Beat the dealer with three cards. One decision (Play or Fold) and a coach that teaches the winning line.
Three Card Poker is a fast, beginner-friendly table game where you play against the dealer, not other players. You each get three cards, and the best three-card hand wins. The whole game comes down to one decision: Play or Fold. The correct rule fits in a single line.
You start by placing an Ante. After you see your three cards (the dealer's stay hidden), you either Play (matching your Ante with an equal Play bet) or Fold, giving up the Ante. Then the dealer's cards are revealed and the hands are compared.
With only three cards, the rankings flip from regular five-card poker: a straight is harder to make than a flush, so it ranks higher:
| Rank | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (best) | Straight Flush | 4♥ 5♥ 6♥ |
| 2 | Three of a Kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ |
| 3 | Straight | 9♣ 10♦ J♠ |
| 4 | Flush | K♦ 9♦ 4♦ |
| 5 | Pair | Q♠ Q♥ 5♣ |
| 6 (worst) | High Card | A♠ J♦ 8♣ |
The optimal strategy is famously simple:
There are two bets. The math ranks them clearly:
| Bet | House Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ante / Play | 2.01% (element of risk) | 3.37% per Ante; 2.01% per dollar actually wagered: the figure that compares to other games |
| Pair Plus (1-4-6-30-40) | 2.32% | Pays on your three cards alone, dealer irrelevant |
Pair Plus paytable (1-4-6-30-40): Pair 1:1, Flush 4:1, Straight 6:1, Three of a Kind 30:1, Straight Flush 40:1. (Some casinos use a stingier flush-pays-3:1 table, which raises the edge to about 7.28%. Always check the felt.)
Play any hand of Queen-Six-Four or better, fold everything worse. Play every pair or better, and for high-card hands play if your three cards are at least Queen, Six, Four. This single rule is optimal and holds the house edge near 2% (element of risk).
The Ante-Play game is 3.37% per Ante wagered, or about 2.01% as an element of risk (per dollar actually wagered). Pair Plus on the standard 1-4-6-30-40 table is 2.32%.
With only three cards a straight is harder to make than a flush, so the rankings invert from five-card poker: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card.
An optional side bet that pays on your three cards regardless of the dealer. On the 1-4-6-30-40 table: pair 1:1, flush 4:1, straight 6:1, trips 30:1, straight flush 40:1 - a 2.32% house edge.