Three Card Poker | Casinos et Salons de jeux

Good to know

Before playing your first game of Three Card Poker, you might benefit from learning about certain notions of the game. These helpful tips and basic rules will give you a sense of what to expect before you get to the casino. Once you are at the table, don’t hesitate to ask the dealer any questions you may have. Helping you understand how the game is played is part of their job.

• Taking a seat at the table

  Three Card Poker tables can be easily identified by their blue playing surface.

  First, find a spot that isn’t already occupied. Although players are allowed to occupy several spots at the table, they must give up a spot for a new player if there are no other available spots. A special marker is used to indicate spots reserved for players who have temporarily left the table. These spots may be used until the absent player returns.

• The initial bet

  Place your money on the table. Never hand it to the dealer. The dealer will exchange your money for value chips and you may place your bet in the betting spot indicated on the table before the first card is dealt. Initial bets cannot be made, changed or withdrawn after that point.

  You must respect the minimum and maximum limits indicated at the table when placing your bets.

• The cards

  Three Card Poker is played with one 52-card deck. The ranking of the cards, in decreasing order, is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. The Ace may also be used to complete an Ace-2-3 straight or straight flush.

• The game

  Using value chips purchased from the dealer, each player may choose to:/p>

  - Place an initial bet to try to get a hand that ranks higher than the dealer’s.
  - Place a Pair Plus Bet and try to get a hand with a pair or better.
  - Place both bets.

  The bets must be placed in the appropriate spots on the layout before the dealer announces “Rien ne va plus” (No more bets) and must respect the minimum and maximum limits indicated at the table.

  The dealer distributes three cards, face down, to each player in turn, and also deals himself three cards, face down.

  After having examined his cards, the player who has wagered an initial bet has the option to either make an additional bet in an amount equal to his initial bet, where required on the layout, or to forfeit his initial bet. Players are not authorized to show their cards nor to discuss them with other players. Once all the players have acted on their hand and placed their cards face down on the layout, the dealer reveals his three cards.

  To open, the dealer must have a hand with a Queen or higher ranking. If need be, the dealer then reveals each player’s three cards. If two hands are of equal ranking, based on the foregoing combinations, or if two hands are made up of none of the foregoing combinations, the hand with the highest ranking card is considered the highest ranking hand, otherwise the hands are considered to be of equal ranking.

  A player’s Pair Plus bet is treated separately, regardless of the ranking of the dealer’s hand.

• The combinations in decreasing order

  - Straight flush: three cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking.

  - Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank.

  - Straight: three cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit.

  - Flush: three cards of the same suit.

  - Pair: two cards of the same rank.

• Winning and losing hands

  - If you make an additional bet and the dealer cannot open, your initial bet is paid even money and your additional bet is a push.

  - If you have made an additional bet and your hand ranks higher than the dealer’s hand and the dealer can open, your initial bet wins and is paid even money, and your additional bet wins and is paid even money.

  - If you have made an additional bet and your hand ranks lower than the dealer’s hand and the dealer can open, your initial and additional bets lose.

  - If you have made an additional bet and your hand is equal in rank to that of the dealer and the dealer can open, the bets neither win nor lose.

  - If you have made an additional bet and your hand holds a straight flush, a three of a kind or a straight, your initial bet is also paid.

  Some games enable you to place additional bets. Ask the dealer about your options.