Three Card Poker was invented by a man named Derek Webb in 1994. The idea was to make a game that had both the exciting elements of poker and the speed that comes along with casino type games. Webb had to make sure that the game appealed to players and casino proprietors so he made the payouts quite large but kept the house edge high enough that casinos would consider listing the game.
In order to get the game into the mainstream, Webb founded Prime Table Games, a marketing company, and pitched the game to various casinos all around the world. It wasn’t until he finally got the game on the floor at Grand Casino Gulfport that it started to get traction elsewhere. He was able to convince the casino to put the game on the floor by volunteering to train the dealers for free. He spent many hours on the casino floor punting the new game to players.
Five years after he started, Webb sold the rights to the game to Shuffle Master. They bought the rights to everywhere outside the British Isles. In 2002, UK gambling regulations changed and allowed the game’s introduction.
Three Card Poker Rules
There are two playing modes in Three Card Poker – the ante and play wagers and also the pair plus wager. In the game, three cards are dealt to the dealer and each player that is participating. If the player has placed an ante wager, they can either fold or continue playing. In order to continue playing, they have to place a play wager that is equal to the ante wager.
After that, the hands are shown and wagers resolved. If the dealer’s hand is to play, they must have a queen high or better. If the dealer doesn’t play, then no action is taken on the play wagers. Then ante wagers are then paid at a rate of 1 to 1. If the dealer is able to play, the player’s hand and the dealer’s hand are compared. If the player loses to the dealer’s hand, the play and ante wagers on the table are both lost. If the hand of the player is better than that of the dealer, the play and ante are both paid at a rate of 1 to 1. If it’s a tie, no action is taken on either wager.
The ante bonus is paid if the ante wager as a straight or better than a straight. Normally, the ante bonus will pay 1 to 1 if it’s a straight, 4 to 1 if it’s a three of a kind and 5 to 1 if it’s a straight flush.
Three Card Poker Hand Rankings
From highest to lowest, the rankings for Three Card Poker hands are as follows. A straight flush, which is three suited cards in sequence, is the highest. It has a frequency of 48 and a probability of .22%. The next highest rank is a three of a kind, which is three cards of the same rank. It has a frequency of 52 and a probability of .24%. The next highest rank is a straight, which is three cards in sequence. It has a frequency of 720 and a probability of 3.26%. There is then a flush, pair, and high card.