How To Play 3-Card Poker: Rules, Strategies, & Tips

Recreation and entertainment are necessary for every human on this earth. We spend lots of money on movies, games, etc., but can you get cash for your enjoyment? Casino games are perfect if you love to make money while playing games and interacting with people. Learn how to play 3-Card Poker with us and enjoy the game.

3 card poker is a game created by Derek Webb. The aim was to create a game that is easy to understand by the audience, easy to set up, and gives large amounts of prizes in return which would attract a large audience to play this game.

In the initial stages, this game was not accepted by the audience. But once they started playing this game, it gained popularity in a few years. It is one of the most played games in the United States of America. 

Business people consider 3 card poker to be an investment with enjoyment. A 3 card poker game is somewhat a simplified version of the regular poker game, a table casino game played with a standard deck of 52 cards with a dealer. 

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Difference Between Normal Poker and 3-Card Poker

In order to better understand how to play 3-card poker, let’s first understand the difference between normal and 3-card poker. The standard card deck contains four card variants: the hearts, the clubs, the spade, and the diamond (13 cards of each variant). There are 12 face cards in total (that usually have more value than other cards) and 40 numbered cards (numbered from 1 to 10) in full (including all variants).

The only difference between a normal poker game and a three-card poker game is that in normal poker, players compete among themselves as well as the dealer. Still, in 3 card poker, players only compete with the dealer, which is unlike the normal one. 

There are also other variants of 3-card poker. Those are four card poker, Kuhn poker, three card brag, and Teen Patti. In 3-card poker, your opponent is just the dealer of the game. The cards other players got in the game have no interference in your game. 

You will just compete with the dealer or computer. 3 card poker is sometimes also called high-speed poker as it is effortless to play, and you can easily set it up at home with just a round table, some chairs, and a standard deck of cards! And yes, don't forget the betting amount! 

The tables used in casinos have some options written on the table, like ante, play, pair plus, etc., where players keep their bet amount. This game just finishes off in just a few minutes. So if you are busy and want some kind of enjoyment in a few minutes, then this is meant just for you! In India, it is also popularly known as “Teen Patti,” which means three cards.

The popularity of 3 card poker is increasing daily as it is straightforward to learn and understand this game. And if you are here to learn it, then don't worry! We will make it simpler for you to understand this game! The best part about this game is that a prize is associated with a player who got good cards. 

To win in this game, you must make the best poker out of three cards that were distributed to you by the dealer. Though it is a pure gambling game, you can increase your chances of winning by playing this game strategically. If you have enough money to bet, this game may even give you higher returns than any stocks or FD would have given you! 

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How to Play 3-Card Poker

Now let us discuss some important points about this game so that the rules become crystal clear to you. We will also discuss some issues you should remember before playing the game. If you keep those points in mind, you'll win the game whenever or wherever you play it.

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Hand Rankings

Before understanding how to play poker, you must know about the hand rankings of each card or, in a more straightforward language, the value each card holds. As mentioned, you get prizes for the best combination you make with three cards, but how will you know which combination of cards is the best? 

Following is the ranking of poker cards from highest to lowest, determining which player has the best cards. If your card combination has a higher rank than that of the dealer, then you win this game and get prizes. 

In simple terms, the higher-ranking card wins the game. There are certain combinations of cards, namely, high card, flush, one pair, straight, three of a kind, and straight flush. The ranking rules of these types of combinations in poker are as follows:

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Rank 1: Straight Flush

A straight flush is a case when three consecutive cards are of the same type: ace, king, and queen of the hearts. A tie-breaker in this type is that the higher ranking card wins the game.

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Rank 2: Three of a Kind

Three of a kind is a case when three cards are of the same rank, for example, three cards of the joker, one from the spade, one from hearts, and the other from diamond. Here also, for tiebreakers, the higher ranking card wins. For example, if one player has three kings and the other has three joker cards, then the player having three kings wins the game. 

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Rank 3: Straight

Straight is a case when three consecutive cards are of mixed suits, for example, queen of hearts, ace of diamond, and king of clubs. For tie-breakers, the card with a higher ranking wins the game. 

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Rank 4: Flush

Flush is a case when three cards are of the same suit. For tie-breakers, the player having the higher numbered card wins. If that is the same, the middle and lower ones are compared. 

For instance, if one player has a 10-numbered card of the hearts and another player has a 10-numbered card of the spades, then higher cards of both players have the same value. In this case, their middle card is compared. And if that too is the same, then the lower one is reached.

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Rank 5: Pair

Pair is a case when two cards are of the same rank as one other card. For example, the two of spades, the two of hearts, and the one of heart. For tie-breakers, the pair having a higher value wins the game. 

And if that too is the same, the third card is compared. The player with the higher value of the third card wins the game. The tie-breaker rule is the same as the “flush” type.

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Rank 6: High card 

A high card is a case when you have just three random cards. The player with a higher value card wins the game. First, the highest numbered card is checked. If that is the same, the player with the higher value of the other two cards wins the game. 

It is necessary to remember these rankings by heart before playing the game so that you don't get confused about card values while playing the game. Remember this ranking chart and try to make the combination have the highest ranking.

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Betting

Let us now look over the betting system of three-card poker to better understand how to play 3-card poker. There are usually three betting options available in this game which are: Ante, Play, and Pair plus.

Ante Bet 

In ante bet, you predict your hand rankings to be better than the dealer’s cards. 

According to the rank chart discussed above, if your cards are of higher value than the dealer, you will win the game and get prizes. Usually, some casinos have a specific minimum value for the amount to bet, but usually, you can bet any amount you want before starting the game.

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Pair Plus

Other than the Ante bet, there is another bet known as Pair Plus. This bet pays you according to the quality of the cards you get per the ranking of cards discussed above. This is also done before starting the game.

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Play Bet 

A play bet is made after you see the cards you got. If you are confident that the cards you got can assure your win, then you can add more to your initial bet to get more monetary rewards in case you win the game. In this way, you are betting an additional amount while playing the game; that is why it is called “play bet.”

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Distribution of Cards

Once the betting process is complete, the cards are distributed among the players in a clockwise manner, one by one. The cards are shuffled and distributed by the dealer(computer) from a deck of 52 cards. 

Each player, including the dealer himself, is given three cards, each faced downwards so no player could know which cards the other players got. 

All the players look at their cards secretly, except the dealer. Once the cards are distributed, you cannot exchange your cards in this game. You should make the best hand value out of the cards you got.

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Play or Fold

After seeing the cards you got, you can determine their ranking, and you should predict whether your cards are better than that of the dealer or not. Based on that, you must decide whether to “play” or “fold.” 

You can choose only one of these options. If you choose to play, you should confirm your ante bet by placing an equal amount of money as the dealer positioned on the play side. If you decide to fold, the dealer takes your ante bet amount, and you can no more win that amount.

Folding can also lead to losing the pair plus the bet amount. In simple language, folding the game is quitting and leaving the game at that point, leading to losing the betting amount. If you're not confident about your cards, select the fold option, saving you from losing money. Play wisely, not blindly. You may lose your hard-earned money!

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Time to Check the Winners

After all the players have decided whether to play or fold, all players reveal their cards by facing them up, and the dealer also shows the cards he got. If you are playing online, the computer automatically does this after all the players have finished betting.

If the player has chosen the fold option earlier, he cannot win wages even if his hand rankings are better than the dealer. Bad luck for that player! If the player has chosen the play option earlier, then the rankings of his hands are checked along with tie breakers.

If it is more than the dealer, he gets rewards based on the payout rules of the game, which will be discussed later in this article. In simple language, if your hands are better than that of a dealer(computer), you get prizes based on the game's payout structure.

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Ante Bet Winners

The last part of understanding, how to play 3-card poker, is to learn The payouts in casinos follow specific rules. The rules are different for different bets.

For ante bet, the rule is as follows:

• Dealer with high card jack

If the dealer has a high card jack, then the dealer returns the ante bet amount to each player, which was taken before starting the game.

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• Dealer with high card queen 

Suppose the dealer has got a high card queen but ranking lower than a player, then. The dealer returns the ante bet amount to that player and returns all the bet amount.

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• Dealer with a queen high, which is better than other players

In this case, the dealer keeps the player’s ante bet amount and even the play bet amount and wins the game. All other players lose their bet amount, which they gave before starting the game. 

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Pair Plus Bet Winners

Other than the ante bet, there was a pair plus bet that each player made before the starting of the game, and the rewards linked with it are based on the player’s hand card quality (based on the ranking). 

There’s no use in comparing the dealer's hand card in this bet. The rewards are based on the rankings of cards you got. The payout rule is different for different combinations. The rules for additional cards are discussed below:

• Straight flush

Here the player gets 40 times the play plus bet amount in return if the cards are of the straight flush category. The playout ratio is 40:1. This is the highest reward one could get in this game. 

• Three of a kind

Here the player gets 30 times the play plus bet amount if the cards are of the ‘three-of-a-kind category. The payout ratio is 30:1, which is good enough!

• Straight 

Here the player gets six times the play plus bet amount as a reward if the cards are of a straight category. The payout ratio here is 6:1, which is not that bad!

• Flush 

Here the player gets three times the play plus bet amount as a reward if the cards are of the flush type category. The payout ratio is 3:1.

• Pair 

Here the player is returned the amount he bet in play plus, and there’s no reward linked with it. The payout ratio is 1:1. Here, you neither lose nor win any amount. 

• High card

If the player has a high card, he loses the bet, and neither does he get any rewards nor his bet amount. Here you lose all your bet amount. So pray that you don’t get a high card!

As you can see, the prizes in these payouts give you much higher returns with your bet amount if you win. So play wisely and win loads of prizes!

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Things to Remember

Now you have sufficient knowledge about this game to play it confidently. 

But there are some points you must remember before starting the game:

• Make sure that you are clear about the rules of the game. Unclear concepts may be dangerous for your game.
  
  
• Bet responsibly: Gambling is risky, so keep the budget in your mind before starting the game. Try to bet in small amounts if you are a beginner. Don't rush out and play with a large amount; you may lose it if you are a beginner.
  
  
• Play from a trustworthy website that has been verified. Do not share any kind of bank details or OTP if any of the gaming websites ask for it. Be careful while choosing a website to play. If you are playing offline, make sure that the dealer and players are known to you.
  

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Conclusion

If you are interested in knowing about casino games and playing them? Then 3 card poker would be an option you must try! Add it to your bucket list now! You will love it!

The article includes all information about how to play 3-card poker, the rules, and other details that will help you win. You can now confidently play this game with your friends and family, offline or online. We hope you will enjoy the game.