But even if the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify, the ante wager pays at 1:1 and the play wager is returned. In that case the dealer pays even odds on the ante wager as well as the play wager. If a player’s hand defeats the dealer’s hand, the player wins the hand. The ante bet and play bet are often set at $10 in low-stakes games. If the player decides to play the hand, they match the ante bet with an additional play wager to stay in the hand, and get ready to face off with the dealer. If a player decides that their cards aren’t good enough to play, they end up losing their ante wager.

Ante wager and play wagerĮach player’s ante wager kicks off the action. Even if the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify, the players can still win money.

The dealer’s cards have to qualify with a hand of queen-high or better. Players then look at their cards and decide if their hand is strong enough to stay in the hand. The dealer deals three cards face-down to every player, and the dealer also gets three cards. But as we’ll see, skipping the pair-plus bet isn’t wise, because it’s often the best way to make money in this game. You have to pay the ante wager to play, but you can skip the pair-plus bet. How to play 3-card pokerĪfter players sit down at the table and buy chips from the dealer, they begin play by making two different bets: an ante wager and a pair-plus bet (which pays out if their hand includes a pair or better). If the player has the stronger hand, they win that hand, often winning bonuses, too, if their hand is very strong. If the players continue, they must double their original bet, then go head-to-head against the dealer. If they fold, they give up the bet they placed to start the hand. After they see their cards, the players decide if they want to continue in the hand or fold. In 3-card poker, the dealer and the players each get three cards-not the five you’d see in five-card draw or the seven you’d see in stud games. To play three-card poker at any casino around the world, all you need to do is find an empty seat at one of the tables where it’s spread, then buy in with the table stakes. And if you prefer to play on the web, online casinos also frequently offer 3-card poker. You’ll usually find 3-card poker tables together in a specific section of the pit. This exciting card game is a fun variant to play next time you hit the casino and want to try something other than the usual staples, like roulette and blackjack. It’s a great casino-table game for beginners because it’s fairly similar to regular poker, with familiar hand rankings like pairs, flushes, and straights. Three-Card Poker (or 3-card poker) is one of the most popular card-table games spread in casinos throughout the world.

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