3 Card Poker Walkthrough

YES, folks, this is 3 Card Poker. And if you haven't played 3 Card Poker before, read on. For those of you who are NOT aware, three card poker is one of those card games that incorporates 2 modes of play instead of the usual one. We have the (1) Ante Wagers and the (2) Play Wagers. These play in competition - the player hand against the dealer's hand. A little bit about the Pair Plus Wager - this is paid on a scale based on the player's hand... if it's a pair or better. In most casinos both the Ante and Pair Plus are optional, BUT there are casinos where Ante is mandatory. In this online card game, you have the luxury of dropping the Ante. It's optional.

After the wages have been made for the Ante and Pair Plus, the 3 Cards are then dealt to you and the dealer (the dealer's cards are facing down). If you have placed a wager on the Ante, you have the option to either fold or continue the game. To move forward and continue, you should place a Play wager equal to the Ante. Once you have decided to play on or not, the hands and then exposed and the wagers are resolved. Are you lucky enough to win? No? Well, you can always try again. By the way, the Dealer's hand should Queen High or better for the dealer hand to play.

Now that we are done with how the game flows, let's take a closer look at the game modes: (1) Pairs Plus - OK, this part of 3 Card Poker is a game of sheer luck. If you are not wearing your lucky shirt, if you had some ominous sign earlier this day, then you may want to steer clear from this one. In Pairs Plus, you do NOT play against the dealer BUT against the odds. You need to get a pair or better. Do that and you win this game. (2) Ante Play - You start this by betting the Ante. After that 3 cards are dealt to you and the dealer, with his cards facing down. You should then think if your hand can beat his. Fold and you will lose the Ante Bet as well as the Pairs Plus bet (OUCH!). Should you choose to play, you should bet an amount equal to the Ante in the Play Box. The cards will then be turned over to see who wins.

Ante Bonus - this is an added bonus... not really a game like the Pairs Plus bet. Should your hand produce a straight or higher, it doesn't matter if your hand won or lost against the dealer's hand. Automatically, you are an Ante Bonus winner.

The ideal strategy against the Dealer in this game is to make the Play Wager with the cards Queen, 6, and 4 or better. HOWEVER, being a 'negative expectation' gambling game, 3 Card Poker doesn't have a legitimate strategy that can negate and overcome the house's advantage. With that in mind, you should play the strategy that provides you with the most enjoyment. The most common strategy is to play Ante and Pair for equal amounts, or for one of them to be double of the other (Ex.: Ante wager is double of Pair Plus or vice versa).

Straight flush, 3 of a kind, Straight, flush, Pair, or High card - which of these combinations are you going to get? There's only one way to find out - play 3 Card Poker!