Free 3 Card Poker / 3 card poker odds
3 card poker odds
With the Q-6-4 strategy, the Ante and Play have a house edge of 3.37% of your Ante, or 2.01% of all the money you put out. Pair Plus on the 1-4-6-30-40 table has a house edge of 2.32%. The dealer qualifies about 70% of the time.
House edge by bet
| Bet | House edge | Average loss per 10 bet |
|---|---|---|
| Ante and Play, Q-6-4 strategy | 3.37% of the Ante | 0.34 per hand |
| Ante and Play, never folding | 7.65% of the Ante | 0.77 per hand |
| Pair Plus (1-4-6-30-40) | 2.32% | 0.23 per hand |
These come from running all 22,100 player hands against all 18,424 dealer hands that can be dealt from the remaining 49 cards.
Per Ante or per bet?
The 3.37% figure is measured against the Ante, because that is the bet you have to make. But you often add a Play bet too, so you put out more than one Ante per hand on average. Measured against everything you bet, Ante plus Play, the edge is 2.01%. Both numbers describe the same game; they just divide by different things.
What happens on an average hand
Playing Q-6-4 or better, here is how every hand ends:
| Outcome | How often |
|---|---|
| You fold | 32.58% |
| You play, dealer doesn't qualify (Ante wins, Play pushes) | 21.00% |
| You play and beat a qualifying dealer | 23.91% |
| You play and lose to a qualifying dealer | 22.45% |
| You play and tie | 0.07% |
So your Ante wins 44.91% of the time. Of the hands you play, about two in three win at least the Ante.
Odds of each hand
| Hand | Ways | Chance | One in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 48 | 0.22% | 460 |
| Three of a kind | 52 | 0.24% | 425 |
| Straight | 720 | 3.26% | 31 |
| Flush | 1,096 | 4.96% | 20 |
| Pair | 3,744 | 16.94% | 5.9 |
| High card | 16,440 | 74.39% | 1.3 |
A pair or better comes 25.61% of the time, about one hand in four. That is how often Pair Plus wins. The hands, ranked.
How often the dealer qualifies
The dealer qualifies with queen high or better on 69.59% of hands and fails to qualify on 30.41%. When the dealer doesn't qualify, your Ante pays and your Play comes back, whatever you hold.
How often you play
A hand of queen-6-4 or better comes 67.42% of the time, so you play about two hands in three and fold about one in three.
Is 3 card poker a good bet?
Every bet in the game has a house edge, so over many hands you lose a small share of what you bet. The share you lose on the Ante depends on you: 3.37% with the right strategy, more with anything else. Short sessions swing both ways.
Side bets
Side bets like the 6 Card Bonus carry a much higher house edge, from about 8.6% to 15.3% depending on the pay table. 6 Card Bonus odds.
Play free 3 card pokerNo signup. No download.
Questions
What is the house edge in 3 card poker?
With the Q-6-4 strategy, 3.37% of the Ante, or 2.01% of the total amount bet. Pair Plus on the 1-4-6-30-40 table is 2.32%.
What are the odds of winning at 3 card poker?
Playing Q-6-4 or better, your Ante wins 44.91% of all hands. Of the hands you play, about two in three win at least the Ante.
How often does the dealer qualify in 3 card poker?
69.59% of the time. On the other 30.41% your Ante pays 1 to 1 and your Play bet is returned.
What are the odds of a straight flush in 3 card poker?
48 in 22,100, or about 1 in 460. Three of a kind is 1 in 425.
Is 3 card poker profitable?
Not over the long run. Every bet has a house edge. Good strategy keeps the Ante's edge at 3.37%, the lowest the game allows.
More: How to play 3 card poker · 3 card poker rules · 3 card poker strategy · 3 card poker payouts · 3 card poker hands · Pair Plus in 3 card poker · The 6 Card Bonus in 3 card poker · How to win at 3 card poker · Practice 3 card poker