Free 3 Card Poker App

Play 3-Card Poker casino game against the dealer. How to play Ace 3-Card Poker: 1) To change bet size, tap '-' or '+'. 2) To bet, tap Ante, Pair+, and/or 6-Card (all bets are optional). 3) Tap Deal/Rebet to deal 3 cards to yourself and to the dealer. 4) If you think you can beat dealer's hand, tap Play. 5) If not, tap Fold and forfeit your Ante bet. Download this game from Microsoft Store for Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 Team (Surface Hub), HoloLens. See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for 5-Card Draw Poker Win. A free online version of 3 Card Poker with 6-card Bonus. Test out your 3 Card Poker strategy here. Practice for Vegas. Play Three Card Poker for Free. Three Card Poker is a popular card Poker variant played in real Casino. This is an online casino game of 3 Card Poker for Android! 3 Card Poker is played against the dealer using 3 cards hands. In this casino game three independent bets can be played - Ante, Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus. The Ante bet is compulsory whereas other two bets are optional. Best Sellers Rank: #141,151 Free in Apps & Games (See Top 100 in Apps & Games) #1,435 in Card Games (Apps & Games) Customer Reviews: 3.6 out of 5 stars 10 ratings. This version of 3 card poker will help you play to the best of your abilities.

Of all the casino table games based on poker hand rankings, 3 Card Poker is the most popular. This game combines simple strategy with a shot at some big pay outs for the best poker hands.

If you live in a state with regulated online casinos, you’ll be able to play Three Card Poker via desktops and mobile casino apps. Live dealer online casinos let you play a dealt game online. Software-based games are also available where you can play 3 Card Poker for free or with real money.

The key to the popularity of 3 Card Poker is the ‘Pair Plus’ side bet. Most players bet on the main hand (a requirement) and one or more optional side bets. In live casinos, you might find a side bet includes a big progressive jackpot for players lucky enough to hit a 6 card ‘Super’ Royal Flush.

This page gives you all you need to get started with 3 Card Poker whether you play online or in a brick and mortar casino. The rules and order of events in a hand of the game are covered directly below. After this, you’ll find detailed information on the side bets, house edge, strategy and the options for online play.

How to play 3 Card Poker

Each hand starts with the players placing bets. The only mandatory bet is the Ante. The minimum and maximum bet will vary. Online this can be as little as 50c, in live casinos a $5 minimum is more common. Players often combine their ante bet with one or more side-bets – these are covered in the section below.

After all the players have bet, each player and the dealer are dealt 3 cards face down.

Players examine their cards individually (without sharing what they have with the other players). You then decide whether to fold, which forfeits the ante bet, or raise. To continue with the hand (raise), you place an additional bet equal to the ante on the table in the square marked ‘Play’. Strategy for which option to choose is covered below.

After all the players have either folded or raised, the dealer will reveal his/her cards.

This game includes a dealer qualification rule. If the dealer does not have at least Queen high, his/her has not qualified. When this happens, the ante is paid at 1-to-1 and the Play bet is a push (the stake is returned).

If the dealer has a qualifying hand, then the value of that hand is compared to the value of the players hand to determine the winner. Standard poker hand rankings are used, with bonus payouts paid for a straight or better. Note that with 3 cards, a flush is easier to get than a straight, and so considered below this in the poker rankings. In the rare event of a tie, both the Ante and Play bets are returned.

Payout on Ante Bets

Here are the additional Ante bet pay outs:

• Straight: 1-to-1
• 3 of a Kind: 5-to-1
• Straight Flush: 5-to-1

Simple 3 Card Poker strategy and casino house edge

The math shows that the optimal strategy in 3-Card Poker is to play when you have Queen/6/4 or better, and to fold anything below this. You might notice that this strategy is very close to the dealer’s play – qualifying with Queen high. Some players choose to further simplify their strategy by mimicking the dealer and raising with any Queen regardless of the side cards.

While close, this does give the house a slightly bigger advantage in the long run.

• House Edge for Q/6/4: 3.24%
• House Edge for any Queen: 3.37%

As the side bets are completely independent from the main game, the pay tables for these bets will never influence your strategy.

Popular side bets in Three Card Poker games

For many players, a hand of Three Card Poker would not be complete without a bet on the ‘Pair Plus’ side bet. This bet is optional. It is also independent of the main game.

Pair Plus works by looking at your own three cards. If you have less than 1 pair, the bet is lost.

Pairs Plus Payouts

With hands of 1 pair or better, you’ll be paid according to the table below:

• Mini Royal (Ace / King / Queen of the same suit): 80-to-1
• Straight Flush: 40-to-1
• 3 of a Kind: 25-to-1
• Straight: 6-to-1
• Flush: 3-to-1
• Pair: 1-to-1

Note that you can find casinos with minor variations of this pay table. Some casinos do not offer a boosted prize for a mini-royal, instead increasing the prize for the flush.

The other popular side bet involves all 6 cards in your hand and the dealer’s hand. The best possible 5-card poker hand using a combination of these cards will qualify for the bonus. There are several variations under the generic title of 6-card bonus.

Some of these may include progressive jackpots. For example, Caesars Entertainment casinos have a linked progressive which pays on a 6-card ‘Super Royal’ in diamonds only.

Payouts for 6-card bonus

Typical payouts for 6-card bonuses are as follows:

• Royal Flush: 1000-to-1
• Straight Flush: 200-to-1
• 4 of a Kind: 5-to-1
• Full House: 25-to-1
• Flush: 15-to-1
• Straight: 10-to-1
• 3 of a Kind: 5-to-1

Any hand below 3 of a kind results in a loss. There are many side-bet variations. Some casinos add a (smaller) progressive element to the 3 card hands of individual players. Note that the side bets have a much bigger house edge than the main game. This can be as high as 15.28% in some 6-card bonus variations.

How to Play 3 Card Poker online

Regulation for online casinos is happening at the state level. The online casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia will only work within state lines in each instance.

Big casino brands have partnered with local brick and mortar venues to create mobile apps as well as desktop casinos. Brands include 888 Casino, Golden Nugget and Sugarhouse.

You’ll be able to enjoy slots, video poker and table games via these casino apps. This includes 3-Card Poker, alongside blackjack, roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and more.

There are two ways to enjoy 3 Card Poker online. First, you can play against casinos on software-based games. These are fast, include side-bets and can be enjoyed for micro-stakes starting at around 50c per hand.

You can also bet on the result of games streamed from a casino. Live dealer 3-Card Poker uses an overlay to bet, with a real dealer handling the cards in real time. Everyone bets on the same hand, with the hand being continued to its conclusion each time (for those people who did not fold).

This way of enjoying 3-Card Poker has social element. You can chat with the dealer and share messages with other players. Stakes are higher compared to the software-based games. You’ll have to stay focused on the game. If you time out (or disconnect) before making your decision, then your hand will be folded.

How to clear your bonus using 3 Card Poker

Most mobile casinos in the regulated states offer new players generous bonuses to sign up. These include no-deposit (free play) style bonuses, matched welcome bonus offers based on your first deposit – and many other promotions.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to play through your bonus a set number of times before any winnings can be withdrawn.

If you are playing slot machines, then all of your play counts towards ‘clearing’ your bonus. With table games including 3-Card Poker, the contribution towards bonus clearing is weighted. Some casinos will allow for 25% of your play to count, while others will offer 10% or under. Before you choose a casino bonus, checking the terms of each bonus for excluded games and weightings is always a sound strategy.

With free-play casino bonuses, you might find that only slots are permitted.

Other casino table games

Pros and cons: Live vs Online 3-Card Texas Hold’em

While both online and live casino table games have their place, there are distinct advantages to each. If you are lucky enough to live in a state with legal online casinos, the pros and cons are outlined below:

The pros and cons of playing 3-Card Poker online are as follows:

Pros

• No need to travel to a casino to enjoy the game
• Stakes are lower
• Live dealer games include a social element

Cons

• Only available in a handful of regulated states
• Disconnections or time outs (live dealer) mean your hand will be folded
• Game is not fully weighted for clearing casino bonuses

Live 3-Card Poker Casinos

The pros and cons of playing Live 3-Card Poker online are as follows:

Pros

• Enjoyable social settings
• Casinos often have progressive jackpot side bets
• Loyalty schemes with free-play/resort benefits

Cons

• Stakes are generally higher than online ($5 minimum is typical)
• You’ll need to travel to a casino
• Naturally slower pace of play

FAQ

Can you cheat at Three Card Poker?

While some forms of collusion are possible, these would be fraudulent and require marked cards or a casino dealer getting involved. Collusion among players would not result in a positive expectation for the game. If players developed a system to share their hands, several cards could be accounted for. This would increase or decrease the chances of the dealer having a good hand slightly – although not enough to win any money over time.

Marked cards or fraudulent collusion would be picked up by casino security as soon as losses from the table were significant. With the base strategy very simple, diversions from this would be very easy to spot.

How big a bankroll do I need for 3-Card Poker?

Compared to many casino table games (UTH, Mississippi Stud and Casino Hold’em for example) the natural variance of 3-Card poker is low. On most hands, you’ll be winning or losing single bets. There is also a low house edge, at least in the main game, of 3.27%.

20 times your ante bet is a common starting point for this game. This is enough to enjoy a session, with the possibility of upping your bets if you go on a hot streak.

Your total bankroll depends on how much you can afford to lose and how easily your gambling money can be topped up.

How does the house edge of 3 Card Poker compare?

Compared to other casino table games based on poker hand rankings, 3 Card Poker has a slightly higher house edge. This game has an easy strategy, which means new players can quickly realize the house edge. Compare this with blackjack, where small mistakes made by newer players can have large effect on the casino’s edge.

You should keep in mind that 3-Card Poker side bets have a big edge in favor of the house compared to the main game.

Three Card Poker House Edge vs. Other Table Games

Here is how 3-Card Poker’s house edge compares:

• 3 Card Poker: 3.27%
• Blackjack: 0.5% to 3% (depends on the rules)
• Baccarat: 1.06% (if you play the ‘Player’ bet)
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em: 2.2% + 0.5% of any play bets
• Roulette: 2.7% / 5.26% (European / US wheel)
• Casino Hold’em: 2.16%

Is it legal to play 3-Card Poker online?

States determine their own laws for online casinos. In each state where these are legal, the casinos will only work within their borders. So far, PA, NJ, MI and WV have legal online casinos. There are many more states in various stages of introducing gambling online.

Outside of these states, you can enjoy limited casino table games and slots at ‘Sweepstakes Casinos’. 3-Card poker has not yet made it to any of these brands.

Final thoughts on 3 Card poker

Of all the casino games based on poker hand ranks, 3-Card Poker is the most popular. This game combines a straightforward strategy (play Q-6-4+/fold otherwise), with the chance of boosted payouts for big poker hands. The house edge, at just 3.27%, is reasonably low. It is harder to make mistakes in this game which could boost this edge in favor of the casino. Optional side bets are available, many of them with big progressive jackpots.

If you live in one of the regulated states, you can now enjoy free and real money 3 Card online. This can be played against software, or at live dealer online casinos – where you’ll bet on a dealt game streamed from a studio.

3 Card Poker is a super-underrated casino game that few casuals dare to play. Invented in 1994 by UK native Derrek Webb, it is the most profitable proprietary table game ever. Shuffle Master sells it to US gambling venues, and it claims that there are over 2,000 table installations in countless casino properties worldwide.

It is a fast-paced and straightforward player vs. dealer game, where on average, you can play up to 70 hands per hour. The three-card poker rules are relatively simple. You make an ante bet, which signals that you wish to receive a three-card hand. After you do, you can make a play wager, telling the dealer that you want to have a face-off. For this to be possible, the dealer has to have a queen or higher in his hand. If he doesn’t, you win your ante, and your play wager gets returned. If the dealer has a queen or higher, the person with the better cards wins the round. When it comes to three-card poker hands, the ranking system implemented here is similar to regular poker.

If this wasn’t an adequate explanation on how this game works, you can download one of the apps listed below and learn 3 Card Poker through their gameplay. If you want to try 3 Card Poker for real money, then you can register at one of many gambling sites that offer it. Note that you are far more likely to find it in its RNG form than in the live-dealer format.

Three Card Poker by Megawin Casinos

If you search for 3 Card Poker at Google Play and the Apple Store, Three Card Poker by Megawin Casinos is likely the first game to come up. It has 100,000 installs on Google Play and over 1,000 reviews on both platforms. It boasts a 4.7 rating on the Apple Store and a 4,4 one on Google Play.

Megawins Casinos is an app developer that has cornered the market when it comes to casino-poker variants. They are responsible for seven such mobile products, including Mississippi Stud, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, and Let It Ride Poker. Their 3 Card title stands out because it features a super-friendly user interface and 3 Card Poker payouts identical to what you will find at most land-based casinos. For instance, in this game, a straight flush on a pair plus wager pays 40 to 1, and on the ante one, it provides a prize that is 5 to 1. That is the most common pay structure out there. So, this app can be a decent learning ground for mastering this game.

There are more than twenty tables in this release. The first two tables are instantly available, but you will need to move up tiers to unlock the high stakes ones. You get a bonus as soon as you create an account and a daily one every two hours. There are over forty achievements to unlock, and you can remove all ads with an in-app purchase of $1.99.

Triple Card Poker by Jackpot Mobile

Free 3 Card Poker Practice No Downloads

Triple Card is a relatively new release, hitting both the Apple Store and Google Play in June of 2020. It is only one of three games that developer Jackpot Mobile has put out and is their least popular one. Video Poker Multi is their real money-maker. However, due to the lack of 3 Card Poker apps, it is number two on our list. Do not take this as a sign that there is something wrong with this app. There is not. It incorporates authentic pay-tables, a shuffling algorithm that mixes up the cards the same way a live dealer would, and free chips every two hours.

If you are a newbie and haven’t figured out all the nuances of this casino-poker variant, Jackpot Mobile goes the extra mile and includes an in-depth tutorial that will teach you everything you need to know. Some users complain that this app features unrealistic gameplay since you often win the pair plus side-bet. We mentioned the pair plus wager briefly above. It is one where you are betting that your hand will have a pair or better. However, Jackpot Mobile assures that the three-card poker odds featured in this game are realistic, given that this product utilizes a state-of-the-art random number generator. Despite such complaints, Triple Card Poker has a 4.3 rating on Google Play and a 4.6 one on the Apple Store.

Svara - 3 Card Poker Online Card Game

We are straying from our path, as Svara is not a 3 Card Poker app. It is a 3 Card Poker-inspired game that uses a 32-card deck. You do not play it against a dealer but other players at your virtual table. It is a multiplayer game that requires two to nine players to sit at a table. Its gameplay is in large part based on Texas Hold’em. It is the only release from developer Fish & Chips that has yet to accumulate a sizeable fan base, particularly when it comes to iOS users.

Svara incorporates a lot of 3 Card Poker elements, enough to feature it in its name. If you know the 3 Card basics, this product will teach you the extra details via its gameplay. If you invite a friend to download the app, you will get free chips on top of your daily ones. Visually, Svara is a decent-looking game. You get to set your avatar, and the gameplay flows smoothly. You can communicate with the other players at your table via a chat option, and you can participate in tournaments. There are even leaderboard standings.

Three Card Brag by Red Game

Many casual gamblers are not aware that the 18-century British card game called brag is a poker ancestor. It is the longest-standing UK representative of the poker family of games. It also served as inspiration for 3 Card Poker. However, there are a few crucial differences between the two. For example, the hand rankings are not the same. In brag, the highest hand is a prial, which is three-of-a-kind in regular poker. So, while not the same, this product is close enough to 3 Card Poker to make our list.

The graphics in Three Card Brag are rudimentary, a bit reminiscent of video poker machines. If you can get past that, then the gameplay is quite decent. The outcomes do appear to be random-enough to feel authentic. That said, there are tons of adverts in Three Card Brag, and they can get aggressive at times, which gets annoying. Besides Wild Jacks, it is the only card game that developer Red Game has ever released. They seem to focus more on puzzle games such as Hex Merge and Math Cross. You will not find Three Card Brag on the Apple Store, but it may make its way on there soon, as Red Game already has many products up there.

Casino Card Games: 6 in 1 by Siba Style Studios

Why download an app that only features one card game, one you can have one that provides many? If you are into casino-poker variants, you may also enjoy Let It Ride, Red Dog Poker, Asian Stud, and 4 Card Poker. Diversity never harmed anyone. This Siba Style Studios app also features a slice of blackjack options with side bets. If you do prefer to stick to 3 Card Poker, the version here incorporates the 6-Card Bonus. Its payouts get determined based on the five-card hand you will receive when making this side-bet. A royal flush pays 1,000 to 1, while a straight one provides a win of 200 to 1.

3 Card Poker Download Free

Siba Style Studios is not a very established developer, and this is only their third release. In terms of graphics, the game looks a bit flat and poorly designed. The perspective is off, and the lack of shadows creates a very 2D feel. Most of the button design is also outdated. That said, it provides free coins every day, and things move at a decent pace.

Players have complained that this app features many bugs, but Siba Style Studios is continuously releasing updates trying to iron out all these kinks. They recently added leaderboards and achievements. You can find Casino Card Games at both iOS and Android digital stores.

To Wrap Up

3 Card Poker is a terrific player vs. dealer table game. If you like blackjack or baccarat, you are sure to love it. The only strategy you can apply on it is to play any hand that consists of cards that beat a queen-6-4 combo. Some players even choose to make the pair plus wager only. Whatever system you implement is up to you. As far as what app to enjoy this dynamic casino game on, most would say that the Megawin Casinos product is the best one out there. However, the choice is totally up to you. Any one of the listed apps should do the trick if you are looking to have fun or are getting ready to go up against live dealers and test your luck on some real money action.

About the Author

Shelly Schiff is a content writer employed by OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com. It is the internet’s top interactive gaming information hub. Shelly has actively been involved in the online gambling industry since 2009 and has also written for countless other top iGaming websites. Though She considers herself a slot maven, she also has a wealth of knowledge to share regarding popular table games. In her free time, she enjoys listening to old rock music and spending time with her dog, Garry.