your ante and
raise bet. If the value of the cards that the dealer has is
less than a Queen high, you win your ante bet, and you get
your raise money back. If you played the pair plus option as
well, you will get paid if you have a pair, flush, straight,
three of a kind, or straight flush, regardless of what 3
cards the dealer has!
The Strategy
If the cards you are dealt are
at least a Q-6-4. raise the dealer. If not, fold.
My Story
I was playing 3 card poker with
my girlfriend in the states at a casino called Greektown
Casino in Detroit. We were doing horrible. She placed her
last $25 chip on the pair plus bet. Bored and thinking that
no one was looking, I felt her left breast. She hit a
straight flush! It paid $1000!!! |
