These are, a) that a dealer hand of jack-high means the player’s ante is given back, and b) a dealer hand of queen-high returns both the ante and play wagers if the player wins. There are a few quirks of the game that come into play here. In any case, once a play bet has been made, all cards are turned over and the best hand wins.

It’s so you don’t have to waste a play wager on a losing hand.Įxperts recommend that players only play with a hand better than Q, 6, 4, otherwise known as queen-high. You may be wondering why you would ever fold if you immediately lose your bet. Alternatively, if you decided to fold, your ante and pair plus bets will be taken by the dealer. Returning to the action – if you’ve made the decision to continue, you must place a play bet, which is the same size as the ante bet that you’ve already placed on the table. In 3-card poker, all suits have the same values, so a 7 of clubs is worth the same as a 7 of hearts, and so forth.Ī high card versus high card scenario is the most likely outcome for most 3-card poker rounds, occurring about 75% of the time. These are, from most to least valuable: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. This is to ensure that there’s a winner in scenarios where both the player and the dealer have a flush (for example) or both have a high card hand. Note that each of the cards has an individual value, too. High card: anything else, identified by the highest value card, e.g.Pair: two cards of the same number, any suit.Straight: Three cards in sequence, any suit.Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same number, any suit.Straight Flush: Three cards in sequence, same suit.Mini Royal Flush: A, K, Q, same suit, usually spades*.Now, it’s time to decide whether you want to play or fold.Īs a quick primer, let’s go over the hand rankings in 3-card poker so that you know when it’s best to play or give up. The croupier will then give the player and themselves three cards, dealt face-down. However, at this stage, your choice will be an ante bet (your hand is better than the dealer’s), a pair plus bet (you have a pair or better), or both. This can take several forms, as we’ll discuss in the next section. Like blackjack, the action begins with a bet. Most people will pick up the basics within five minutes. Put another way, it’s a face-off between player and dealer over who has the better hand, albeit with a few twists and turns along the way. 3-card poker is a simple comparison game not unlike blackjack and baccarat.

First of all, forget everything you know about Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and the many other variants of standard poker.

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