3 card poker may not be as popular as other poker games like Texas Hold’em or Omaha, but it’s still one of the top casino games. Even still, not a whole lot of players know 3 card poker strategy, which means they’re giving money away to the casino. Obviously you don’t want to be in this crowd, and here are a few tips that will help you minimize the house edge.
Only play Q-6-4
The first thing everyone needs to know about 3 card poker is that they should never play a hand unless it’s Q-6-4 or better. The simplest way to follow this strategy is by looking at each card in order. To execute this strategy, you look at the first card to determine if it is a queen or higher. Assuming it’s not, you immediately fold the hand and wait for the next one.
If you do have a queen, you need to look at the next card to determine if it’s a 6 or higher. Once again, if the card is not a 6 or better, you need to fold the hand. Assuming you only have a 6, you need to check out the third card; holding better than a 6 will allow you to play the hand without even paying attention to the third card.
With the third card, you need to hold a 4 or better. By sticking to the Q-6-4 rule, you will reduce the house edge to just 3.5%.
Pair Plus Bets should only be made if you have a Large Bankroll
Pair Plus bets are a nice way to make extra cash at the table, and give yourself a shot at winning some major money. However, you shouldn’t be making Pair Plus wagers if you’ve got a small bankroll. The reason why is that this is more of a jackpot-type feature to 3 card poker, and won’t provide as frequent wins as the regular 3 card poker bets will.
Set Bankroll Limits
As a general rule in 3 card poker, you should only bring money to the table that you can afford to lose. If that money is lost, don’t try to put more funds in your online account just to chase losses.
