How to Play

You start play either by placing an ante bet into a diamond-shaped betting area labeled "ante" or by placing a bet in a circle labeled "pair plus." (You can also make both bets, but it puts more of your bankroll into action.)

You're then dealt three cards. There's no draw, and you're competing only with the dealer, who also gets three cards.

If you've bet "pair plus," you have no further decisions to make. Your hand is either good enough to qualify for one of the bonus payments listed on the table or it isn't.

If you've made the ante bet, you must decide, after looking at your cards, whether you want to match your ante bet with a second bet. If you do play, you win if your hand is better than the dealer's. If you hold a particularly strong hand, you get paid bonus increments, listed on the felt, such as 4-1 for trips or 6-1 for a straight flush, regardless of whether your hand beats the dealer's.

Strategy

Because you can make two different bets, the strategy for three-card poker depends on whether you want to play against the smallest house percentage or to lose the least amount.

The house edge on the ante/play bet is 2.14 percent, and the house edge on the pair plus bet is 2.32 percent, so you might think a smart player would avoid the pair plus bet. This is indeed a reasonable way to play. The trick is that, when you make your $5 ante bet, if you get a playable hand, you will have to bet another $5 to play. So, even though the house edge is lower, you're putting more money into action, and you figure to lose more after a full evening's play than if you decide just to make the $5 pair plus bet.

The best way to play three-card poker when choosing the ante/play option is simple. If your three cards are at least queen high, you play. This means that, even if you have Q-3-2, you should play. And you should certainly play hands that are stronger, like any hand with a king or an ace and any hand with a pair (like 2-2-3). If your hand isn't at least queen high (for example, J-10-8), fold, but remember not to fold low straights and flushes.

The best way to play when choosing the pair plus option is even simpler. Put your minimum bet in the pair plus betting circle and cross your fingers.