Three Card Poker
Play Three Card Poker free in your browser. Bet the Ante, check your three cards, then play or fold against a dealer who must hold Queen high or better. Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus side bets included.
Three Card Poker payout tables
Ante Bonus
- Straight flush5 to 1
- Three of a kind4 to 1
- Straight1 to 1
Pair Plus
- Straight flush40 to 1
- Three of a kind30 to 1
- Straight5 to 1
- Flush4 to 1
- Pair1 to 1
6-Card Bonus
- Royal flush1000 to 1
- Straight flush200 to 1
- Four of a kind50 to 1
- Full house25 to 1
- Flush20 to 1
- Straight10 to 1
- Three of a kind5 to 1
Rules
Goal
Build the strongest three-card poker hand and beat the dealer. The dealer only plays if their hand is Queen high or better.
How a hand works
Place an Ante, then optionally add the Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus side bets. Both you and the dealer receive three cards. Look at your hand and choose Play or Fold.
Play and Fold
Playing adds a Play bet equal to your Ante. Folding forfeits the Ante. If the dealer does not qualify, the Ante still pays even money and the Play bet is returned.
A straight, three of a kind or straight flush pays a bonus on the Ante even when the dealer wins or fails to qualify.
A side bet on your own three cards only: a pair or better pays from the Pair Plus table, regardless of the dealer hand.
A side bet on the best five-card hand formed from your three cards plus the dealer three cards: three of a kind or better pays from the 6-Card Bonus table.
Side bet settlement
In this version Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus are independent bets, so they are still settled when you fold. Casinos vary on this point, so check the house rules before playing for real money.
Hand rankings
Hands are compared from strongest to weakest. Note that in Three Card Poker a straight beats a flush, the opposite of five-card poker, and that a pair of aces beats a pair of kings. A-2-3 is the lowest straight and A-K-Q the highest.
- Straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Pair
- High card
When to play and when to fold
The Queen-Six-Four rule
Three Card Poker is mostly a decision game: about two thirds of the time you should play, and the rest of the time you should fold. Play every hand of Queen-Six-Four or better. That means any pair or better, any Q-high hand whose other two cards are a 6 and a 4 (or higher), and every hand stronger than that threshold. Fold everything below Queen-Six-Four — for example Q-5-4, J-10-8 or any lower high card. Folding costs only the Ante, while playing a weak hand against a qualifying dealer usually costs both bets. Because the ante bonus pays straights, three of a kind and straight flushes regardless of the dealer, borderline Q-high hands are worth playing more often than they first appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have another question? Let us know.
What is Three Card Poker?
Three Card Poker is a casino card game played with three cards each. You bet an Ante, then either play by matching it or fold, against a dealer who only plays with Queen high or better.
What does the dealer need to qualify?
The dealer must hold Queen high or better: any pair or stronger always qualifies, and a high-card hand qualifies only when the highest card is a queen, king or ace.
What does Pair Plus pay?
Pair Plus pays a pair at 1 to 1, a flush at 4 to 1, a straight at 5 to 1, three of a kind at 30 to 1 and a straight flush at 40 to 1. It is decided by your three cards alone.
When should I fold?
The commonly published basic strategy is to play Queen-Six-Four or better and fold anything weaker, which keeps the house edge at its lowest for a fixed strategy.
Explore Game Details
How to Play Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker is one of the fastest table games in the casino: one decision, three cards, and a fixed set of payouts. 1. Bet the Ante. The Ante is compulsory. Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus are optional side bets you can add or leave out. 2. Look at your three cards. Both hands are dealt face down; your cards are turned over, the dealer three stay hidden until you decide. 3. Play or fold. Playing means matching your Ante with an equal Play bet. Folding gives up the Ante and ends your part in the hand. 4. The dealer qualifies or not. If the dealer holds Queen high or better, the higher three-card hand wins. If the dealer does not qualify, the Ante pays even money and the Play bet is returned. 5. Side bets are separate. Pair Plus pays on your own three cards; the 6-Card Bonus pays on the best five-card hand from all six cards dealt. 6. Play for fun, not for money. This table uses virtual chips only — nothing here can be cashed out, and results in a game like this never predict real casino results.
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