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Three-Card Poker

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description Three-Card Poker Overview

Three Card Poker is a casino table game created by Derek Webb in the 1990s in which each player and the dealer receive three cards. In the main Ante and Play game, the player decides whether to fold or continue against the dealer, using a compact ranking system in which a straight outranks a flush because it is less common with three cards. Many tables also offer Pair Plus, a separate wager paid according to the strength of the player's hand alone.

help Three-Card Poker FAQ

Who actually invented Three-Card Poker and when?

Three-Card Poker was invented by a British poker player named Derek Webb in 1994. He created the game to provide a simple, fast-paced poker variant that offered a solid house edge for casinos while remaining highly entertaining for casual gamblers.

What is the standard optimal strategy for playing the Ante bet in Three-Card Poker?

The basic optimal strategy for the main Ante/Play bet is quite simple: you should raise if your hand contains a Queen, Six, and Four or better, and fold anything weaker. Following this mathematical threshold minimizes the casino's house edge to just over 3% on the primary wager.

How do the hand rankings in Three-Card Poker differ from traditional five-card poker?

Because hands only consist of three cards, a Straight actually beats a Flush in this game, as it is statistically harder to make a three-card straight. Additionally, the highest possible hand is a Mini-Royal, which consists of a suited Ace, King, and Queen.

What are the typical payouts for the Pair Plus side bet in Three-Card Poker?

The Pair Plus side bet pays out based purely on the strength of your three cards, regardless of whether you beat the dealer. While exact payout tables vary slightly by casino, a Mini-Royal typically pays 50-to-1 or 100-to-1, while a standard pair usually pays even money.

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