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Three Card Poker, or Tri Card Poker as it is also known, is rather unique as a table game in that it actually consists of two entirely separate games: ante-and-play and pairplus. While some casinos insist on an ante-and-play bet being played if a pairplus bet is to be made, many simply allow players to bet on whichever part of the game suits them.

People enjoy Three Card Poker because it is fast-paced and you never know what kind of odds you could be paid out at. The initial bet is always just an entry into play, and bonus payouts are made on particularly good hands. Whether playing ante-and-play with pairplus or just playing one of the games, the deal portion of Three Card Poker is incredibly exciting, as players may have already won before playing their hand against the dealer.

How is Three Card Poker played?

Players begin playing Three Card Poker by deciding whether to place bets on both ante-and-play and pairplus or on just one of the games. Once bets are placed, all players are dealt three cards, as is the dealer.

Anyone who made a bet on pairplus will win if they have drawn a hand with a pair or better. The possible hands in order of weakest to strongest are high card, pair, flush, straight, three of a kind, and straight flush. Pairplus bets are paid out once the ante-and-play round has been resolved.

For ante-and-play players, there is a choice after the deal: play or fold. If the player chooses to fold, they forfeit their ante-and-play bet. If they choose to play, a further bet equal to the original ante must be placed as well. The player's hand is now compared against that of the dealer.

When player hands are compared against the dealer hand, the dealer hand must first qualify. This means it must have a Queen high or better. If the hand does not qualify, the player is paid even money on the ante bet, but the play bet is pushed. Any ante bonus owed is also paid. If the dealer hand does qualify, then it is compared to the hands of continuing players.

If the player's hand is better than that of the dealer, the player wins even money on both ante and play bets, as well as any additional ante bonus.

If the player's hand is worse than that of the dealer, the player loses both bets. If the hands are the same value, then the ante and play bets are usually pushed.

Regardless of whether the player beats the dealer, an ante bonus is paid out on especially good hands if a player chooses to play rather than fold. These bonuses are paid out on the ante bet only, but some casinos offer as much as a 5 to 1 ante bonus on a straight flush hand. The most common bonus to be paid is a straight, however, which should pay even money as the ante bonus wherever Three Card Poker is played.

Three Card Poker Strategy

First up, the only strategy for playing pairplus is to find the most favourable pay tables. Nothing more can be done to improve the odds of winning, as the only choice to be made is whether to bet or not. With that said, all that remains is strategy for the ante-and-play portion of Three Card Poker.

There are two schools of thought on strategy for Three Card Poker. One is to mimic the dealer qualifying strategy, folding on anything lower than Queen high. This is easy to remember and is reasonably close to optimal.

The second recommended strategy for Three Card Poker is to fold on anything lower than Queen/6/4. This strategy results in a lower expected loss over time than for the Queen high strategy. It's one of the easiest optimal strategies to remember in any online casino table game, so try to stick to it and only fall back on the Queen high strategy if you have a sudden lapse of memory.

Finally, try not to get caught in the trap of following your gut rather than playing optimal strategy. Of course, there will likely be times that following your instincts works in your favour, but statistically it is almost certain to lose you more money in the long run.