How to play Three Card Poker

Three Card Poker is one of the quickest casino card games to learn. You and the dealer each get three cards, you decide whether to play or fold, and the better hand wins. There's no drawing and no bluffing, so each hand takes seconds.

This guide covers the rules, the unusual three-card hand rankings, the Pair Plus side bet and the simple strategy most players use.

The basic rules

1. Place an Ante bet. You can also add a Pair Plus bet.
2. You and the dealer each get three cards. Yours are face up and the dealer's are face down.
3. Look at your hand and either Play (put in a second bet equal to your Ante) or Fold (lose your Ante).
4. The dealer reveals their hand. The dealer needs Queen high or better to qualify.
5. If the dealer does not qualify, your Ante pays 1 to 1 and your Play bet is returned.
6. If the dealer qualifies, the better hand wins: Ante and Play both pay 1 to 1. A tie returns both bets.

Three-card hand rankings

With only three cards, some hands are rarer than in normal poker, so the order changes: a straight beats a flush.

The Pair Plus bet

Pair Plus is a separate bet that pays on your own hand, whatever the dealer has. It pays on any pair or better, up to 40 to 1 for a straight flush. It loses if you don't have at least a pair. The full paytable is on the game rules page.

Simple strategy

• The most common strategy is to Play with Queen-6-4 or better and fold anything lower.
• Always Play with a pair or better.
• Pair Plus is about your hand only, so it does not change whether you should Play or Fold.
• Set your stake small to start, and practise until the play-or-fold decision feels automatic.

Practise for free

Try Three Card Poker on All In with free virtual coins. Coins have no cash value and there are no prizes, so it is a no-pressure way to learn.