3 Card Poker, also called Tri-Card or three card poker, is a casino game played between a dealer and the player, using a standard 52-card deck.

3 Card Poker is actually two games consisting of the Ante/Raise and Pair Plus.
The object in the Ante/Raise game is to get a better 3-card poker hand than the Dealer.
The hand ranking is a bit different from normal 5-card poker. From highest to lowest hand: Straight Flush, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, One Pair and High card.
The object of the Pair Plus game is to bet on whether you will receive a 3-card poker hand with a pair or better. The player may bet on either or both games and the wagers do not have to be equal amounts.

After placing an ante the player is dealt 3 cards face up and the dealer 3 cards face down.
The player now either fold, losing his ante or raise with a wager equal to the ante amount.
If the player raises the dealer will reveal his cards.
If the dealer does not have at least Q high, the player is paid even money on the ante and the raise is returned with no additional money.
If the dealer has Q high or better he will then compare his hand to the players, and the best poker hand wins. If the dealer has the highest hand the player loses both the ante and raise. If the player has the best hand he is paid even money on the ante and the raise. There is also a ante bonus for high hands which pays: Straight Flush 5:1, 3 of a Kind 4:1, Straight 1:1.
The Pair Plus is won if the Player is dealt a pair or higher. This is a separate bet that is not measured against the dealer's hand. Pair Plus is paid: Straight Flush 40:1, 3 of a Kind 30:1, Straight 6:1, Flush 4:1, One Pair 1:1.

Optimal strategy for 3 Card Poker is easy:

Raise with Q-6-4 high or better

Fold with Q-6-3 high or lower

Playing optimal strategy minimizes the house edge but doesn’t make you a winner in the long run. The minimum house edge for the ante/raise game is 3,4% and for pair plus 2,3%. There exists various pay tables for 3 Card Poker in different live- and online casinos. The minimum house edge above is valid only when the casino uses the most favorable one. One online casino where you can find the good pay table and the lowest house edge is Bodog Casino.

You can practice 3 Card Poker for free at Bodog Casino without any download or registration.
Just click this go to Bodog Casino link or the Bodog banner below and then click at ”Tri-Card Poker”.

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