3 Card Poker Odds And Payouts
Nearly all Las Vegas casinos of any significance spread three Card Poker. The minimum bets range from $2 at Joker’s Wild to $15 at Aria. Players will need double the Ante bet to play, meaning that the true minimum bet is double the posted amount. This does not include the Pair Plus side bet, which may be bet by itself without an accompanying Ante wager.
Three Card Poker is a casino poker variant that was introduced by Derek Webb and Prime Table Games in 1994. He wanted to invent an easy to learn and fast-paced poker game with a twist. The game would feature a big enough house edge to appeal to casinos, yet. How You Play: You receive 3 cards. The Dealer also receives 3 cards, 2 down and 1 face up. After seeing the Dealer’s card, you can stay in the game by matching your original bet, or fold and give up your bet. Then the Dealer turns over their other 2 cards. Because you can see one of the dealer’s cards before you make your play bet, at the California Grand Casino you have Better Odds than Vegas.
The game’s appeal is its simplicity. While it has a small element of skill, it is easy to learn. The house edge is reasonable to most players. It is typically a friendly crowd at the tables.
How to Play Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker is one of the simplest table games in Las Vegas to learn. There is only one rule related to skill to understand.
#2: Raise or Fold – Players and the dealer are dealt three cards face down. Players look at their three cards and decide whether to raise. If the player has queen-six-four or higher, the player should raise. The Raise bet is equal to the amount of the Ante. If the player does not raise, he folds. The dealer then looks at the house hand and compares it to each player.
- If the dealer beats the player, the Raise loses.
- The Ante loses if the player has less than a straight, keeping in mind that a straight ranks higher than a flush in Three Card Poker.
- Antes push if the dealer does not make at least queen-high.
Flush or Higher Payouts
If the player makes a flush or higher, the Ante is paid based on the following chart, regardless of whether the player wins or loses:
- Straight Flush: 5-1
- Three of a Kind: 4-1
- Straight: 1-1
Three Card Poker Payout
Pair Plus Payouts
The Pair Plus is paid whether the player wins or loses. It pays based on the following:
- Straight Flush: 40-1
- Three of a Kind: 30-1
- Straight: 6-1
- Flush: Either 4-1 or 3-1
- Any Pair: 1-1
If you are not in Las Vegas, you can still play Three Card Poker against a live dealer and get a Vegas experience.
Playing Three Card Poker at Las Vegas Casinos in 2018
| Casino | Game | Min Bet | Max Bet | # of Tables | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Queens | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Aliante Casino | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Aria | Three Card Poker | 10 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Aria | Three Card Poker | 25 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| Bally’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 7 | No |
| Bally’s | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Bellagio | Three Card Poker | 15 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Binion’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Boulder Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 50 | 1 | No |
| Caesars Palace | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Caesars Palace | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 7 | No |
| Caesars Palace | Three Card Poker | 15 | 500 | 2 | No |
| California | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Casino Royale | Three Card Poker | 5 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| Circus Circus | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 2 | No |
| Club Fortune | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Cosmopolitan | Three Card Poker | 15 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Cromwell | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Cromwell | Three Card Poker | 15 | 300 | 1 | No |
| Downtown Grand | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| El Cortez | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Encore | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Excalibur | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Fiesta Henderson | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Flamingo | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 7 | No |
| Flamingo | Three Card Poker | 15 | 300 | 1 | No |
| Fremont | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Gold Coast | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 2 | No |
| Golden Gate | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 2 | No |
| Golden Nugget | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 2 | No |
| Green Valley Ranch | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Hard Rock | Three Card Poker | 10 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Harrah’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Harrah’s | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 5 | No |
| OYO | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Joker’s Wild | Three Card Poker | 2 | 25 | 1 | No |
| Linq | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 3 | No |
| Luxor | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 2 | No |
| M Resort | Three Card Poker | 5 | 1000 | 2 | No |
| Main Street Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 50 | 1 | No |
| Mandalay Bay | Three Card Poker | 10 | 1000 | 2 | No |
| Mandalay Bay | Three Card Poker | 15 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| MGM Grand | Three Card Poker | 25 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Mirage | Three Card Poker | 15 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Monte Carlo | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| NYNY | Three Card Poker | 10 | 200 | 2 | No |
| Orleans | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 3 | No |
| O’Sheas | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 1 | No |
| Palace Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| Palazzo | Three Card Poker | 15 | 2000 | 3 | No |
| Palms | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Paris | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 4 | No |
| Paris | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Planet Hollywood | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 4 | No |
| Planet Hollywood | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Plaza | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Railroad Pass | Three Card Poker | 3 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Red Rock | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 2 | No |
| Rio | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 4 | No |
| Rio | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 2 | No |
| Sam’s Town | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Santa Fe Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Silver 7’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Silverton | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Sahara Las Vegas | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 1 | No |
| South Point | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 3 | No |
| Stratosphere | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 2 | No |
| Suncoast | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| The D | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 2 | No |
| Treasure Island | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Tropicana | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Venetian | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Westgate | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Wynn | Three Card Poker | 15 | 500 | 4 | No |
Three Card Poker is two gambling games in one. You are usually allowed to play either one or both games at the same time, but some casinos will require you to play both. The two games are 'ante/play', where you compete against the dealer, and 'pair plus' that has different bonus payouts for hands of one pair or better. When both games are played at the same time, players may wager different amounts on each game.
3 Card Poker Odds And Payouts Today
The games are played with a standard 52 card deck. The cards are distributed to the dealer in groups of three by an automatic shuffling machine. The player's table layout is shown at the right. The rules are also printed on the table at each player spot, just like this: (note :) The rules listed below are FULL PAY. Always look for these!
- Play MUST EQUAL Ante
- Dealer Plays With QUEEN High or Better - At some casinos dealers play with a King High or Better. The result is a much higher house advantage.
- When Dealer Does Not Play:
- Play Pays: PUSH
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
- When Dealer Plays:
- Play Pays: 1 to 1
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
3 card hand values: The first thing you will probably notice from the hand rankings list below is that a straight has a higher ranking than a flush. That's simply because there are fewer ways to make a 3 card straight than a 3 card flush. As in most poker games, aces play both high and low to a straight. An ace high straight flush is the highest hand you can get and some casinos have also added a mini-royal flush to the ante bonus and pair plus pay table.
Rules - Ante/Play & Pair Plus
This game starts with the players placing bets in the 'ante', 'pair plus' or both spots on the table layouts. The ante and pair plus wagers can be any amount within the posted table limits. The players and the dealer all get three cards, face down. The players all look at their hands and either fold by giving their cards back and losing their ante bet, or play by placing a bet, equal to the ante, in the 'play' spot on the layout. Note that even if the player folds, pair plus wagers are still paid on any pair or better.
| Hand Rankings | Full Pay Pair Plus Table | Full Pay Ante Bonus Table |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-Royal | - | - |
| Straight Flush | 40 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 | - |
| Pair | 1 to 1 | - |
| High Card | - | - |
The dealer then turns over his cards. If he does not have queen high or better, he doesn't 'qualify' to play and pays the active players even money on their ante bets and those with a straight or better are paid the additional ante bonus shown above. These players get a 'push' on their play bets. If he does have a qualifying hand, those who cannot beat it lose their antes and their play bets, but can still win the ante bonus with a straight or higher. Those who can beat the dealer win even money on their ante and play bets plus the ante bonus, if any.
Strategy - Ante/Play
In Three Card Poker ante/play, the only thing the expert player needs to know is how high his or her hand should be to produce the best possible long term results, if played. The answer to that question is Q-6-4 or higher.
High card hands between Q-6-4 through K-Q-10 are loss limit plays. These are hands with negative expectations. They will lose less if played than they will in ante forfeiture losses if they are not played. Ace high hands and better have positive expectations. The house advantage for ante/play, against the optimal strategy shown below is a comfortable 3.37%. Not too bad for the player.*
Optimal Three Card Poker Strategy
- Always play Q-6-4 or higher
- Never play anything lower
* Note: The house advantage percentages referred to are based on the full pay schedules shown above. Be aware that lower payouts, especially in pair plus, are used in many places that double and triple the house advantage against the player. Avoid games with a pair plus payout of only 3-1 for a flush instead of 4-1 etc. and look for full pay games.
Pair Plus 'Non-Strategy' and Unequal Bets Play
Since the only decision the player has to make in pair plus is how much to bet, there is no optimal strategy involved. However, at full pay the low house advantage of 2.3% makes it about as attractive as any table poker game you can find. You can't bet five dollars and win a house here, but the payouts are very generous and you should get a pay hand of some sort about 25% of the time. This is a good game but you want to remember that the win/loss swings are much more volatile in pair plus than in ante/play.
| Poker Hand | AB1 | AB2 | AB3 | PP1 | PP2 | PP3 | PP4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 5 | 5 | 4 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Three of a Kind | 4 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| Straight | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Flush | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
| Pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| House Advantage | 3.37% | 3.61% | 3.83% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 5.6% | 7.3% |
| AB = Ante Bonus, PP = Pair Plus | |||||||
Most places allow you to make unequal bets on the two games. A conservative bet would be two units on ante/play and one unit on pair plus, or equal bets. A more aggressive approach is to place more on pair plus than on ante/play. Many good players prefer to keep their pair plus to ante play ratio on the conservative side and try to get a little ahead before they get aggressive and load up on the pair plus.
6 Card Bonus
The 6 card bonus side bet is an optional wager that gives players one more chance to win. To play, place a bet within table limits inside the 6 card bonus betting circle. Depending on the casino you may also be required to place a wager on the ante and/or pair plus betting spots. You then combine your three card hand with the dealer's three card hand to form the best five card hand. A 6 card bonus winning hand is paid regardless of the outcome on the ante/play bet. Some of the more popular pay tables are listed below and will vary by casino.
| Poker Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 100 to 1 | 100 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 20 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
| Flush | 15 to 1 | 15 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 15 to 1 |
| Straight | 9 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 8 to 1 | 7 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| House Advantage | 6.74% | 8.56% | 10.23% | 15.28% |
| Hit frequency | 7.2798% | 7.2798% | 7.2798% | 7.2798% |
Even the best pay table gives the house a larger than acceptable advantage of 6.74%, which makes the 6 card bonus side bet a bad gamble.
Progressive
The progressive side bet, developed by Shuffle Master in 2008, adds a jackpot element that is popular with many players. The rules are simple: Place a bet, within table limits, on the progressive betting sensor and play your hand as usual. If your hand is a mini-royal AKQ of spades, you win the jackpot. The pay tables below show typical payouts and house edge numbers.
| Poker Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Envy |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKQ Spades | 100% | 100% | $100 |
| AKQ Hearts/Diamonds/Clubs | 500 for 1 | 500 for 1 | $25 |
| Straight Flush | 70 for 1 | 100 for 1 | |
| Three of a Kind | 60 for 1 | 90 for 1 | |
| Straight | 6 for 1 | - | |
| Seed Amount | $1,000 | $1,000 | |
| House Advantage | 22.33% | 22.85% | |
| Hit Frequency | 3.72% | .45% | |
| Probability of top payout | 22,100 to 1 | 22,100 to 1 | |
| Top payout average ($1 wager) | $4,000 | $5,000 |
Note that the payouts are listed as odds-for-1 which means the original wager is not returned. With a house advantage of 22% you should stay far away from this game unless the jackpot is very, very high.
Envy Bonus Payout
If you place a wager on the progressive side bet and another player seated at the table has AKQ suited (a mini-royal), you are eligible for the envy bonus payout. Here are a few rules to be aware of:
What Has Better Odds 3 Card Poker Or Let It Ride
- Players with AKQ suited are paid according to the pay table and are not eligible to receive their own envy bonus.
- Dealer with AKQ suited does not trigger the envy bonus.
- If you are playing multiple hands and hit a mini royal, the other hands are eligible for the envy bonus. (the hands are considered independent of each other)
Prime
Prime is an optional side bet that was invented by Derek Webb, the same man who invented three card poker. To play you must put a wager on the prime betting spot, ante/play and/or pair plus as required by the casino. If all three of your cards are the same color or your cards and the dealer's cards are all the same color, you win.
| Hand | Pay Table 1 |
|---|---|
| Your three cards and the dealer's three cards are all the same color | 4 to 1 |
| Your three card hand is the same color | 3 to 1 |
| House Advantage | 3.62% |
Casino 3 Card Poker Odds
If your three cards are not the same color, the prime bet is lost and collected by the dealer. The ante/play and pair plus games are played out as usual.
The house advantage on prime is 3.62%... not too bad for a side bet.
| Rank | Casino | Sign Up Bonus | Bonus Code | Full Pay Games | Visit Casino |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% up to $/€/£ 250 | Ante/Play Pair Plus | ||||
| €200 Free or 200 Free Spins | Ante/Play Pair Plus |