In the common casino version of Three Card Poker, you place an Ante, receive three cards, then either fold or make a Play bet equal to your Ante to continue against the dealer. The dealer generally needs queen-high or better to qualify. Pair Plus is a separate optional bet on your hand, and the posted pay table—not the name of the game—determines its payouts.
How a hand of 3 Card Poker works
- Place your bets. Put an Ante in the Ante betting spot. You may also place a separate Pair Plus bet before the deal if that option is offered.
- Receive three cards. In the common house-banked version, you and the dealer each receive three cards. You look at your own hand before deciding whether to continue.
- Fold or play. Fold to give up the Ante, or place a Play wager equal to the Ante to stay in the hand. If you made an Ante, Rivers’ rules require a Play bet to remain in that contest; check the rules at your table for other wagers and formats.
- Compare hands. The dealer reveals the hand and generally must qualify with queen-high or better. Under the published Rivers rules, if the dealer does not qualify, the Play bet pushes and the Ante pays even money. If the dealer qualifies and your hand is higher, both Ante and Play pay even money; a tie pushes. These are examples of venue rules, not universal settlement terms.
The California Bureau of Gambling Control describes a different, regulated player-dealer format in its Three Card Poker rules, revised January 2013. In that format, the player-dealer must qualify with at least queen-high. Its settlement mechanics should not be assumed to apply to a house-banked casino game.
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What the betting spots mean
Ante and Play
The Ante starts the main contest. After seeing your cards, you either fold or match the Ante with a Play wager. The Play bet is not an optional extra once you choose to continue: in the standard flow, it must equal the Ante.
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Pair Plus
Pair Plus is a separate wager on whether your three cards meet a listed hand category, usually a pair or better. It is evaluated independently of the dealer’s hand under the Rivers rules, so it can pay even if the dealer does not qualify or beats your hand. Pair Plus does not replace the Play bet in the Ante contest; confirm the table’s printed rules for how it handles a folded hand.
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Ante Bonus and other side bets
Some tables add an Ante Bonus for strong player hands, or additional side bets such as a Mini Royal. These have their own pay schedules and conditions. A large top payout alone does not establish that a side bet is favorable; consider the full schedule and the hands that receive no payout.
Three-card hand rankings
From strongest to weakest, the common ranking is:
- Straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Pair
- High card
Unlike many poker games, a straight ranks above a flush in Three Card Poker. Rivers states that an ace is high except in 3-2-A, which is the lowest straight and lowest straight flush. Follow the printed rules if a particular table uses a variant.
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When to fold and when to make the Play bet
For the standard Ante-and-Play decision, Pagat’s basic strategy is to play Q-6-4 or better and fold weaker hands. Compare the cards in descending rank: first the highest card with a queen, then the next card with a six, then the last card with a four. For example, Q-7-2 is below the threshold and folds; Q-6-4 meets it and plays. A king-high hand meets the threshold regardless of its lower cards.
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Example payouts—and why tables differ
These are examples from published casino schedules, not guaranteed or universal payouts. “To 1” means winnings at the stated odds, generally in addition to the returned wager; check how the specific table displays payouts.
| Hand or wager | Rivers Casino Des Plaines example | Bally Bet Casino example |
|---|---|---|
| Pair Plus: pair | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
| Pair Plus: flush | 3 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| Pair Plus: straight | 6 to 1 | 6 to 1 |
| Pair Plus: three of a kind | 30 to 1 | 30 to 1 |
| Pair Plus: straight flush | 40 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
| Ante Bonus: straight | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
| Ante Bonus: three of a kind | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
| Ante Bonus: straight flush | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Mini Royal | Not stated on the cited Rivers schedule | Bally lists a Mini Royal schedule; the individual payout amount is not stated here |
The Wizard of Odds’ standard Pair Plus hand probabilities are straight flush 0.002172, three of a kind 0.002353, straight 0.032579, flush 0.049593, pair 0.169412, and all other hands 0.743891. These are mathematical probabilities for the listed hand categories, not a forecast of an individual session.
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For the Pair Plus schedules it lists without a Mini Royal, Wizard of Odds reports house edges ranging from 0.00% to 7.28%. The 0.00% schedule includes a 10% commission on net session wins; the listed 40/30/6/3/1 schedule has a 7.28% house edge in its table. Those figures apply to specified payout structures, not to every Three Card Poker table.
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How to compare tables before you play
- Check whether the game is house-banked or uses a player-dealer arrangement.
- Read the complete Ante Bonus and Pair Plus schedules, including any Mini Royal or other side bet.
- Confirm the dealer qualification rule, tie treatment, and what happens when you fold.
- Look at the minimum wager and whether the game is available in your location.
For a low-pressure way to learn the rankings, deal hands from a standard 52-card deck and identify each category. No special deck is needed to practice or to play at a casino.
Quick Recap
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