Play 3 Card Poker Online – Best Sites, Rules & Strategy

3 card poker is a staple of most online casinos, loved by many for its mixture of simplicity and huge potential prizes. A single-player game, the popular variant is based entirely on luck, making it suitable for casino players of all levels.

Find out more about playing 3 card poker online for real money on this page. We’ll look at payouts, strategy, and more, giving you everything you need to jump straight in and compete in games at the best casinos around.

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On this page:

• The best 3 card poker sites to play for real money
• Comparison of the best 3 card poker sites
• How to play 3 card poker online
• Play free poker online
• 3 card poker hand rankings
• What are the 3 card poker odds?
• Comparing the 3 card poker house edge to other poker games
• The best 3 card poker strategy
• Top 5 tips on how to win

The Best 3 Card Poker Sites to Play for Real Money

Check out the list of sites below, which offer high-quality online 3 card poker games for you to enjoy, as well as several other variations of casino poker.

1. Wild Casino – The top online 3 card poker real money casino
2. Las Atlantis – Claim a huge $14,000 welcome offer
3. Bovada – Enjoy multiple poker variations and solid VIP rewards here
4. MyBookie – Has a mixture of poker variations
5. Ignition – Fantastic mobile site for poker and casino
6. Lucky Block – Massive games library and speedy payouts
7. BetOnline – Huge range of other casino poker games
8. Everygame – Offers lots of poker variations and some worthwhile promotions.
9. Slots.lv – Provides several poker variants in its selection on the site
10. BetUS – Generous welcome bonus and regular promos

As you might expect, you’ll find a huge array of information on poker when you look through this site, such as our page on the best poker sites in the US. Why not read through what we have to say about online poker today?

Comparison of the Best 3 Card Poker Sites

You’ll find plenty of online casinos offering you the chance to play online 3 card poker real money games. But which of the casinos should you choose? Use our handy table below to help you work out where you should play.

How to Play 3 Card Poker Online

If you want to know how to play this game, you’ll be happy to hear that the 3 card poker rules are exceptionally simple – one of the reasons why the game has become so popular with online casino players.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to play typical 3 card poker hands:

1. Place an Ante Wager

Place your ante wager by clicking the chip you want to use and then clicking on the relevant part of the 3 card poker table.

Some versions of the game will also allow you to place a side bet at this point. Common side bets are Pair Plus and 3 card poker with 6 card bonus.

2. Cards are Dealt

The cards are then dealt. You will receive three cards, plus the dealer will receive three cards. The dealer’s cards will not be visible to you.

3. Place a Play Wager or Fold

Now you must choose whether to place a play wager, which is equal to the ante wager. Place the play wager and you’ll compare cards with the dealer. Don’t place it and you’ll lose your ante wager and the next hand will start.

4. Compare Hands with the Dealer

If you placed the play wager, you’ll compare cards with the dealer. When doing this, there are three possible outcomes:

• If the dealer has Jack-high or worse, you will double your ante, and will also receive your play wager back.
• If the dealer has Queen-high or better and you have a stronger hand, you’ll double both your ante and your play wager.
• If the dealer has Queen-high or better and you have a weaker hand, you’ll lose both your ante and your play wager.

5. Extra Payouts for Stronger Hands

If you have a particularly strong hand, you’ll also receive an extra payout, known as an ante bonus. This is the case regardless of whether your hand beats the dealer’s or not. You can see details of ante bonus prizes further down this page.

6. See if your Side Bet is a Winner

If you placed a side bet, you’ll now see if this side bet is a winner. There are several side bets you could place, and they can offer some big prizes. However, be aware that side bets nearly always have a higher house edge than the main game.

One popular side bet is the 3 card poker 6 card bonus, where you make the best possible 5-card poker hand from your cards and the dealer’s cards. Make a high enough hand and you’ll find yourself winning a prize.

7. Collect your Winnings

If you managed to win any money, you’ll find it is added to your casino balance straight away. You can then withdraw the money or use it to continue playing one of the many games available.

Play Free 3 Card Poker Online

If you want to play the game but aren’t confident, we’d recommend playing for free first – something that is offered at most online casinos. Just click the game and then select the free play option.

You’ll then be able to play 3 card poker free online, using virtual money. This will allow you to learn the ropes and refine your gameplay before risking your bankroll. It’s also perfect for those without the funds needed to play for real money.

Why not head to Bovada, our number one 3 card poker casino, and practice by playing the game for free today? Just hit the button below!

3 Card Poker Hand Rankings

Initially, your hand ranking is not particularly important. This is because you’re simply looking to have a better hand than the dealer – if you do, you’ll win a prize, regardless of your hand’s ranking.

However, you will then receive an extra prize – called an ante bonus – if you’ve got a high-value hand. The hands eligible for an ante bonus are shown below, along with their typical prizes.

What are the 3 Card Poker Odds?

When trying to assess how likely you are to win when playing a game, you need to look at the house edge. This is how much, on average, the casino will win over a long period of time – the lower the house edge, the better it is for players.

The typical house edge of 3 card poker is 3.37%. Please remember that this house edge only applies when playing optimal strategy – playing sub-optimal strategy will cause the house edge to rise, meaning more money will be won by the casino.

Comparing the 3 Card Poker House Edge to Other Poker Games

So, how does the 3 card poker house edge compare with other popular forms of casino poker found online, such as Caribbean Stud Poker and Pai Gow Poker? Take a look at the list below to find out.

• Ultimate Texas Hold’em: 2.18%
• Pai Gow Poker: 2.84%
• Let it Ride: 3.51%
• Caribbean Stud Poker: 5.22%
• Triple Edge Poker: 5.32%

The Best 3 Card Poker Strategy

In general terms, the 3 card edition of poker is a game based on luck. This means that there’s nothing you can do to influence the cards you’re dealt, nor is there any way to influence whether the dealer will remain in the hand – instead, this is determined by the value of their hand only.

However, there is one rule to stick to when playing this game if you want to play an optimal strategy, which will reduce the house edge to its lowest possible figure. This is to always place the play wager when you have Q-6-4 or better.

Quite simply, by betting every time you have this hand or better, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of making money over the long term. However, there is still a house edge, so even perfect play will lead to losses much of the time.

Top 5 Tips on How to Win at 3 Card Poker

Looking for a 3 card poker cheat sheet? Well, there’s no way to cheat this game and guarantee you’ll walk away with more than you started with.

However, we have come up with five tips below, which you should remember whenever you play 3 card poker online.

1. Play for Free First

If you’ve never played the game before, you should begin by playing for free in demo mode. That way, you won’t lose any money due to mistakes made while you’re still learning how to play optimally.

Many online casinos with this popular poker variant will allow you to play for free first, including several we recommend. Once you feel confident in your abilities and understanding of the game, you can move on to playing for low stakes.

2. Practise Bankroll Management

Regardless of the online casino game that you’re playing, you should always endeavor to use bankroll management. Quite simply, only ever risk a small portion of your bankroll – usually around 5%. If you lose the money, get up and walk away.

By doing this, you’re giving luck the chance to even out – bet everything on one hand instead and one piece of bad luck could see you lose everything. What’s more, by only using 5%, you won’t need to top up your account often.

3. Avoid Side Bets

There’s no denying that side bets are fun. However, if you are simply focused on giving yourself the best chance of making money, you should never place a side bet. Instead, use that money to bet more on the ante bet.

The reason for this is simple: side bets nearly always have a higher house edge than the ante bet. Therefore, you’ll have the best chances of winning when concentrating solely on the main game.

4. Search Out the Best Payouts

As with most casino games, different versions will have different 3 card poker payouts. While the money won from ante bets and play wagers won’t change, the money you could win from the ante bonus does differ from game to game.

Typically, you’ll receive 1 to 1 for a straight, 4 to 1 for 3-of-a-kind, and 5 to 1 for a straight flush. Check you’re getting these odds – if you’re not, the game is giving you a poor deal and you should head elsewhere.

5. Ignore Betting Systems

Finally, we urge you to ignore betting systems. These are regularly peddled online and guarantee you’ll make money while playing, and initially, the math looks convincing.

However, these schemes generally rely on you boosting your bet after a loss. Lose too many hands in a row and the required bet will exceed your means, and you’ll have to give up and walk away. Just play the Q-6-4 system outlined earlier instead.

Playing 3 Card Poker on Mobile

Nowadays, a huge percentage of players prefer to enjoy online casino games using a mobile device. Luckily for mobile players, the game is commonly available to play using a smartphone or tablet, both for free and for real money.

You’ll find that all sites listed further up this page allow you to play directly from your mobile browser, which is hugely convenient, as there’s no need to download anything. 3 card poker apps are also available for both iPhone and Android devices.

While playing using a mobile is convenient, there are some drawbacks, such as the fact that smaller screens can make it tougher to quickly adjust bet amounts. Why not try the games on mobile and see if they’re right for you?

More on poker…

Looking to find out more about playing poker online at the best real money online casinos and poker rooms? If so, be sure to check out the pages below.

• Best poker sites – See the best places to play poker online
• Video poker casinos – Find the best online video poker sites around
• Deuces Wild video poker – A complete guide to Deuces Wild
• Texas Hold’em poker – How and where to play Texas Hold’em poker online

Best 3 Card Poker Site in the US

So, let’s reiterate the most important point on this page: our number one place to play this famous poker variant online is Bovada. Head to the casino today and you’ll find a site with both free and real money 3 card poker available to play on both desktop and mobile, as well as other card games and casino classics like roulette and craps.

Wild Casino really does tick pretty much every box, so why not head over there today and sign-up? You’ll be able to claim a juicy welcome bonus worth up to $5,000 when you do!

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