Three Card Poker

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Three Card Poker

Are you a seasoned gambler and looking to brush up your three card poker knowledge? New to the gambling world and want to learn how to play three card poker, as well as its specific rules? Look no further than our full-fledged Three Card Poker Rules & How to Page.

How to Play Three Card Poker

The game of Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus utilizes a player-dealer position and is a California game. The player-dealer shall collect all losing wagers, pay all winning wagers, and may not win or lose more than the original amount wagered. Once the player-dealer’s wager has been exhausted, the wagers not covered by the player-dealer shall be returned to the respective players. The player-dealer may only “bank” the hand (including bonus bets) for two consecutive rounds of play before it is offered in a clockwise fashion around the gaming table. The gambling enterprise does not participate in the actual play of the game and has no interest in the outcome of the play.

A Summary: Three Card Poker Rules

  • Like all other card games, Three Card Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck.
  • Prior to the respective cards being dealt by the dealer, it is obligatory for all players to place an Ante.
  • Each player is then dealt three cards face-down
  • Players have three options once dealt their hand: fold, match, or raise.
  • Don’t want to fold? The game continues, as all players then go up against the dealer to see who has the better hand.
  • If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, Ante bets from the remaining players are made, while all remaining bets are a push.

Three Card Poker: The Details

Object of the Game

The object of Three Card Poker is to assemble a three card hand that beats the player-dealer’s three card hand.

Description of the Deck & Number of Decks Used

Shuffling Machine: Cards used to play Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus shall be dealt from a single deck automatic card shuffling device (‘shuffler’).

Physical Characteristics

Cards used to play Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus shall be in standard decks of 52 cards. No jokers shall be utilized.

Number of Decks

Cards used to play Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus shall be played with two alternating decks, each consisting of a 52-card deck with backs of the same design.
  • The backs of each deck will be a different color;
  • One deck will be shuffled by the automated card shuffling device while the other deck is being dealt or used to play the game;
  • Both decks will be continuously alternated in and out of play, with each deck being used for every other round of play; and
  • The cards from only one deck shall be placed in the discard rack at any given time.

Card Values & Hand Rankings

Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus Card Value
The rank of each card used in Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus when forming a three card poker hand, in order of highest to lowest rank, shall be: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and all suits shall be considered equal in rank.

Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus Hand Rankings

3-CARD HAND DEALT HAND RANKING
Mini Royal Flush A hand that consists of an ace, king, and queen of the same suit.
Straight Flush A hand that consists of three cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking, excluding ace, king and queen.
Three of a Kind A hand that consists of three cards of the same rank. Three aces is the highest ranked three of a kind and three 2’s is the lowest ranked three of a kind.
Straight A hand that consists of three cards that are in consecutive ranking, but that are not the same suit. Ace, king, and queen are the highest ranked straight and ace, 2, 3 is the lowest ranked straight.
Flush A hand that consists of three cards of the same suit, but that are not in consecutive ranking. An ace, king, and jack is the highest ranked flush and a 5, 3, and 2 is the lowest ranked flush.
One Pair A hand that consists of two cards of the same rank. Two aces is the highest ranked pair and two 2’s is the lowest ranked pair.
High Card A hand that consists of three cards that do not make any of the hands listed above. An ace, king, and jack is the highest ranked high card hand and 5, 3, and 2 is the lowest ranked high card hand.

Three Card Poker - The wagering areas shall be designated as follows:

  • For Ante wagers the word “Ante”;
  • For Play wagers the word “Play”;
  • For the Bonus wager the word(s) “Bonus” or “Pair Plus.”
  • For 6 Card Bonus wagers on the words “6 Card Bonus.”

How Winners are Determined & Paid

  • If the player-dealer’s hand does not have a minimum of a queen-high, the player-dealer does not qualify.
    • Play Bet Payout-The Play Bet receives no action. The house dealer shall immediately refund these wagers to players.
    • Ante Bet Payout-If the player-dealer’s hand does NOT qualify, the player-dealer will automatically pay each Ante, not surrendered by folding, even money regardless of whether the player’s hand ranks higher than the player-dealer’s or not.
  • If the player-dealer’s hand has a queen or better, the player-dealer’s hand qualifies, the house dealer shall immediately stack each player’s Play wager atop the Ante. The house dealer shall then reveal the three card hand of each active player, starting with the player to the left of the player-dealer position or the player that has the action button.
    • If the player’s hand beats the player-dealer’s hand, the player wins even money on the Ante and the Play wagers.
    • If the player-dealer’s hand beats the player’s hand, the player loses both the Ante and the Play wagers.
    • If the player’s hand and the player-dealer’s hand are equal in rank and value, the hand is considered a tie and the Ante and Play wagers shall push and be returned to the player.
  • All cards collected by the house dealer shall be picked up in order and placed in the discard rack in such a way that they can be readily arranged to reconstruct each hand in the event of a question or dispute.
  • Player-dealers are never required to cover all opposing players’ wagers. Payoffs of wagers are limited to the amount of the player-dealer wager. The house shall not participate as the player-dealer. The house shall not take a percentage of wagers placed in the game. There is no maximum on the player-dealer’s wager.

Bonus Bets

Pair Plus Wager
The Pair Plus is an optional bonus bet for Three Card Poker. The rules are as follows:
  • A player has the option to place a Pair Plus wager without placing an Ante wager prior to the initial deal.
  • Pair Plus wagers must be placed prior to the initial deal.
  • The Pair Plus wager only considers the three cards each player receives.
  • If the player’s hand qualifies for payouts, the player is paid by the player-dealer according to the posted pay table below.
  • If the player’s hand does not qualify for payouts, the player-dealer collects the Pair Plus wager.
  • The player-dealer will pay all winning Pair Plus wagers and will collect all losing Pair Plus wagers.
  • The Pair Plus wager may win or lose regardless of the outcome of the base game wager.
  • Once the player-dealer’s wager has been exhausted, the wagers not covered by the player-dealer will be returned to the players.
    • Backline betting is not permitted on the Pair Plus Wager. Winning Bonus/Pair Plus wagers pay as follows:
    • 3-CARD HAND PAYOFF
      Mini Royal Flush 200:1
      Straight Flush 40:1
      Three of a Kind 30:1
      Straight 6:1
      Flush 3:1
      One Pair 1:1

6 Card Bonus

The 6 Card Bonus is an additional optional bonus bet for Three Card Poker. The rules are as follows:
  • A player has the option to place a 6 Card Bonus wager without placing an Ante wager prior to the initial deal.
  • 6 Card Bonus wagers must be placed prior to the initial deal.
  • The 6 Card Bonus wager considers the three cards dealt to the player’s hand and the three cards dealt to the player-dealer’s hand. A player then uses any of those six cards, regardless of the number of cards used from their hand or the player-dealer’s hand, to make the best possible five card poker hand.
  • If the player’s hand qualifies for payouts, the player is paid by the player-dealer according to the posted pay table below.
  • If the player’s hand does not qualify for payouts, the player-dealer collects the 6 Card Bonus wager.
  • The player-dealer will pay all winning 6 Card Bonus wagers and will collect all losing 6 Card Bonus wagers.
  • The 6 Card Bonus wager may win or lose regardless of the outcome of the Ante wager.
  • Once the player-dealer’s wager has been exhausted, the wagers not covered by the player-dealer will be returned to the players.
  • Backline betting is not permitted on the 6 Card Bonus wager.
  • Winning 6 Card Bonus wagers pay as follows:
    • TCB-6B3
      Royal Flush 1000:1
      Straight Flush 200:1
      Four of a Kind 100:1
      Full House 20:1
      Flush 15:1
      Straight 9:1
      Three of a Kind 8:1

Table Layout

Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus is owned, patented and/or copyrighted by Bally’s Technologies, Inc. Please note that the Bureau is making the details of this game available to the public as required by subdivision (g) of Business and Professions Code section 19826, but the posting does not waive any rights to the game content which may be held by Owner. The terms of any agreement with Owner are to be negotiated between the gambling establishment and Owner, and any dispute or asserted breach related thereto are private matters which will not be resolved by the Bureau.