Now, it’s time to decide whether you want to play or fold.Īs a quick primer, let’s go over the hand rankings in 3-card poker so that you know when it’s best to play or give up. The croupier will then give the player and themselves three cards, dealt face-down.

However, at this stage, your choice will be an ante bet (your hand is better than the dealer’s), a pair plus bet (you have a pair or better), or both. This can take several forms, as we’ll discuss in the next section. Like blackjack, the action begins with a bet. Most people will pick up the basics within five minutes. Put another way, it’s a face-off between player and dealer over who has the better hand, albeit with a few twists and turns along the way.

3-card poker is a simple comparison game not unlike blackjack and baccarat. First of all, forget everything you know about Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and the many other variants of standard poker.