Three Card Poker
With the popularity of poker, the number of variations has also grown. Three-card poker is one such variation played with three cards. It comprises two parts; ante and play and pair plus. One can play only one game or both the games.
Three-card poker is an interesting and easy game for a beginner. The purpose of the game is to beat the dealer with better cards. The hand rankings for this type of poker suggest that a straight is ranked higher than a flush. This is because it is very difficult to make a straight with just three cards compared to a flush.
Three-card poker is played with a normal deck of fifty-two cards. In this, the person plays only against the dealer. He can wager either in one game or in both games. The money wagered can differ in both games.
Let us first understand the game of pair plus. In this one gets three cards and the payout is decided according to the hand that one gets. A straight flush has a forty to one chance of winning, while a three of a kind has a thirty times chance of winning. A straight can win up to six times the bet whereas a flush can only manage to win four times the bet. The least amount can be won with a pair.
The second part is ante and play. Here one makes the first bet ante before seeing the cards. The second bet is made after seeing one’s cards and to view the dealer’s cards. One can either increase the bet by an equal amount or withdraw from the game. If one withdraws from the game then one loses the bet made in the earlier part of the game.
The payout for ante and play are made as per the cards in hand. The dealer is considered to have good cards if he has a queen or better cards. In case the dealer has bad cards, the player wins his ante bet and the second play wager is given back. If the dealer has better cards then both the bets are lost. In case the player has good cards, both the bets are won. If both dealer and player have good cards, there is a tie.
One can also win an additional amount of five times the e ante bet if one forms straight flush. Three of a kind gives a player four times the bet amount and a straight will fetch just the bet amount. One can increase the chances of winning by selecting the right table. The table that has a good payout schedule for a flush formed in pair and must be selected to maximize one’s wins.
Three-card poker is an easy game and needs the player to make just a simple decision. He has to look at the cards that are dealt and then decide whether to play the game or to withdraw from the game depending on the strength of the cards. A good hand that can beat the dealer’s cads is one with an ace or a king or queen.
One can easily learn to play three-card poker and win a decent amount. Playing this type of poker increases the player’s confidence and then he can graduate to playing more complex and difficult variations of poker.