Three Card Poker
The popular casino game based on Brag. Three Card Poker offers two different games, three ways to play and four ways to win.
The objective of the basic 'Ante and Play' game is to have a higher hand than the Dealer's hand.
Basic Play
Each Player has two rectangular boxes and a circle on the layout in front of them. These are marked 'Play', 'Ante' and 'Pair Plus'. Before you are dealt a hand, you must place a stake that you want to bet in the rectangle, marked ante.
The Dealer then deals three cards to each player, and three cards to themselves.
You have two choices:
- 1. If you think your hand is a winning hand and you fancy your chances, you can 'Play'. You must lay your cards face down in the 'Play' box and place an additional wager equivalent to your initial stake on top of your cards. If your first bet was £10, the Play is also £10.
- 2. If you feel your hand is likely to be a loser, you can surrender your initial stake right away, by pushing your cards towards the Dealer.
When all the players have decided whether to 'play' or fold, the Dealer will turn their three cards over. The rule of Three Card Poker is that the Dealer must have a Queen high or better to qualify.
If the Dealer's hand does not qualify, then you will win.
How 'Pair Plus' works
The objective of the 'Pair Plus' Game is to have a pair or higher irrespective of the Dealer's hand. All that matters is the value of your own hand.
The 'Pair Plus' bet is an optional or additional bet; you do not have to have an ante bet to play. This bet does not rely on the Dealer's hand but rather is a side bet. Whatever the Dealer's hand is, regardless if their hand is better than yours, you still get paid out on this bet. Naturally, you have to have at least a pair or better to be paid out.
If the Dealer's hand qualifies, they then turn over the players' hands over, one by one. If your hand beats the Dealer's hand you win. If the Dealers' hand bet as your hand, you lose.
However, if you have a straight or better you are paid out on the 'ante' as a bonus, win or lose this is an extra pay out to you.
Ties are a stand off, but note that all three cards count.
You can play only one hand at a time at Three Card Poker and no conferring is allowed between players.