Three Card Poker is a strategic casino poker game that requires both skill and luck. In the second part of our Three Card Poker for beginners series, we will cover some of the tips you need to know before taking a seat at the poker table.
Three Card Poker tips and strategies
Before we dive into the best strategies of Three Card Poker, let us refresh your memory on the rules of the game. Three Card Poker is a casino poker game that is played with only three cards, which means only certain poker hands are possible. The player wins the round by having a better hand than the dealer, and the dealer needs to qualify with a Q or higher in order to reward the player with the maximum payout. Additionally, players can win an extra ante bonus by winning with a straight, three of a kind, or straight flush.
As with most casino poker variations, you don’t have to be a math wizard to win – but some strategy is certainly required. If you don’t know when to place the play bet and when to fold your hand and abandon the pot, you probably won’t benefit from the game’s optimal payout percentage, which sits at 96.63%. However, you can go a long way with some simple guidelines that are easy to remember when you sit at the table.
Many Three Card Poker players swear by the Q-6-4 strategy. This strategy involves playing hands that consist of a Q, 6, 4 and higher. If you have any pair, a king, or an ace, you press the play button to add more chips to the pot. Hands with lower cards should go into the muck. By using this simple strategy, you will play many of the hands you are dealt.
Our next tip is to avoid placing too many chips on the Pair Plus and 6 Card Bonus side bets. While it’s true that these bets offer the biggest payouts in Three Card Poker, they affect the RTP percentage quite drastically: the Pair Plus side bet has a decent RTP of 95.51%, but the 6 Card Bonus bet has an RTP of only 91.44%.
Three Card Poker is a fun and strategic casino game that combines luck and strategy. Now that you know how to play, head over to our live casino lobby where you can try your luck against our professional poker dealers!