Tri Card Poker at a Glance

Tri Card Poker, also known as Three Card Poker, is a casino table game created in the mid-1990s by game designer Derek Webb. It fuses poker-style hand ranking with straightforward wagers and quick resolution.

You face the dealer using a standard 52-card deck. Each side receives three cards; you may fold or continue, then hands are compared. Because only three cards are used, hand rankings differ slightly from five-card poker.

• Two core bets: Ante-Play (beat the dealer) and Pair Plus (bet your hand makes a pair or better).
• Fast tempo: short hands, frequent decisions, swingy sessions.
• Beginner-friendly: one optimal decision rule covers most spots.

How a Hand Unfolds

1. Place bets. Wager the Ante. Optionally add Pair Plus; some tables also offer a 6 Card Bonus.
2. Cards dealt. You and the dealer each receive three cards, face down.
3. Decision time. Look at your hand. Either fold (forfeit Ante; Pair Plus still resolves on your cards) or Play by placing a matching Play bet equal to your Ante.
4. Dealer qualifies. Dealer needs queen-high or better to qualify. If not, your Ante wins even money and the Play bet pushes; Pair Plus, if made, is paid by its own paytable regardless.
5. Compare hands. If the dealer qualifies, higher three-card poker hand wins; wins pay 1:1 on both Ante and Play, losses lose both, ties push. Separate Ante Bonus pays may apply for very strong hands.

Note: Pair Plus and other side bets do not care about the dealer’s hand-only yours.

Hand Strength in Tri Card Poker

Rankings (high to low)

1. Straight Flush
2. Three of a Kind
3. Straight
4. Flush
5. Pair
6. High Card

Because there are only three cards, a straight is rarer than a flush, so it ranks higher-an unusual twist for poker veterans.

• Straight Flush: 48 of 22,100 hands (~0.217%)
• Three of a Kind: 52 (~0.235%)
• Straight (not flush): 720 (~3.26%)
• Flush (not straight): 1,096 (~4.96%)
• Pair: 3,744 (~16.94%)
• High Card: 16,440 (~74.39%)

Totals use combinations from a 52-card deck (C(52,3)=22,100) and are rounded for readability.

Payouts and Edges

Ante-Play (vs. dealer)

• Wins pay 1:1 on both Ante and Play; ties push.
• Dealer qualification: queen-high or better; if not, Ante pays 1:1 and Play pushes.
• Ante Bonus (typical): Straight 1:1, Three of a Kind 4:1, Straight Flush 5:1.
• House edge: about 3.37% measured against the Ante (element of risk ~2.01% of total action) with optimal play.

Pair Plus (your hand only)

• Common paytable: Pair 1:1, Flush 3:1, Straight 6:1, Three of a Kind 30:1, Straight Flush 40:1.
• House edge: roughly 7.28% on the above paytable; improved schedules such as 1-4-6-30-40 drop it to about 3.37% (availability varies).

Other options

The 6 Card Bonus uses your three cards plus the dealer’s three to form a best five-card poker hand; it offers big top prizes and a notably higher edge, often well above 10% depending on the paytable.

Optimal Decisions

The golden rule is simple: Play with Q-6-4 or better; fold Q-6-3 or worse. This minimax line balances wins when the dealer qualifies against losses when they don’t.

• Memorize the cutoff. With Q-6-x, play on a third card of 4 through A; otherwise fold.
• Bankroll pacing. Expect volatility; consider keeping Pair Plus small relative to Ante-Play.
• Seek friendly paytables. On Pair Plus, look for at least 1-4-6-30-40; avoid reduced straight or flush pays.
• Side bets are spice. The 6 Card Bonus swings wildly and usually carries a double-digit edge; treat it as entertainment, not a core wager.
• Table etiquette. Keep cards above the felt, decide in turn, and announce “play” or “fold” clearly.

Use the simple rule, pick fair paytables, and let the math do the heavy lifting-no need to be a card sharp to enjoy tri card poker.