Poker guide to play Internet party poker
Three card poker
Three Card Poker also called Tricard poker is a poker-based game that has recently become somewhat popular in American casinos. It actually consists of two separate games, Pairplus and Ante and Play. The players can choose to play either or both of the games.
Pairplus
Pairplus is a simple bet on the cards with a payout for all hands of a pair or better. Below are six examples of actual payout tables used by some casinos.
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Payoff Tables for Pairplus
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| Hand | Table 1 | Table 2 | Table 3 | Table 4 | Table 5 | Table 6 |
| Straight flush | 40 to 1 | 40 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 50 to 1 | 40 to 1 | 40 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 30 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 25 to 1 | 30 to 1 | 30 to 1 | 30 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 5 to 1 | 6 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| Pair | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
The house advantage on Pairplus with the payout tables above ranges from 2.3% to 7.3%.
Ante and Play
Normal Ante and Play gameplay
For Ante and Play, the player places an "ante" bet before receiving his cards. With this information, the player can fold his cards and lose the ante bet, or raise by placing out a bet of equal money to the ante bet. If he chooses to play, there are three possibilities. The first is that the dealer does not 'qualify'. To qualify, the dealer must have a hand of a Queen High or better. If the dealer does not qualify, the ante bet is paid out even money, but the play bet is simply returned. If the dealer does qualify, the player wins if his hand is of higher value than the dealer's, and gets paid out even money on both his ante and play bets. If the dealer's hand is of higher value, the dealer takes the Ante and Play bets. Rules vary on what happens when the hands are of exactly equal value: some say that the player simply gets his money back, but others say that the player is paid even money on his bet.
The Ante Bonus
In addition to normal Ante and Play gameplay, there is a bonus payout on the ante bet for especially good hands.
| Ante Bonus Payouts | ||||
| Hand | Table 1 | Table 2 | Table 3 | Table 4 |
| Straight flush | 5 to 1 | 4 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 4 to 1 | 3 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
These bonus payouts are paid only on the ante bet for any player who chooses to play, regardless of whether the dealer qualifies or whether the player wins or loses.
Gadget
3-Cards Poker! Two casino games in one, Pair-Plus and Ante-Play. You can bet on either one, both and in different amounts. Pair-Plus game: a game of pure luck, you play against the odds, get a pair or better and you win. Ante-Play game: You begin by betting the Ante. You get three cards. The dealer cards are dealt face down. Now you must choose between 2 options, press the Play button if you think your hand can beat the dealer?s, or fold. If you fold, you lose the Ante bet and the Pair-Plus bet if you placed it. Once you press the Play button an equal amount to your Ante is placed in the Play bet. The dealer?s cards are turned over and a winner is determined. The dealer needs to ?qualify? with a hand of Queen or higher for play to continue. If the dealer?s hand does not contain a Queen or higher you will be paid even money for your Ante wager and your bet on the Play will be returned. Ante Bonus ?If you get a straight or higher, regardless if you won the game, you get a bonus.
