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Three Card Poker: rules, payouts, odds and the one strategy rule
How Three Card Poker works, what the Ante and Pair Plus bets pay, the house edge on each and the single strategy rule that covers the whole game.
- There is one decision: after seeing your cards, play or fold. Play with Queen-6-4 or better; fold anything lower.
- With that rule the Ante and Play bet has a house edge of about 3.37% of the ante.
- Pair Plus is a separate bet. On the common pay table its edge is about 7.28%.
How a hand is played
- Place an Ante. Pair Plus is optional and independent.
- You and the dealer each receive three cards.
- Fold and lose the ante, or make a Play bet equal to it.
- The dealer needs queen-high or better to qualify. If they do not, the ante pays 1 to 1 and the play bet is returned.
- If the dealer qualifies, the higher hand wins and both bets pay 1 to 1.
Hand rankings are not the same as five-card poker
With three cards a straight is harder to make than a flush, so it ranks higher. From best to worst: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card.
Payouts
| Hand | Ante bonus | Pair Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 5 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 4 to 1 | 30 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 | 6 to 1 |
| Flush | — | 3 to 1 |
| Pair | — | 1 to 1 |
The ante bonus is paid on those hands whether or not you beat the dealer. Pay tables vary; a Pair Plus table that pays 4 to 1 for a flush has a much lower edge of about 2.3%, and tables paying less for a straight flush or three of a kind cost more.
The strategy rule and what the game costs
Optimal play is to raise with Queen-6-4 or better and fold everything else. Compare your highest card first, then the second, then the third. Playing every hand “blind” or folding too tightly both cost more.
With that rule the house edge is about 3.37% of the ante. Because you often add a play bet, the cost per unit actually wagered is closer to 2%. Pair Plus has no decisions at all.
Online and free-play versions
Software and live-dealer versions follow the same rules, but pay tables differ between studios and some add further side bets such as a six-card bonus. The rules page of each game states its theoretical return. CasinoNews does not host playable games; the figures above let you judge any version you meet.
Common questions
What is the best strategy for Three Card Poker?
Make the Play bet with Queen-6-4 or better and fold weaker hands. That single rule is the optimal strategy for the Ante and Play game.
Is Pair Plus a good bet?
It depends on the pay table. With a flush paying 3 to 1 the house edge is about 7.28%; with a flush paying 4 to 1 it is about 2.3%.
Does a straight beat a flush in Three Card Poker?
Yes. With only three cards a straight is less likely than a flush, so it ranks higher.
Sources
Checked 11 November 2026. Rules and published figures change; confirm against the current official page before relying on them.
Publication byline. Prepared with AI assistance and checked against the linked sources; see our editorial standards. This page is information, not advice, and contains no affiliate links.