Poker Three – The Compact Online Casino Game
Poker games don’t come much more compact than poker three. This style of poker uses just three cards but combines two games in one.
With just three cards in game poker three, or three card poker as it is also known, is a very simple form of poker. Yet each hand of poker three is two games in one because players can place two different bets on each hand; ‘pair plus’ and ‘ante and play’.
The game is played with a standard 52-deck pack without jokers and the bets are placed before the hands are dealt. Three cards are dealt to each player and three cards face down for the dealer. Hands are ranked from high to low in the order straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, or nothing. The ‘pair plus’ bet is determined by the player’s hand rank regardless of what the dealer holds. A player wins the bet if their three card hand holds at pair or better and loses with anything less.
Standard payouts are as follows:
Straight Flush – 40 to 1
Three of a Kind -30 to 1
Straight – 6 to 1
Flush – 4 to 1
Pair – Even money
The ‘ante and play’ bet pitches the player’s hand against the dealer’s. After receiving his or her cards, a player must decide whether to ‘fold’ or ‘play. Folding loses the ante bet and to play, a player must put down an additional wager equal to original ante.
If a player chooses to ‘play’ then the dealer reveals his hand and a showdown follows. However, the dealer must first qualify his own hand by showing a Queen high or better.
If the dealer does qualify payouts are as follows:
Player’s hand wins – Ante pays even money, play bet pays even money
Player’s hand ties – Both bets are pushed
Player’s hand loses – Both bets are lost
If the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify then the ante bet pays even money and the play bet is pushed.
A bonus payout is paid on the ante bet when a player’s hand consists of a straight or better. This bonus is regardless of whether or not the dealer’s hand qualifies or even if the player wins the round. These poker three bonus payouts can vary from casino to casino.
