Three Card Poker Rules and Settlement

Bottom line: Ante/Play and Pair Plus use the same three cards but are different wagers. The Q-6-4 decision applies only to Ante/Play.

Deal and decision

The player makes an Ante and receives three cards. After viewing them, the player folds and loses the Ante or makes a Play wager equal to the Ante.

The dealer reveals three cards and qualification, comparison, and bonus rules determine settlement.

Hand rankings

In standard three-card poker, straight flush ranks above three of a kind, followed by straight, flush, pair, and high card. A straight is rarer than a flush with three cards and therefore ranks higher.

Some side bets add named mini-royal categories without changing base comparison.

Dealer qualification

The dealer commonly qualifies with queen-high or better. If the dealer fails to qualify, Ante wins and Play pushes under standard rules.

When the dealer qualifies, both Ante and Play win, lose, or push with the hand comparison.

Ante Bonus

A standard Ante Bonus pays on player straight or better regardless of dealer qualification or comparison. Exact awards belong to the posted table.

Alternative qualification or bonus schedules require a separate edge calculation.

Editorial read

The rule worth reading twice

For Three Card Poker Rules and Settlement, ante/Play is a decision game; Pair Plus is an independent pay-table wager. A useful review prices them separately.

For Three Card Poker Rules and Settlement, write down what wins, what pushes and what the dealer must do before looking for a percentage.

For Three Card Poker Rules and Settlement, begin with the sequence of play and settle each compulsory unit before considering an optional wager.

What to record for Three Card Poker

Settlement wording
dealer qualification
treatment of optional wagers

If the settlement language for Three Card Poker Rules and Settlement is incomplete, stop at the rule description; an exact edge would be false precision.

Complete Three Card Poker guide Compare documented edges

References

Wizard of Odds Three Card Poker analysis · Calculation methodology · Full sources directory

Scope and review

Three Card Poker Rules and Settlement is reviewed against the Three Card Poker rules described above. A different pay table or procedure is a different model. Editorial review updated September 24, 2026.