How to play Three-card Poker: Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Are you new to the world of cards? Do you feel hesitant to play Three-card Poker with your colleagues or at parties?
Don’t worry as we are here with the complete beginners’ guide on How to play Three-card Poker. 

It does not matter if you are a beginner or an experienced card player; the Three-card Poker game is one thing that we all have heard of. It is one of the most famous Casino games all over the world. 

People often get stuck when they land in a situation to play the Three-card Poker game. To be true to confess, the Three-card Poker game is slow but quite easy to play.

All you have to do is to follow some basic rules and guidelines of the game. The answer to all your queries on how to play the Three-card Poker game is here. 

Here are some fun facts for you to have a look before moving forward to understand the Three-card Poker game.

• Three-card Poker game is completely based on poker and very simple and fun to play.
• In comparison to other casino games, it’s not based on luck rather, the game depends entirely on your skills in card selection.
• Unlike other complicated games, the Three-card Poker game is very simple to learn.
• You don’t play this game against your opponent but the house/dealer.

How to play a Three-card Poker game?

Derek webb in 1994 invented the Three-card Poker game for the first time. And from there it started its journey to be one of the most recognized and loved Casino games. This article is specially made for Casino lovers and card game enthusiasts to explain in detail how to play Three-card Poker.

Three-card Poker game requirements

You cannot just start with the game without first getting to know what all things you need to play Three-card Poker. To play Three-card Poker, you will need a 1×52 card playing deck and chips. Some casinos also have automatic card shuffle machines that continue to shuffle another set of cards. This is just to increase the speed of gameplay. 

But if you are playing at house parties or with friends and colleagues, one set of playing cards is all that you need.

The objective of Three-card Poker

The first step to understanding how to play a 3 cards poker game is to know its objective. The basics of the game start with identifying the main objective of the game and then making a strategy to achieve it.

The game is played simply with a goal to make the best Three-card Poker hand possible at the time. All you need to have to win the game against the dealer is a higher ranking 3-card poker hand.

It all depends on how to want to place your bet. Obviously, for doing so, you either need to make the best Pair or have the poker hand of higher ranking than the dealer.

How to play Three-card Poker for higher Rankings?

Even experienced poker players sometimes get confused in hand rankings while playing. Hand ranking is the core of knowing how to play Three-card Poker.

Understanding the hand ranking hierarchy is the most crucial step in the Three-card Poker. If you do not know whether your hand is of lower rank or higher, you won’t be able to deal with bets. You may also end up losing the game even if you have a higher ranking poker hand. That is why we recommend to minutely understand the hand rankings for developing better skills at playing Three-card Poker.

The list below shows the rankings from high to low:

• Straight Flush: 3 cards are of consecutive value and in the same suit. For e.g., Kc-Qc-Jc.
• 3 of a Kind: When 3 cards are of equal value (i.e. 8-8-8)
• Straight: If you have 3 cards consisting of consecutive value (i.e. 6-7-8)
• Flush: This is the case when you own 3 cards of the same suit (i.e. Ad-9d-3d)
• Pair: When you have 2 matching cards which are of equal value, plus one “kicker” (i.e. A-A-4)
• High Card: This is the lowest-ranked card. You know you have High card when you own non-paired cards without any consecutive order or suit matching between the cards (i.e. Qc-6s-4d)

How to play Three-card Poker Rules

After understanding the hand rankings, you are all set to know how to play Three-card Poker with simple table rules. Just follow the guidelines below, and you will master the Three-card Poker game.

The player first places the wager or bet hoping that they have the best ranking cards in their hand. There are two types of betting – Ante and Pair. In Ante you will be betting to play your hand rankings against the dealer, hoping to make a higher hand than the dealer.

In Pair, you bet to play hoping to make the best possible pairs with your hand. In this case, the dealer’s hand is insignificant.

As in Online Blackjack, the cards are then dealt face down for both the players and the dealer. Please always keep in mind that the other’s players’ cards have no relevance to your winning. You are here only to win against the dealer or to make the best pairs with your hand.

After you receive your cards, it is then the time to act. After having a look at your cards, you will have to determine whether you want to play or fold. If you fold, then the dealer wins your initial ante or pair bet.

But if you decide to play, then you must first place a play bet. The play bet amount and the ante amount must match for the game to proceed. The chips are then placed down accordingly. At this moment you must keep in mind that you don’t have to reveal your cards now.

After your chips are placed, and you have successfully placed the wager then it’s time to reveal your cards. Then the dealer also moves to show his cards. The next step is to compare the hands and decide the payouts according to the hand rankings.

Conclusion

Though every casino is different, the basic rules on how to play Three-card Poker remain the same. If you start now, you can really master the game in just a few days. Three-card Poker is a straightforward slow-paced game that is very sorted to play.