Table games

How to Play Three Card Poker

5 min read · Updated 2026 · 18+

How to Play Three Card Poker

Three Card Poker is fast, simple and strategic. Here are the rules and the Q-6-4 rule that plays it near-perfectly.

Editor's pick

Grab a $25 bonus

New players get a $25 bonus to start. Crypto deposits, instant withdrawals, provably fair games. 18+.

🎁 Get $25 Bonus →

How it plays

You and the dealer each get three cards; beat the dealer to win. A straight beats a flush here, because straights are rarer with three cards.

Rankings

High to low: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card.

The bets

Ante & Play: ante, see cards, fold or match (dealer qualifies on Queen-high+). Pair Plus: a side bet on your own hand, independent of the dealer.

Q-6-4

Play any hand of Queen-Six-Four or better, fold worse - near-optimal play in one line.

Odds

With Q-6-4 the Ante edge is ~3.4%; Pair Plus ~2.3-7.3% by paytable. Low stakes, high fun, edge still favours the house.

FAQ

Straight or flush?

A straight beats a flush in three-card poker.

Best strategy?

Q-6-4: play Queen-Six-Four or better, fold worse.

Ante or Pair Plus?

Ante is against the dealer; Pair Plus pays on your own hand.

Editor's pick

Grab a $25 bonus

New players get a $25 bonus to start. Crypto deposits, instant withdrawals, provably fair games. 18+.

🎁 Get $25 Bonus →
Tournaments →Best players →