I stood and watched a game in the casino called three-card poker. Because the table stayed full most of the night, I will have to wait until my next trip to try it. Meantime, how about a column on the game? Caroline F.
Three-card p
oker is a poker-based game that uses just three cards per hand and is played on a blackjack table. Major differences from poker: No further cards are drawn, and players do not compete against each other, but against either the dealer, or against a posted payout schedule.
Regarding the table layout, there are three betting spots in front of each player. Furthest from the player is a betting spot marked "pair plus." In the middle is the spot labeled "ante," and closest to the player is one marked "play." The only bets allowed in three-card poker involve one or more of these three spots.
To begin play, a player puts his wager either on "ante," wagering that the player's hand will outrank the dealer's hand, or on "pair," wagering that the player's hand will hold one pair or better. To double their pleasure, players may wager on both spots. Each player and dealer are then dealt three cards apiece, face down.
After examining the hand, the player can do either of two things: Fold, withdrawing from that round and forfeiting the "ante" wager; or place a bet on the "play" box equal to the "ante" sum. Side note: If the player wagered on both the "ante" and the "pair plus" (see below), and then had to fold old, both wagers are lost.
Another opening bet is on the "pair plus." On this wager, it doesn't matter one iota if the player's hand can whip the dealer's. This is a stand-alone wager with the payout based solely on the rank of the three-card hand. If less than a pair, the player loses. With a pair or higher, it's win-time, and the higher the rank, the greater the payout. Here is the payout schedule for "pair plus" wagers: A pair: 1 to 1 A flush: 4 to 1 A straight: 6 to 1 Three of a kind: 30 to 1 A straight flush: 40 to 1 Once a player posts the wager(s), the dealer checks his cards. The dealer's hand must contain at least a Queen or better to qualify and challenge the player's hand. Otherwise, the dealer is forced to fold and pay the "ante" wagers even money (1 to 1). The "play" bet is returned to the player. If the dealer's hand qualifies (Queen or better), the player's cards are opened and compared with the dealer's. If the dealer's hand is better than the player's hand, the player loses both the "ante" and the "play" wagers. If the player's hand is superior to the dealer's, then the dealer pays the player 1 to 1 for both the "ante" and the "play" wagers. Furthermore, Caroline, even if you had not bet on the "pair plus" but still received a respectable hand, you'd win the following bonus payment on the "ante" wager: Straight: 1 to 1 Three of a kind: 4 to 1 Straight flush: 5 to 1 As for betting strategy, most experts believe you should not make the "play" wager unless you have at least a queen, six, and a four in your hand. Using this approach, the house edge on the "ante" wager is about 2.1 percent, with the "pair plus" slightly higher at 2.3 percent. As you can see, Caroline, the game is extremely easy to play and has a tolerable casino advantage. Let me know how you come out on your next casino visit. Gambling quote of the week: "The guy supervising the games asks me if I'd like anything. Yea, I say, a gun to kill the dealer." Barry Meadows, "Blackjack Autumn" For Best Gaming Materials visit us at:
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