Live Dealer 3 Card Poker

Written by: Sadonna Price, OUSC Expert in Online Casinos and Poker
Verified by: Sadonna Price, OUSC Expert in Online Casinos and Poker

Live 3 Card Poker is a table poker option game found at the best live dealer casinos. Not every live casino offers 3 Card Poker online, even though it is a popular game. Our Live Three Card Poker online guide will show you how to play with a real dealer at the table and where you can find the game.

Benefits of playing Live Three Card Poker Against an Online Live Dealer:

  • Live dealer 3 Card Poker is easy to learn and play
  • Play with a real dealer rather than against a software
  • Win real money!

Continue reading to learn what online casinos that offer live 3 Card Poker, along with their betting limits to help you pick the best live casinos you can play at. Our basic strategy will show you the best way to play, to help increase your chance at winning playing live Three Card Poker online.

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How to Start Playing 3 Card Poker with Live Dealers

To play in a live casino, a few additional steps need to be made. If you’ve signed up for an online casino before, then you will already have probably completed most of these steps. Follow these easy steps to step up an account at an online casino to start playing Live 3 Card Poker.

  1. Sign Up at An Online Casino and Fund Account

    Visit an online casino that offers live dealer Three Card Poker. Register for an account at that website. Input your full name, address, email address, and other personal information.

    Fund your account with a deposit. This requires the use of a payment type. Most online casinos will let you deposit with a credit or debit card as well as cryptos or bank wires.

  2. Find 3 Card Poker in the Live Dealer Section

    Most online casinos have a link from the homepage to their live dealer casino. If not, you can find the link in a table at the top or bottom of the homepage, or from the site map. Some online casinos do not offer a live version, which is why we recommend the best live casinos you can play at.

    Once you get into the live casino lobby, you should see a variety of game options. Select the live dealer 3 card poker game. These are often divided among bet limits, so you can choose a low roller table, mid-stakes table, or high roller table.

  3. Enjoy Live Dealer Three Card Poker

    Read our strategy section in order to play well and enjoy the game properly. Once you’ve finished playing, you can withdraw any winnings you might have.

    The cashout options are usually more limited than the deposit methods because not every payment method wants to transact payouts from gambling. In our online casino reviews, you will be able to find what payout methods live 3 card poker casinos offer.

Of course, you can keep the winnings in your casino account, if you wish to keep playing in later sessions. If you used any deposit bonus or no-deposit bonuses, keep in mind you’ll need to clear the wagering requirements before withdrawing winnings. Some sites void the bonus and winnings if you withdraw too early. You should be aware it happens.

Live Dealer 3 Card Poker – Video Tutorial

Live Three Card Poker is very easy to play. In the video below you will be able to see how Live Dealer 3 Card Poker works at an online casino. We recommend that you watch this video tutorial before playing for real money.

See how Live Dealer 3-Card Poker is played.

Best Live Dealer 3 Card Poker Online Casinos

Live 3 Card Poker is not as popular as blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. That is why it is more complicated to find at live dealer US online casinos. The good news is that the live dealer games market is growing. The operators are trying to attract customers by standing out from the competition.

Below, you will find a list of the best live casino options that offer live three card poker online. We show you the betting limits you can expect to find at any of these reputable casinos, to make it easier to decide where to play. Regrettably, most US online casinos do not offer live dealer 3 card poker. The online version can still be found and played.

Best Live 3 Card Poker Online Casinos

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Other Casinos That Offer Live 3 Card Poker

Read the online casino reviews and make sure that the sites are up to your standards.

Take Precaution! If you decide to play at an online casino we have not reviewed, please do your own research before making any type of deposit.

  • 32Red Casino
  • Betfair
  • Betsson
  • Betvictor
  • Black Diamond
  • Bodog Asia Live
  • Box24 Casino
  • Bwin
  • Casumo
  • Cloudbet
  • EuroGrand

Show More ↓ Show Less ↑

Best US Online Casinos that Offer 3 Card Poker

US players won’t find a live dealer version at most casinos, but you can still enjoy the game of three card poker in its online variant.

Use our top recommended casino sites below, as they offer 3 card poker online and will give you a great gaming experience.

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Setup of Live Dealer 3 Card Poker

Live dealer games are run separately by independent software companies. Therefore you will need to access live dealer games through a separate area of the casino lobby to the virtual game selection. You will be able to access these with the same account/cashier setup as your regular casino.

Three Card Poker can be found at PlayTech Casinos and is also offered by Evolution Gaming. Some casinos will show you a picture of the current dealers on duty for each table, while others simply show general pictures of their more attractive crew members.

Live 3-Card Poker Table Setup

Live Three Card Poker Evolution GamingOnce you sit at the Three Card Poker table you will find a similar layout at all the live dealer casinos. The main part of the screen will be a shot of the dealer behind a table – with large cards in use so that everyone can see them clearly. You can bet in exactly the same way as with virtual casino games.

First, you select your chip size, then click on the Ante (or side bet) squares to drop each chip. Betting limits are often a little higher than in the virtual games – though you can find live dealer poker games with a $1 ante.

The 3-Card Poker table has three circles for betting. The top circle has the words Pair-Plus in this. This is where you place the side bet if you decided you wish to play it. Pair-Plus has bigger payouts, but wins less often and has a higher house edge than the main bet. The other two betting circles are for the ante bet and the raise on the main wager.

Once a hand is completed winning bets are settled automatically by the software. You will then have the option to re-bet.

Additional Player Options for Players Include:

  • Hand card history
  • Sound / visual setup changes (you might switch from HD video to lower quality if your internet connection is currently slow)
  • The ability to chat with other players and the dealer

Interacting with other players and the dealer is a unique benefit to the live dealer games. This is completely optional though many players find that this adds a social aspect to the games which would otherwise be missing.

Live 3 Card Poker Rules

Three Card Poker is actually two-games-in-one. There is the ante bet and the side bet, also known as the Pair-Plus Bet.

  • The ante bet pits a player’s cards against the dealer’s cards.
  • The Pair-Plus wager pits the player’s cards versus a pay table. In this side bet, you win if your cards are strong enough, regardless of whatever else which happens at the table.

Playing 3 Card Poker presents surprises for new players. For instance, a straight pays out higher than a flush. With only 3 cards, it is harder to make a straight than a flush. Such deviations from standard poker present gamblers with strategy deviations they’ll find both refreshing and challenging.

Step by Step Guide to Play Live 3 Card Poker

Live Dealer 3 Card Poker table layoutLive dealer three-card poker games differ from those that you’ll find in brick and mortar casinos in that all players share the same hand. In live casinos, players are all dealt their own hand (face down) and decide on their betting action separately. In a live dealer game, only a single hand is dealt, which all active players get the chance to either continue with (‘Play’) or to fold.

The game starts by placing an ante bet. This will be timed to keep the game moving quickly if you miss the timer you will have to wait for the next deal. Next, 3 cards are dealt to the player and 3 (face-down) to the dealer. You now have to make the main decision of the game, which is whether to ‘Play’ by placing another equal sized bet, or whether to fold – which will forfeit your ante. Below you will find a step by step guide on how to play live dealer Three Card Poker.

  1. Decide Your Bets

    Play begins with the player deciding what to bet. You can make the Pair-Plus wager, which is a set amount and is discretionary.

  2. Ante Bet

    To play, you must make the table minimum wager on the ante bet. Regardless of the decision on Pair-Plus, you must make an ante bet.

  3. Receive Cards

    Once bets are made, a player receives a separate 3-card hand. Three cards are dealt face-down to the dealer.

  4. Raise or Fold

    After seeing their cards, the player decides whether to fold or raise. To raise, you must place a wager in the third betting circle which is equal to the ante bet.

  5. Folding a Hand

    If you decide you don’t want to make the raise bet, then you fold your hand. You lose the ante bet, though you would win any Pair-Plus bet you qualify to win (though this is unlikely if you folded).

  6. The Dealer Shows Their Hand

    Next, the dealer shows their hand. If the player’s hand is better, they win 1:1 payout on the ante and raise bets. If the dealer’s hand is better, then the player loses both wagers.

  7. Tie Bets Resolves

    In the rare event that a tie occurs, the player wins. Three Card Poker is the rare game in which the gambler wins a tie.

3 Card Poker Hand Rankings and Payout Table

The table below shows the hand rankings for 3 Card Poker’s main bet, from best to worst. Due to hands having only three card, Three Card Poker has a much different table than most versions of poker.

Live 3 Card Poker Hand Ranking
Straight FlushThree cards of the same suit in sequential order. Example: 7-8-9 of Hearts.
Three of a KindThree cards of the same rank. Example: 7-7-7.
StraightThree cards in sequential order. Example: 4-5-6.
FlushThree cards of the same suit. Example: 4-9-Queen of Clubs.
One PairTwo cards of the same rank. Example: King-King-2.
High CardThe highest card wins. Example: Ace beats King, etc.

In cases where the player and dealer each have a similar hand rank (a straight), the hand with the higher card wins.

Pair-Plus Payout Table

For the Pair-Plus bet, winning is based only on the pay schedule. If your hand qualifies, you win the bet. As mentioned earlier, in 3 Card Poker, a straight is harder to fill than a flush, so the player receives a bigger payout for a straight.

The pay chart varies greatly from one casino to another. The 3-of-a-Kind pays out 25:1 in some casinos. The straight sometimes pays 5:1, while the flush sometimes pays 3:1.

HANDPAYOUT
Straight Flush40:1
Three of a Kind30:1
Straight6:1
Flush4:1
Pair of Same Rank1:1

I’ve included the full-pay Pair-Plus pay chart, as a matter of reference. Players can see how much a live casino deviates from the standard payouts by comparing a site’s pay table to the chart above.

Online vs. Live Dealer 3 Card Poker

live 3 card poker perksPlayers might be wondering why live dealer 3 Card Poker is better than the online version of the game. Specific reasons exist to prefer the live version, but many of the advantages are built into the live casino gaming model. Online table games are simulations of a game, while live dealer gaming is a real game.

Most online casinos offer a variant of Three Card Poker, though different software providers have different names for the game. Players find games named 3-Card Poker or Tri Card Poker in various online casinos. Few mobile casinos offer a version of this game.

Here are why you should want to play Live 3 Card Poker.

Thumbs Up
3-Card Poker Pros
  • No random number generators are used.
  • The live version has the same pacing as the brick-and-mortar game.
  • It is more social. You enjoy the company of the dealers and the other players.
  • The dealers tend to be attractive. If it’s a good studio, they’ll be friendly and informative, too.
  • Bonus dealers offer special promotions and top-off bonuses during the game.
  • If you have questions or concerns, you can speak with a pit boss.
  • Beginners can get tips from other players at the table.

Keep in mind that the cards are in full view of the camera at all times. The video is streamed live, so it is a continuous feed which provides all relevant visual information.

Live Dealer 3-Card Poker Strategy

Live Dealer 3 Card Poker best strategy 3 Card Poker doesn’t have a lot of strategies. In fact, the strategy boils down to whether you raise or fold. After mathematical experts calculated the optimal play for Three Card Poker, you’ll need to compare your hand against the minimum hands required to raise: Queen-6-4.

Queen-6-4 has been determined, through research, to be the lower limit of playable hands in 3 Card Poker. To compare your hand against Queen-6-4, compare your best card to the Queen. If you best card is a Queen, King, or Ace, you play. If not, then you fold. The six and the four are irrelevant in this case.

Of course, a variety of other hands beat a Queen: two pair, three of a kind, a straight, a flush, or a straight flush. If any of these hands appear, by all means, play.

Also, be sure to avoid the Pair Plus side bet, as the house edge is very high and not worth the risk. .

Brief History of 3 Card Poker

3 Card Poker is popular because it combines ease of play and large payouts with the familiar game mechanic of poker. It has a single decision point, making the game easy to teach for gamblers and dealers alike. At the same time, Three Card Poker can be played with a number of side bets, so a casino can scale the game to its own finances and player preferences. The game can be played with one or multiple players. In brick-and-mortar casinos, Three Card Poker is the most profitable proprietary table game in the history of casimeasuredasure by revenues generated for owners.

3 Card Poker has several influences, such as Three Card Brag and Teen Patti (as Brag was called in 19th Century India). Derek Webb invented the game in 1994, and it debuted in Grand Casino Gulfport in the mid-Nineties. Shuffle Master, which is now owned by Scientific Games, acquired the rights in 1999. Three Card Poker has grown in popularity since.

Sadonna Price

Sadonna Price OUSC Expert in Online Casinos and Poker

Sadonna is a former professional poker player. Passionate about writing and loves using her creativity to provide insight into the interesting gambling world.

Learn More About Sadonna