So you thought there were enough Three Card Poker variations? Wrong. There's always another coming along the pike. Here's what may indeed be the Ultimate Three Card Poker game, aptly named, and although it is also noted as Face Up, the dealer only reveals one card, not all three of their cards.
In this game the standard rules of Three Card Poker apply, with a regular deck of 52-cards in use, no jokers or wild cards, and the best hand is a three-card Mini-Royal (a suited Ace-King-Queen).
Hands are not ranked in the usual poker order, because it is easier to make a flush with three cards than it is to make a straight, so here's the way it goes:
- Mini-Royal
- Straight Flush
- Three of a Kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Pair
- High card nothing
Betting Procedure for Ultimate Three Card Poker
The wagering starts with the usual Ante bet, but this variation also has a Blind bet that must be made, and it must equal the Ante wager. They may also make a Pair Plus wagers. Players and the dealer each receive three cards, the dealer teases the players by showing one card, and the players either fold and lose their wagers, or raise and continue with their hand.
If the player has less than a pair, they may only raise the size of their Ante bet and they automatically lose their Pair Plus bet.However, if they have at least a pair they can raise up to three times their Ante wager.
The dealer only qualifies with a hand of at least queen-high. If they do not qualify, only the Ante and Pair Plus wagers are paid. The Ante wager always pays even-money when it wins, and only when the player's hand beats the dealer's hand.
The Raise bet also pays even money, but only if the dealer qualifies, otherwise it is a push and no money changes hands.
The Blind Wager
As explained above, the Ante only pays when the player beats a qualified dealer hand (queen high or better). The Raise pays even money and ties are a push. The Blind bet loses if the dealer's hand is higher than the player's hand and is a push if they tie. It is also a push if the player's winning hand is less than a flush!
Standard Blind Hand Payoffs
- Mini Royal 100 to 1
- Straight Flush 20 to 1
- Three of a Kind 10 to 1
- Straight 2 to 1
- Flush 1 to 1
Pair Plus Payoffs
- Mini Royal 50 to 1
- Straight Flush 40 to 1
- Three of a Kind 30
- Straight 6 to 1
- Flush 4 to 1
- Pair 1 to 1
Strategy for Ultimate Three Card Poker
While the house edge may be close to that found on the original Three Card Poker games (about 5.4 percent), this game offers more options, so players will see a greater swing in wins and loses. They will also experience greater loses if they haphazardly raise 3-times their Ante at all times. Because of the added risk, players should fold any hand of J-7-4.
When holding J-7-4 or higher, they should raise the size of their Ante wager with less than a pair. When holding any pair, players should raise 3-times their Ante wager.
Because of the higher payouts on the Pair Plus (with the Mini-Royal), the Pair Plus wager is a more attractive wager than on the original game, with a house edge of just about 2.15 percent. That's very low for a bonus wager!