Overview of 21+3 Blackjack
The 21+3 side bet is optional, and its size does not need to be the same as the main bet. In order to play the side-bet, you need to participate in the main hand.
3 card hand values: The first thing you will probably notice from the hand rankings list below is that a straight has a higher ranking than a flush. That's simply because there are fewer ways to make a 3 card straight than a 3 card flush. As in most poker games, aces play both high and low to a straight. This payout is unrelated to the strength of the dealer's hand. If the player has a pair or better, then they receive a Pair Plus Bonus according to the chart included later in this article. Otherwise, the house collects this amount. Hand Order in Three-Card Poker. The following is the ranking for hands in 3-Card Poker.
3 Card Poker Odds And Payouts
- Awesome session of 3 Card Poker at The El Cortez in Las Vegas! Enjoy!!!Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!Follow me on Twitch: me.
- We're going to talk about Three Card Poker odds in more detail in a moment. Online 3-Card Poker Odds And Probabilities. To fully appreciate the odds for Tri-Card Poker (as the game is sometimes called), it's important to understand the probabilities behind making a paying hand.
Placing a bet in the 21+3 square is all you need to do to participate. As soon as the deal is made, and before any player takes any actions the 2 player cards and the dealer's up-card (or only card in European Blackjack) are compared to the pay table.
There are several variations of 21+3 payouts, the most simple pays from a ‘flush +pair' and up, with 9-to-1 payouts in each case. When pairs are also included, this is hit more often, so the prizes are lowered to reflect this. There are 3-to-1 for all hands (pair, flush, straight, trips and straight flush) or there are staggered pay tables.
When the prizes are staggered, a straight flush or better can win significant money. Here is an example:
- Flush – Pays 5:1
- Straight – Pays 10:1
- Straight Flush – Pays 35:1
- Three of a Kind – Pays 33:1
- Suited 3 of a Kind – 100:1
Keep in mind that depending on the pay table, the house edge can get as high as 13% for this side bet. You can find examples of games (depending on the number of decks in use) where this is around 2.78% instead.
Strategy for 21+3 Blackjack
It goes without saying that knowing the correct basic strategy of the base game is a prerequisite here. Without this you are just handing money to the house.
Your main ‘strategy' decision over the long run with the 21+3 side-bet is whether to play or not. The house edge is bigger than in most base games. If you know this, then you get to decide whether the added interest and entertainment (and chance of a windfall win) are worth it to you. If the extra engagement from the 21+3 bet works for you – then you can simply add a little to your bankroll to cover this.
Card counters can beat this game by memorizing the suits as they are dealt. It is possible on some deals to find one suit over-represented as the shoe gets smaller – turning the edge positive for players. The expected hourly rate for this is very low compared to other forms of counting. Online the deck is shuffled after each hand, making card counting impossible.
Pros and Cons of 21+3 Blackjack
Adding a poker style hand to blackjack makes for an interesting variation – though I do wonder whether ‘purists' in either discipline would approve! Depending on which of the pay tables you use there is the chance of a 9-to-1 or even bigger windfall. That elusive suited 3-of-a-kind (paying 100-to-1) would certainly be memorable.
Whether you participate depends on your attitude towards side-bets in general. Some players like these bets, and are happy to pay the extra house-edge for the chance of the occasional big win. Others scorn these bets as long-term losers.
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Three Card Poker is two gambling games in one. You are usually allowed to play either one or both games at the same time, but some casinos will require you to play both. The two games are 'ante/play', where you compete against the dealer, and 'pair plus' that has different bonus payouts for hands of one pair or better. When both games are played at the same time, players may wager different amounts on each game.
The games are played with a standard 52 card deck. The cards are distributed to the dealer in groups of three by an automatic shuffling machine. The player's table layout is shown at the right. The rules are also printed on the table at each player spot, just like this: (note :) The rules listed below are FULL PAY. Always look for these!
- Play MUST EQUAL Ante
- Dealer Plays With QUEEN High or Better - At some casinos dealers play with a King High or Better. The result is a much higher house advantage.
- When Dealer Does Not Play:
- Play Pays: PUSH
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
- When Dealer Plays:
- Play Pays: 1 to 1
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
3 card hand values: The first thing you will probably notice from the hand rankings list below is that a straight has a higher ranking than a flush. That's simply because there are fewer ways to make a 3 card straight than a 3 card flush. As in most poker games, aces play both high and low to a straight. An ace high straight flush is the highest hand you can get and some casinos have also added a mini-royal flush to the ante bonus and pair plus pay table.
Rules - Ante/Play & Pair Plus
This game starts with the players placing bets in the 'ante', 'pair plus' or both spots on the table layouts. The ante and pair plus wagers can be any amount within the posted table limits. The players and the dealer all get three cards, face down. The players all look at their hands and either fold by giving their cards back and losing their ante bet, or play by placing a bet, equal to the ante, in the 'play' spot on the layout. Note that even if the player folds, pair plus wagers are still paid on any pair or better.
Hand Rankings | Full Pay Pair Plus Table | Full Pay Ante Bonus Table |
---|---|---|
Mini-Royal | - | - |
Straight Flush | 40 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
Straight | 6 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
Flush | 4 to 1 | - |
Pair | 1 to 1 | - |
High Card | - | - |
The dealer then turns over his cards. If he does not have queen high or better, he doesn't 'qualify' to play and pays the active players even money on their ante bets and those with a straight or better are paid the additional ante bonus shown above. These players get a 'push' on their play bets. If he does have a qualifying hand, those who cannot beat it lose their antes and their play bets, but can still win the ante bonus with a straight or higher. Those who can beat the dealer win even money on their ante and play bets plus the ante bonus, if any.
Strategy - Ante/Play
In Three Card Poker ante/play, the only thing the expert player needs to know is how high his or her hand should be to produce the best possible long term results, if played. The answer to that question is Q-6-4 or higher.
High card hands between Q-6-4 through K-Q-10 are loss limit plays. These are hands with negative expectations. They will lose less if played than they will in ante forfeiture losses if they are not played. Ace high hands and better have positive expectations. The house advantage for ante/play, against the optimal strategy shown below is a comfortable 3.37%. Not too bad for the player.*
Optimal Three Card Poker Strategy
- Always play Q-6-4 or higher
- Never play anything lower
* Note: The house advantage percentages referred to are based on the full pay schedules shown above. Be aware that lower payouts, especially in pair plus, are used in many places that double and triple the house advantage against the player. Avoid games with a pair plus payout of only 3-1 for a flush instead of 4-1 etc. and look for full pay games.
Pair Plus 'Non-Strategy' and Unequal Bets Play
Your main ‘strategy' decision over the long run with the 21+3 side-bet is whether to play or not. The house edge is bigger than in most base games. If you know this, then you get to decide whether the added interest and entertainment (and chance of a windfall win) are worth it to you. If the extra engagement from the 21+3 bet works for you – then you can simply add a little to your bankroll to cover this.
Card counters can beat this game by memorizing the suits as they are dealt. It is possible on some deals to find one suit over-represented as the shoe gets smaller – turning the edge positive for players. The expected hourly rate for this is very low compared to other forms of counting. Online the deck is shuffled after each hand, making card counting impossible.
Pros and Cons of 21+3 Blackjack
Adding a poker style hand to blackjack makes for an interesting variation – though I do wonder whether ‘purists' in either discipline would approve! Depending on which of the pay tables you use there is the chance of a 9-to-1 or even bigger windfall. That elusive suited 3-of-a-kind (paying 100-to-1) would certainly be memorable.
Whether you participate depends on your attitude towards side-bets in general. Some players like these bets, and are happy to pay the extra house-edge for the chance of the occasional big win. Others scorn these bets as long-term losers.
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Just what is it? Three Card Poker is also known as Tri Card Poker, Trey Poker and Poker Three but why all the names for the same game? Well, it all started out as a name protected casino table game called 3 Card Poker that became very popular. Then it seems that others wanted to offer the game without paying the royalties due so they just renamed it. So whether it's called 3 Card, Tri Card or just plain Tri Poker, the rules are the same, the optimal playing strategy is the same and a lot of players love it.Three Card Poker is two gambling games in one. You are usually allowed to play either one or both games at the same time, but some casinos will require you to play both. The two games are 'ante/play', where you compete against the dealer, and 'pair plus' that has different bonus payouts for hands of one pair or better. When both games are played at the same time, players may wager different amounts on each game.
The games are played with a standard 52 card deck. The cards are distributed to the dealer in groups of three by an automatic shuffling machine. The player's table layout is shown at the right. The rules are also printed on the table at each player spot, just like this: (note :) The rules listed below are FULL PAY. Always look for these!
- Play MUST EQUAL Ante
- Dealer Plays With QUEEN High or Better - At some casinos dealers play with a King High or Better. The result is a much higher house advantage.
- When Dealer Does Not Play:
- Play Pays: PUSH
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
- When Dealer Plays:
- Play Pays: 1 to 1
- Ante Pays: 1 to 1
3 card hand values: The first thing you will probably notice from the hand rankings list below is that a straight has a higher ranking than a flush. That's simply because there are fewer ways to make a 3 card straight than a 3 card flush. As in most poker games, aces play both high and low to a straight. An ace high straight flush is the highest hand you can get and some casinos have also added a mini-royal flush to the ante bonus and pair plus pay table.
Rules - Ante/Play & Pair Plus
This game starts with the players placing bets in the 'ante', 'pair plus' or both spots on the table layouts. The ante and pair plus wagers can be any amount within the posted table limits. The players and the dealer all get three cards, face down. The players all look at their hands and either fold by giving their cards back and losing their ante bet, or play by placing a bet, equal to the ante, in the 'play' spot on the layout. Note that even if the player folds, pair plus wagers are still paid on any pair or better.
Hand Rankings | Full Pay Pair Plus Table | Full Pay Ante Bonus Table |
---|---|---|
Mini-Royal | - | - |
Straight Flush | 40 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 | 4 to 1 |
Straight | 6 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
Flush | 4 to 1 | - |
Pair | 1 to 1 | - |
High Card | - | - |
The dealer then turns over his cards. If he does not have queen high or better, he doesn't 'qualify' to play and pays the active players even money on their ante bets and those with a straight or better are paid the additional ante bonus shown above. These players get a 'push' on their play bets. If he does have a qualifying hand, those who cannot beat it lose their antes and their play bets, but can still win the ante bonus with a straight or higher. Those who can beat the dealer win even money on their ante and play bets plus the ante bonus, if any.
Strategy - Ante/Play
In Three Card Poker ante/play, the only thing the expert player needs to know is how high his or her hand should be to produce the best possible long term results, if played. The answer to that question is Q-6-4 or higher.
High card hands between Q-6-4 through K-Q-10 are loss limit plays. These are hands with negative expectations. They will lose less if played than they will in ante forfeiture losses if they are not played. Ace high hands and better have positive expectations. The house advantage for ante/play, against the optimal strategy shown below is a comfortable 3.37%. Not too bad for the player.*
Optimal Three Card Poker Strategy
- Always play Q-6-4 or higher
- Never play anything lower
* Note: The house advantage percentages referred to are based on the full pay schedules shown above. Be aware that lower payouts, especially in pair plus, are used in many places that double and triple the house advantage against the player. Avoid games with a pair plus payout of only 3-1 for a flush instead of 4-1 etc. and look for full pay games.
Pair Plus 'Non-Strategy' and Unequal Bets Play
Since the only decision the player has to make in pair plus is how much to bet, there is no optimal strategy involved. However, at full pay the low house advantage of 2.3% makes it about as attractive as any table poker game you can find. You can't bet five dollars and win a house here, but the payouts are very generous and you should get a pay hand of some sort about 25% of the time. This is a good game but you want to remember that the win/loss swings are much more volatile in pair plus than in ante/play.
Poker Hand | AB1 | AB2 | AB3 | PP1 | PP2 | PP3 | PP4 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Straight Flush | 5 | 5 | 4 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Three of a Kind | 4 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
Straight | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Flush | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
Pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
House Advantage | 3.37% | 3.61% | 3.83% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 5.6% | 7.3% |
AB = Ante Bonus, PP = Pair Plus |
Most places allow you to make unequal bets on the two games. A conservative bet would be two units on ante/play and one unit on pair plus, or equal bets. A more aggressive approach is to place more on pair plus than on ante/play. Many good players prefer to keep their pair plus to ante play ratio on the conservative side and try to get a little ahead before they get aggressive and load up on the pair plus.
6 Card Bonus
The 6 card bonus side bet is an optional wager that gives players one more chance to win. To play, place a bet within table limits inside the 6 card bonus betting circle. Depending on the casino you may also be required to place a wager on the ante and/or pair plus betting spots. You then combine your three card hand with the dealer's three card hand to form the best five card hand. A 6 card bonus winning hand is paid regardless of the outcome on the ante/play bet. Some of the more popular pay tables are listed below and will vary by casino.
Poker Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Flush | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 | 1,000 to 1 |
Straight Flush | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 | 200 to 1 |
Four of a Kind | 100 to 1 | 100 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
Full House | 20 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
Flush | 15 to 1 | 15 to 1 | 20 to 1 | 15 to 1 |
Straight | 9 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 | 10 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 8 to 1 | 7 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
House Advantage | 6.74% | 8.56% | 10.23% | 15.28% |
Hit frequency | 7.2798% | 7.2798% | 7.2798% | 7.2798% |
Even the best pay table gives the house a larger than acceptable advantage of 6.74%, which makes the 6 card bonus side bet a bad gamble.
Progressive
The progressive side bet, developed by Shuffle Master in 2008, adds a jackpot element that is popular with many players. The rules are simple: Place a bet, within table limits, on the progressive betting sensor and play your hand as usual. If your hand is a mini-royal AKQ of spades, you win the jackpot. The pay tables below show typical payouts and house edge numbers.
Poker Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Envy |
---|---|---|---|
AKQ Spades | 100% | 100% | $100 |
AKQ Hearts/Diamonds/Clubs | 500 for 1 | 500 for 1 | $25 |
Straight Flush | 70 for 1 | 100 for 1 | |
Three of a Kind | 60 for 1 | 90 for 1 | |
Straight | 6 for 1 | - | |
Seed Amount | $1,000 | $1,000 | |
House Advantage | 22.33% | 22.85% | |
Hit Frequency | 3.72% | .45% | |
Probability of top payout | 22,100 to 1 | 22,100 to 1 | |
Top payout average ($1 wager) | $4,000 | $5,000 |
Note that the payouts are listed as odds-for-1 which means the original wager is not returned. With a house advantage of 22% you should stay far away from this game unless the jackpot is very, very high.
Envy Bonus Payout
If you place a wager on the progressive side bet and another player seated at the table has AKQ suited (a mini-royal), you are eligible for the envy bonus payout. Red rock keno game results. Here are a few rules to be aware of:
- Players with AKQ suited are paid according to the pay table and are not eligible to receive their own envy bonus.
- Dealer with AKQ suited does not trigger the envy bonus.
- If you are playing multiple hands and hit a mini royal, the other hands are eligible for the envy bonus. (the hands are considered independent of each other)
Prime
Prime is an optional side bet that was invented by Derek Webb, the same man who invented three card poker. To play you must put a wager on the prime betting spot, ante/play and/or pair plus as required by the casino. If all three of your cards are the same color or your cards and the dealer's cards are all the same color, you win.
Vegas 3 Card Poker Payouts
Hand | Pay Table 1 |
---|---|
Your three cards and the dealer's three cards are all the same color | 4 to 1 |
Your three card hand is the same color | 3 to 1 |
House Advantage | 3.62% |
If your three cards are not the same color, the prime bet is lost and collected by the dealer. The ante/play and pair plus games are played out as usual.
The house advantage on prime is 3.62%.. not too bad for a side bet.
3 Card Poker Pay
Rank | Casino | Sign Up Bonus | Bonus Code | Full Pay Games | Visit Casino |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
100% up to $/€/£ 250 | Ante/Play Pair Plus | ||||
€200 Free or 200 Free Spins | Ante/Play Pair Plus |