Three Card Poker Strategy


Three Card Poker, a.k.a. 3 Card Poker or Tri Card Poker, is a very popular game in live casinos and online casinos alike. The reason for the multiple names is because it started as a proprietary live casino game with the title “3 Card Poker”. It became so popular that, instead of paying royalties to offer it, other casinos just changed the name a little and added it to the games menu.

Regardless of what you call it, the rules of Three Card Poker are the same, as is an optimal Three Card Poker strategy. If needed you can also read up on the rules and description of how to play Three Card Poker. Since the casino always holds the house edge, an optimal strategy is never guaranteed to make you a profit, but raising your odds of beating the house is always the ultimate goal.

Pay tables are displayed on the table in front of each player, as follows:

Dealer Plays with Queen High or Better

When Dealer does Not Play

  • Ante Pays 1:1
  • Play Pushes (bet returned to player)

When Dealer Plays

  • Ante Pays 1:1
  • Play Pays 1:1

Pair Plus Pays

  • Pair 1:1
  • Flush 4:1
  • Straight 6:1
  • 3 of a Kind 30:1
  • Straight Flush 40:1

Ante Bonus Pays

  • Straight 1:1
  • 3 of a Kind 4:1
  • Straight Flush 5:1

Because there are several bets to consider in Three Card Poker, we will split this Three Card Poker Strategy into three sections – the Ante/Play Bets, the Pair Plus Bet and the Pay Table.

Three Card Poker Strategy – Ante/Play

There is no way to change or better your hand, and you cannot bluff the dealer whose moves are predetermined by the house rules. Therefore, there is very little player can do in the way of a Three Card Poker strategy. The only decision here is whether to place the Play Bet, or fold the Ante.

There is a simple method to decide whether you should move on with the Play Bet or Fold. This Three Card Poker strategy is based on odds, probabilities and long term play. If your hand contains Q-6-4 or better, place the Play Bet. If your hand is below Q-6-4, Fold and take the loss.

Three Card Poker Strategy – Pair Plus

Some Three Card Poker players prefer to bet low on the Ante/Play, putting the majority of their chips in the Pair Plus box. While the payouts are much better, the odds of hitting such a hand are not in your favor. The most strategic move here is to place a Pair Plus bet that is 50% of your Ante and Play bets (i.e. place two units on ante, one unit on Pair Plus). The only time you should place a higher amount on Pair Plus is when you are already up by a substantial amount of chips. When your profit margin is large enough, then load up on the Pair Plus for maximum gain.

Three Card Poker Strategy – Pay Table

Beware of stingy pay tables when playing Three Card Poker. The pay table depicted above is standard, and you should never play for a lower pay out. The most common pay table that swings the house edge much further into the casino’s favor is the Pair Plus payout for a Flush. Avoid pay tables with a Pair Plus payout of 3:1 for a Flush, rather than 4:1.

If you apply this Three Card Poker strategy, you can lower the house edge to as little as 3.4%. Heed our advice and follow this optimal Three Card Poker strategy and with just a little luck, you should be raking in the chips in no time.