Rules of Card Games: Casino Software Introduction Casino is the only fishing game to have become popular in English speaking countries. Although it is traditionally supposed to have originated in Italy, there is no direct evidence of it having been played there, at least under that name, though many other Italian fishing games are known. Casino first appears in the card game literature at the end of the eighteenth century in London, and shortly afterwards in Germany. In the late nineteenth century it became fashionable in America and a number of new variations were developed. There is a dispute about the correct spelling of the name - the earliest sources use the spelling Casino, but a tradition has grown up among later writers to spell it with a double 's': Cassino. The aim in Casino is to capture cards from a layout of face up cards on the table. A card is captured by playing a matching card from hand. It is also possible to capture several cards at once if their values add up to the value of the card played. Captured cards are stored face down in front of the player who captured them and scored at the end of the play. Cards from hand can also be combined with table cards into builds, which can only be captured as a unit.

This page describes the most usual Anglo-American version of Casino in which picture cards, not having a numerical value, can only capture an equal picture. There are many variants in which picture cards also have numerical values. In English-speaking countries this type of game is known as Royal Casino, and interesting versions of it are popular in various parts of the world. On other pages of this site there are descriptions of: Royal Casino and the version played in the Dominican Republic , which features different scoring in the endgame; Casino in Southern Africa (Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa), where cards can be from opponents' capture piles can be reused in builds; Casino (Kasino) in Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway and Finland) which is usually played without building; Krypkasino , a reverse variant from Sweden in which the aim is to avoid capturing cards. Players and Cards The game works best with from 2 to 4 players, though in theory more could take part. It has the distinction of being one of the few games which will deal out evenly to two, three, or four players. Four players can play in partnerships, two against two, with partners sitting opposite each other. A regular 52 card deck is used.

Each numeral card (ace-ten) is counted as its numerical value (ace = 1, two = 2, etc). Picked up cards are accumulated in a pile to be counted at the end of the round. The Deal The dealer deals four cards to each player and four cards face up in the centre (these centre cards are laid out separately so that all are visible). Traditionally, the deal is in twos: two cards to each other player, two to the table, then two to the dealer, then repeat. However, some players prefer to deal the cards singly. The remainder of the deck is temporarily put aside. After everyone has played their four cards, another hand of four cards is dealt to each player from the remaining cards, but no more cards are dealt to the table after the first deal. After these cards have been played there is another deal, and this continues until all 52 cards have been dealt (this takes 6 deals for 2 players, 4 deals for three players, 3 deals for 4 players). The dealer must announce "last" when dealing the last cards. After the last cards have been played and the hand scored, the deal passes to the left for the next round.

The Play Starting with the player to the left of the dealer and continuing clockwise, each player in turn must play one card out from hand face up on the table. This card may or may not capture one or more cards from the table. In case of a capture, when the other players have had an opportunity to see the capturing card, the player picks up this card and the captured cards and stores them all face down in a pile. If there is no capture the played card remains face up on the table. Irrespective of whether a capture was made or not, the turn passes to the next player. In detail, the possible types of play are as follows: 1. Capturing with a face card If the card played is a face card (king, queen or jack) which matches the rank of a face card on the table, the face card on the table may be captured. This is the only possible capture with a face card. If the table contains more than one matching card only one may be captured. Example:The Q and Q are on the table, and the Q is played. The player may capture one of the queens from the table but not both. 2.

Capturing with a numeral card A numeral card (Ace, 2, ..., 10) can capture any numeral cards on the table which are of the same rank as the card played, and any sets of numeral cards which add up to the rank of the card played, with the following restrictions: cards which are part of a build (see below) can only be captured by a card of the rank announced for that build; when sets are captured, each captured card can only be counted as belonging to one such set. Example If an eight is played it could capture one, two or three eights from the table. It could also capture a five and a three, or a four and two twos. If the following cards are on the table: A 2 3 5 6 8, then an eight could capture 8 6 2 5 3 or 8 5 2 A, but not all six cards. 3. Building A numeral card may be played and combined with other cards on the table, placing them together to form a build. A build can be made out of any collection of numeral cards which can be captured by a single numeral card according to rule 2 above.

The player making the build must announce the capturing number (saying, for example, "building 5"), and must hold a numeral card which can later make the capture. There are two types of build: single builds and multiple builds. A single build consists of two or more cards whose capture values add up to the capture value of the build - for example a 5-build made of a 2 and a 3, or a 10-build made of A-4-5. A multiple build consists of two or more cards or sets of cards, each of which equates to the capture value of the build - for example a 5-build made of a 2 and a 3 plus a 4 and an ace, or a 5-build made of A-4 and 5, or a 9-build made of two nines, or a 9-build made of 6-3 plus 5-4 plus 9. When you make a build, it must include the card you just played - you cannot create a build consisting entirely of cards that were already on the table. Cards which have been made into a build can subsequently only be captured as a unit, never separately.

Examples If there is a 5 on the table, a player holding a 3 and an 8 may put the 3 on the 5 and announce "building 8"; this single build can now only be captured by an 8. If there is an ace and a two on the table, a player holding two threes and a six could play one of the threes and either: capture the two and the ace; combine the played three with the ace and the two and make a single build, announcing "building 6"; combine the played three with the ace and the two and make a multiple build, announcing "building 3"; It would not be legal to play the three on the ace, building four, or on the two, building five, as the player does not hold a four or a five. 4. Capturing a build A build can be captured by playing a numeral card of the rank which was announced when the build was made. It is thus possible to "steal" a build created by another player, if you have the right numeral card.

If on your turn, the table contains a build which you created or added to yourself, and no other player has added to it since your last turn, you are not allowed simply to trail a card (as in rule 6) on your next turn. You must either make a capture of some kind, create another build, or add to a build (i.e. follow rule 3, 4 or 5). It is always possible to capture in this situation - if nothing else, you must hold the capturing card for the build you just made, otherwise your build was illegal. If there is a build on the table, and you were the last player to add a card to this build, you are not allowed to play so as to leave yourself with no card equal to the value of this build. While capturing a build, you can also capture any loose cards on the table that add up to the same number. For example you have made a build of 9 and there is a 5 on the table. If the player before you plays a 4, you can capture the 4 and the 5 at the same time that you take in your build.

It is not possible to capture a build with a card of any other rank than that announced for the build. For example the table contains a 4 and a 3 combined into a build of 7, plus a separate 2. You cannot play a 9 to take the build of 7 plus the 2 - the build can only be captured with a 7. 5. Adding to a build There are two ways of adding to a build: You may add a card from your hand to a single build, increasing the capturing number, provided that you also hold a card which will capture the new build. At the same time you may incorporate additional cards from the table into the build, if they are equal to the new capturing number. In this case the build will become multiple. You can never use a card from the table to change the value of a single build. Example A The table contains a build consisting of two threes, announced as a build of six. If you hold a two and an eight, you can add the two to the build announcing "building 8". The next player, holding an ace and a nine, could then add the ace and say "building 9". The capturing number of a multiple build can never be changed.

If the original build of two threes in the above example had been announced as building three (rather than building six), it would not be possible for a player holding a two and a five to add the two to the build, making five, not for a player holding a two and an eight to add the two making eight. Example B The table contains an ace, a two and a four; the ace and the four have been combined by a previous player into a build of five. You hold a three, an eight and a ten. You can play your three onto the single five-build and announce "building eight", but you are not allowed to incorporate the two from the table into this build to make it a build of ten. Example C The table contains a three and a four, built into a seven, and a separate nine. You hold a two and a nine. You can play your two, combining it with the seven-build to make nine, and at the same time incorporate the nine on the table into the build, converting it to a multiple build and saying "building nine".

You may add to any build, single or multiple, by playing a card from your hand which, either alone or combined with other cards on the table which are not yet in builds, matches the existing capture number of the build, provided that you hold a card which can capture the combined build. Example The table contains a 9-build consisting of a 5 and a 4, and there is also a 3 on the table. You hold a six and two nines. You can play your 6, combining it with the 3 and the existing build to make a new multiple build of 9. Then on your next turn (provided that no one else captured) you could add one of the nines from your hand to the build. Finally, on the following turn, you could capture the whole build with your second nine. Note that when making or adding to a build, you must contribute a card to it from your hand. You cannot just combine various cards which are already on the table to form a build. Note also that once a build contains more than one card or sets of cards which add to the capturing number, it is a multiple build and the capturing number can no longer be changed. Example.

There is a multiple 8-build of 3-5-8 on the table, and there is also a loose 6 on the table. In your hand you have 2, 8, 8, 10. You may add one of your 8s to the build, making 3-5-8-8, or to add your 2 together with the 6 on the table, making 3-5-8-2-6, still with capture value 8. You cannot use your 2 to change the capture value to 10. 6. Trailing If you simply play a card without building or capturing, the card is placed face up on the table alongside any other layout cards and remains there to be captured or built on in future. It is then the next player's turn. Playing a card without building or capturing is sometimes called trailing. You are allowed to trail a card even if that card could have made a capture. Example Suppose that in a four player partnership game your partner has two tens and you have one. Your partner plays a 10 and the next player does not take it.

On your turn, if you suspect that your partner has a second 10, you can play your 10 and not capture, leaving both tens on the table for your partner. The only case in which trailing is not allowed is when there is a build on the table which you were the last player to add to. When all the cards have been played in the final deal, the last player who made a capture also wins any cards which are left on the table (these cards are sometimes known as the residue). That is why it is important that the dealer should announce "last" when dealing the last cards. Hint on tactics: it is often good for the dealer to hold back a face card to play last if possible; this will capture a matching face card on the table and thereby also win any other table cards that remain. Scoring Each player (or team) counts their score based on the pile of cards they have won.

There are eleven possible points in each hand: whoever has the Most Cards gets three points; whoever has Most Spades is one point; each Ace is worth one point (capturing an ace with another ace is called "cash" by some players) the ten of diamonds, called Big Casino or the Good Ten, is worth two points; the two of spades, called Little Casino or the Good Two, is worth one point. If there is a tie for most cards or most spades, no one gets those points. Whoever first reaches a total of 21 or more points, over however many rounds it takes, wins the game. If two people reach the target on the same round, whoever has the higher score wins. If there is a tie, another round is played. Variations Building Rules Building is the most intricate part of the game, and there are several variations in exactly what is allowed when creating or capturing builds, and many of the card game books are ambiguous on this point. Some people play by more permissive rules, for example: Some players allow a player to trail a card and simultaneously make a build by combining other cards on the table, not including the card played.

Some players allow a player who has a build on the table simply to trail a card on subsequent turns, leaving the build in place. Some players allow cards from the table to be used to help increase the value of a single build, provided that a card from your hand is also used to increase the value. In this variation, in Example B under rule 5 above, it would be legal when playing your 3 on the 5-build to incorporate the 2 from the table as well, making a single build of 10. On the other hand, if there was a 6-build and a 3 on the table and you had two nines in your hand, it would not be legal to combine one of your nines with the six-build and the three to make a multiple build of nines, because when changing the value of a build, the card you play from your hand has to contribute to the change of value. Some players treat a single build exactly like a single card of the same value, for the purpose of capturing it or extending the build.

For example, if there is a build of 6 (5+A) on the table and a loose 4, a player who holds a 10 can capture the 6-build and the 4, and a player who holds two 10's can combine one 10 from hand with the 6-build and the 4 to make a multiple 10-build. Sweeps Many people play that a Sweep is worth one point. A sweep occurs when a player takes all the cards from the table, leaving it empty and forcing the next player to trail. Some players call this a clear. When making a sweep, the capturing card is stored face-up in the pile of won cards, so that the number of sweeps can be checked when scoring. It is possible to make a sweep with the last card of the final deal if it captures all the cards on the table, but if it does not, taking the remaining cards from the table because you made the last capture does not count as a sweep. Scoring Other targets for winning the game are possible: Some play to 11 points.

In a two player game (or a 4-player game with partners), in each round the player with more points scores the difference between the points made by the two players or sides. Some play to 50 points. Some people, instead of scoring three points for cards, award two points to the player with most cards and one point to the player who made the last capture during the game. Some play that when deciding the overall winner, if more than one player or team reaches the target score in the same round, the points are counted in order: cards, spades, big casino, little casino, aces (in the order spades, clubs, hearts, diamonds), sweeps. If the aces are not sufficient to reach the target score then the player or team with more sweeps wins; if they have the same number of sweeps another hand is played to decide the winner. Some players, when approaching the target score, count the points as they are earned - each sweep as it happens, aces, big and little casino as they are captured, and spades or cards as soon as one player has captured 7 or 27 of them respectively.

In this case the play ends soon as a player correctly claims to have won by reaching the target score (even if the opponent has in fact scored more but failed to claim it). Some score sweeps as they happen, but the remaining points in a specific order, with an agreed order of suits for the aces. Some books describe Spade Casino, a variant in which instead of counting a point for most spades, each spade counts 1 point and the jack of spades counts an extra point. The ace and two of spades still count an extra point as well, so that the total points available (excluding sweeps) are 24: cards (3) + ten of diamonds (2) + the four aces and the two and jack of spades (6) + the spades (13). Other Variations See also the pages on Royal Casino , African Casino , Nordic Casino and Krypkasino . Software With Mari J Michaelis's SpiteNET: Cassino computer program you can play against the computer or against a live opponent over the Internet. You can download a freeware Casino program from Thanos Card Games . Games4All has published a free Cassino app for the Android platform.

Carl Scafidi has published a free Casino app for iPhone or iPad. How to Play Casino | HowStuffWorks How to Play Casino your ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. With this Casino hand, you can take the As far back as 1797, Casino was described in books on card games. Though the game has quite a few details, it's easy to learn and fun to play, with lots of suspense and surprise. Here's how to play: Number of players: Two Object: To score points by taking cards. The cards: Standard 52-card deck Playing: Deal four cards to each player and four cards faceup on the table. Dealer keeps the rest of the pack handy. Nondealer plays a card first; players then alternate until the round is over. You can combine the card you play with cards on the table in many possible ways. Matching: If your card matches by rank a card on the table, you can take the pair immediately. Place the two cards facedown in front of you on the table. Face cards can be taken only with other face cards and only in pairs -- if two queens are on the table and you hold another queen, you can take only one of the queens.

However, if three matching face cards are on the table and you hold the fourth, you can take all four. Combining: If your card equals the combined sum of two or more cards on the table, you can take those cards immediately. Building: If at least one free card on the table, plus the card you play, totals the number of a card in your hand , announce this build number and pile up the build to take later. For example, if there is a 6 on the table and you have a 3 and a 9 in your hand, you could play the 3 onto the 6 and say "Building 9s." On your next turn, if your opponent hasn't taken it, you can take the build with your 9. Your opponent can change the value of a build by playing another card. In this case, opponent can play an ace on the build and say "Building 10s." This tells you he or she has a 10 with which to take the build.

But if your 9 build is still there and if you have two 9s in your hand, on your next turn you can put one of them on top of the build and say, "Still building 9s," intending to take the build with your remaining 9. This creates a double build. Players can't change the value of a double build. Once you have made a build, on your next turn you must take the build, add to the build, or make a new build. Leaving a build untaken runs the risk that opponent will take it, but you may leave a build behind as long as you can add cards to it or make another play. Nothing prevents you from taking opponent's build; you can do so if you have the right card. On the other hand, nothing prevents your opponent from taking your build! your ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. With this Casino hand, you can take the your ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. With this Casino hand, you can take the Trailing: You may also play a card by trailing it -- placing it on the table without building it onto another card. You can't do this if you have made a build that's still on the table.

You must trail a card if you can't do anything else on your turn. For strategic reasons, a player might want to trail a card onto the table even though it matches the rank of one already there. After the first round of four cards, dealer deals another round of four cards each and nondealer again plays first. Continue dealing four-card rounds until the pack is depleted, with dealer announcing "last" on the last round. Whoever makes the last take of the last round gets any cards left on the table. Play to 21 points or to any other agreed-upon number. Tips: Keeping track of what's been played -- particularly the spades and points you've taken in -- is critical in Casino. Until it's been played, a certain amount of tension revolves around the 10, Big Casino. As nondealer, if you have the 10, you risk losing it if you can't take it in. (Dealer will probably save any 10 as the final card of the round.) Beware of building 10s when your own 10 is not the 10. If you are dealt any of the four aces or the 2 , your best chance of taking them in is through building.

Test your opponent's hand with a double build. Suppose you're holding an Ace, a 3, and a 6, and on the table are a 3 and a 5. You'd really like to take the Ace for the point. First you play the 3 on the 3, saying "Building 6s." If opponent doesn't take it, on your next play you place you Ace on the 5 to make a double build of 6s -- subsequently picking up the lot with your 6. If you are dealt any of the four aces or the 2, your best chance of taking them in is through building. Test your opponent's hand with a double build. Suppose you're holding an Ace, a 3, and a 6, and on the table are a 3 and a 5. You'd really like to take the Ace for the point. First you play the 3 on the 3, saying "Building 6s." If opponent doesn't take it, on your next play you place you Ace on the 5 to make a double build of 6s -- subsequently picking up the lot with your 6.

You can often rack up more points by concentrating on winning cards and spades rather than on the Big Casino and Little Casino. As dealer, if you are dealt a face card on the last round, you are virtually guaranteed to get last card, since you play last. Scoring for Casino and Royal Casino Basics Players count their cards and note the cards with extra value. Each deal contains 11 points: 10 (Big Casino) : 2 points 2 (Little Casino) : 1 point A, A, A, A : 1 point each Majority of spades (7 or more) : 1 point Majority of cards (27 or more) : 3 points (If tied at 26 cards, neither player wins these points.) Here's a new twist on Casino -- Royal Casino -- that adds further strategy to an excellent old game: To play: Play as regular Casino, with face cards having extra numerical values: Jacks are 11, queens 12, kings 13, and aces 1 or 14. A queen, for example, can take an 8 and a 4.

Aces on the table count 1, but an ace you play counts as 1 or 14, as you wish. So, an ace and a king on the table can be captured with an ace from your hand, since 1 + 13 = 14. Tips: In Royal Casino it's tempting to hold on to aces longer, because there's the chance to make or build 14. Just when you decide to play an ace will vary, depending on the cards already played and the other cards in your hand. Picture cards no longer are taken only in pairs. So, dealer's "automatic" capture of last cards in regular Casino when dealer has at least one face card disappears. A face card at the end of a Royal Casino hand may indeed be an odd card. Or, even when opponent and you each hold a jack, for example, opponent can use it as an 11 and remove it from play. 3 Card Poker - Strategy & Tips To Win The optimal strategies, secrets and tips involved in learning how to play and win at 3 card poker are straightforward and easy to understand.

If you want to experience a casino game with a low house edge of between 2% and 4%, then three card is a great choice provided you play carefully. With the correct approach, you can get plenty of playing time for your money. On this page you'll find an easy to read guide exploring how to play, where to play, and what the best playing strategies are for winning at 3 card poker.... read more • Live Game Strategies Fast-paced card games like 3 Card Poker are high on the favourite list for many poker fans who like to play casino games on the side. Three card is a lot easier to grasp than playing other poker games such as Texas Holdem. There are many ways to get low value wins using optimal playing strategies - and winning side bets get generous payouts for strong hands like three of a kind or a straight flush. Not enough cash to buy a car, but the enjoyment level is high. There are no real secrets to playing well, but by playing correct 3 card strategy you'll get regular payouts (around 25% of hands). Practice all you want for free with the three card poker practice game to the left.

If you're ready to play for real cash there are not many better places than Slots.LV or Bovada's casino. With Bovada you get a 200% match bonus on your first deposit plus further bonuses up to $5000 . Plenty of cash to try out the 3 card strategies detailed on this page. Click here for alternative casinos offering 3 card games . 3 Card Poker - How To Play The ‘3 Card Poker’ name is patented, you will see many versions of this game at online or bricks and mortar casinos with names such as ‘tri card’ or even ‘trey card poker’. It's also known as Flash or Teen Patti , and at the time of its invention in the mid 1990's was known as 3 Card brag. Actually it's two games in one, with options of playing one or the other, or both in the same hand. Many players love its simplicity, with fans often just calling it 3 card. Two bets are made before any cards are dealt, these are known as the ‘ante’ and ‘pair plus’ bets.

Playing The Ante The ante bet is played against the dealer, while the ‘pair plus’ bet is independent and pays out for poker hands of 1 pair or better. After your bets are placed you and the dealer are dealt 3 cards and you must decide whether to play or fold. The dealers hand is dealt face down so neither you or the dealer see it, so you must make your decision based just on just your own. If you choose to play your hand in a 3 card poker game you must place another bet equal to the ante. Your hand is then compared to the dealer’s 3-card poker hand. If you fold, you lose and all money goes to the dealer. Playing Pair Plus In Pair Plus you're not going up against the strength of the dealers hand, and whether you win or not is determined entirely by the strength of your own. If it's good enough, you win. And a winning hand is achieved - as the name Pair Plus implies - by landing at least a pair in your three card hand and hopefully three of a kind, a flush, or a run. Remember that if you're playing both games and you fold, you'll also lose the pair plus side of the bet.

Though of course it would be a poor decision to fold with a pair or better already showing. Winning Hands & Easy Ways To Remember 3 Card Payouts 1-to-1 is paid on both the ante and raise bets if you beat the dealer and the dealer’s hand ‘qualifies’. That is, you double your money on both bets. To qualify the dealer must hold queen high or better A non-qualifying dealers hand (lower than a queen high) pays you 1-to-1 on the ante bet only (the ‘play’ bet is a push or returned) regardless of who holds the best hand. In addition an ‘ante bonus’ is paid for straights (1-to-1), 3 of a kind (4-to-1) and straight flushes (5-to-1). These bonuses get paid even if you lose to a dealers qualifying hand. Pair plus bets are paid independently of the dealer’s hand. This side-bet pays 1-to-1 for a pair, 4-to-1 for a flush, 5-to-1 for a straight, 30-to-1 for 3 of a kind and 40-to-1 for a straight flush.

The pair plus bet is optional - though you would not be happy to see a straight flush if you decline this bet while playing! All very well you might say, but I want an easy way to remember the payout table. Fortunately you won't have to worry too much. All of the online casinos I've seen either display or have a quick link to the payout list. In most circumstances you'll only ever be one click away from knowing what you can win with which hand. 3 Card Poker Strategy | Tips | How To Play Playing Strategies - How To Win At 3 Card Poker It's no fun playing casino games if you don't ever win, right? And if you do want to win playing 3 card poker you're going to need to know how to play using the the optimal strategies. Knowing what to do (and when) might keep you winning small amounts, and increasing your chances to ultimately hit a big winning hand. These strategies are fairly straightforward, so let's take a look at what you can do to maximize your chances.

Strategy For The Main Game - Against The Dealer 3 Card Poker Strategy Optimum player strategy against the dealer is to make the play or raise wager with Queen-6-4 or better and fold with anything lower, though the simpler strategy of playing queens or higher will give similar results. In fact, the dealer himself plays with the latter strategy of those two. This has been proven by a computer program which analysed all potential combinations of a players hand (22,100) against all combinations of the dealers cards (18,424). Basically this means playing: • King or Ace high • Queen high, when your second highest card is a 7 or higher • Queen high, when your second card is a 6 and your third card is a 4 or higher Of course, only playing those higher hands means folding all others, so you need to be patient and prepared to let a number of hands pass by without playing. If you don't do this, the casino edge rises to around 7.65% from about 3.37 % with the optimal strategy. You can see that as with all negative expectation gambling games there is no definite strategy that can overcome the built in house advantage which exists in all casino games.

For this reason it's very difficult, unless you're extremely lucky, to come out ahead over a period of time. This leads to many players treating 3 card poker as a form of entertainment, rather than a money making enterprise. Exactly the way you should treat all casino games in fact. Pair Plus Strategy If you’re looking to get the occasional big win at 3 card poker, you'll want to be making regular use of the pairs plus bet. The ante bonus on the regular play does offer the chance of reasonable wins too - though you won't walk away a millionaire. And it's worth noting the house advantage of 2.32% when you only play pair plus means you'll struggle to find other casino card games giving you potentially as much value for money. One thing to bear in mind about pair plus is that your wins and losses can be more volatile than in ante play. That does of course make it the riskier way to play meaning your expected losses over time will be higher than in ante play. As far as strategy for pair plus goes, there's not a great deal to think about. The odds are against you, but you're going for the bigger wins.

It's going to be down to pure luck on whether you'll get dealt a winning hand, so the only real strategy you can follow is one around staking or betting. Betting Strategy The most common wager strategies are to play Ante and Pair Plus wagers for equal amounts, or for one of the Ante and Pair Plus wagers to be double the amount of the other one of the Ante and Pair Plus wagers. The best way to bet in 3 card poker is to place 100% of your total bet on the Ante, because that's where the lowest house edge is. But we've seen that Pair plus gives the higher odds - and in the rare circumstances where you get paid on the ante game but with a three of a kind hand you're going to feel a little put out if you didn't collect on it with a pair plus bet. Even so, if you can avoid the temptation then the best strategy is to do so. In the long run you'll have more chance of coming out ahead. Bankroll Strategy The only real decision you'll need to make in pair plus play is on how much to bet, so other useful strategies to employ revolve around money and bankroll management.

You want to preserve your betting bank for as long as possible. More money means more games, and more chances to hit those 3 cards that will give you a big win. One good way to preserve your bank is to be fully aware of how much you have won, or lost, in your current sitting. Putting aside small amounts if you're on a winning streak is a good idea. Clearly it's worth shopping around and making use of any valuable betting bonuses you can find too. What Else Can Help? If you get involved in any game where the dealer shows one of his cards, there's a chance to gain a 3.5% advantage. Of course you'll need to be able to work out the best way of using that information. Probabilities In 3 Card Poker This section covers how to calculate the probabilities in 3 Card Poker - the likelihood of you receiving any particular winning or losing hand. Probabilities are not so important to understand here as they are when playing optimal poker strategy in other poker games.

There are 22100 ways to draw 3 cards out of a 52 card pack, so to find out the mathematical probability of getting any hand you can just divide any of the numbers denoting how many ways to get dealt that hand (below) by 22100. Straight Flush With 4 possible suits for a straight flush, you can get any combination from A23 to QKA, or 12 different straight flush hands. So the total number of straight flushes is 4*12=48. Three Of A Kind There are 13 options for getting a three of a kind hand. There are 4 ways to get 3 suits out of 4. So there are 52 potential three of a kinds. Straights There are 12 possible hands for a straight flush, but a straight in 3 card poker can be a hand with any suit. A straight has 3 cards, each may be one of any of the four suits. However if all three cards are of the same suit then you'll have a straight flush. 720 possible straights. Flush There are 4 possible suits for a flush hand.

For each of the suits there are 286 ways to get 3 out of 13. But we know from the straight flush section above that there are 12 combinations which give us three connected cards, giving you a straight flush. So the hand combinations that land you a straight which isn't a straight flush is 274. So the number of flush combinations is 4 x 274, or 1096. Pair There are 13 possible pairs, which gives you 156 ways to land one. Within the pair there are 6 ways to get 2 suits out of the possible 4. So the total number of different pair combinations is 3744. Nothing The number of ways to get a nothing hand (ie less than a pair) is 16440. Where To Play You can play 3 card poker for free or with the risk of winning or losing cash at the popular Bovada online casino, which accepts players from all over the world including the US. If you're a first time visitor to Bovada you can also pick up a welcome bonus which will give you extra playing time.

Alternatively Bet365 also offers the game in their online casino. US players not accepted. And let's not forget the ever popular 888 casino. You can read all about how 888 3 card poker works here. Aside from these there are plenty of others . If you have any difficulty finding the game listed at any online casino you're visiting, it's worth remembering it may be known under different names. Different casinos operate on different platforms, the casino software that runs the games. 3 card poker may also be known as Tri Card Poker or Trey Card Poker on different software platforms. Tournaments You'll find a wide range of tournaments available online covering most types of casino games. You're probably already aware of the dozens of different types of poker tournaments you can play in. Unfortunately 3 card poker tournaments are not so easy to find online, though you will find them in some land based casinos. Progressive Jackpots Progressive jackpots in 3 card poker can take different forms, depending on where you're playing. Some casinos offer a mini bonus on the Pair Plus bet with a payout which can be as high as 50-1 on a suited QKA.

Others make good use of a progressive pot to add extra spice for players. This progressive tends to be a $1 a go optional bet that you make by selecting a button before each hand is dealt. You get the chance to win a progressive bonus if your hand comes up 3 of a kind or a straight flush. The progressive jackpot gets won if your hand turns up as a mini royal flush in spades. Hand Payouts • Royal Flush in Spades - Gets the progressive Jackpot • Royal Flush in hearts, diamonds, or clubs - normally $500 • Straight Flush - normally $100 • 3 of a Kind - normally $50 The great thing about when a progressive is won is that all other players at the table get a share too. Known as an Envy Bonus payoff, this can be around $25 for any Royal Flush and $100 for one landed in Spades. Clearly it's not easy to land this bet, with the percentages well against you. Not one to play regularly, but can offer a little extra excitement if you're well up on a session. With 22100 different hands possible on any draw, only 100 of these would net you the progressive payout.

If you do want to play in a progressive, the best strategy is to keep an eye on the amount in the pot, and the number of players. With a jackpot starting at $5000 the house has an edge of 70%. As the pot increases, each additional $1000 adds an extra 4.5% advantage to you, the player. At a pot of $10,000 the odds are pretty much even, at over $11500 they start to load in your favour. If you take into account other players and the way the Envy bonus works, each other table player adds another 0.79% to your chances. Live Dealer 3 Card Poker Games Interest in live dealer casinos has been growing. After many years of online casinos offering their games in the standard format, the industry needed to start looking at ways to present games in new and innovative formats. Live dealer games were born and many of the big operators now offer them. So where to play live dealer 3 card poker?

Try these well known casinos for starters: William Hill Mr Green Free Games & Practice Both the casinos listed in ' where to play 3 card poker ' section above have free play sections where you can practice - but the dedicated area at Games.com has the best free games selection I could find . There is of course a free practice game right here on this page . More Info & Valuable Resources The Wikipedia page on 3 card poker presents the history, playing rules, and some simple strategies in an easy to read format. It also contains a useful table showing the probabilities of achieving specific winning hands. If you want to practice before stepping up to real money games at an online casino, there are free practice games on the WizardOfOdds website while the dedicated 3 card page at the long running Pagat.com website also carries some easy to follow info. The useful site at 3CardPoker.com covers the game in depth, and also mentions the subject of tournaments - which can add a little extra spice to playing the game. Reading through a list of Frequently Asked Questions is always a good way to learn about the intricacies of any subject. Check out this link for the best list of 3 card poker FAQ .

And don't forget 3 card poker videos at Youtube , or social comments via Twitter or on Facebook . 3 Card Poker Variations Teen Patti An interesting variation to be aware of is the Indian version of 3 card known as Teen Patti (also known as Teen Pathi or Flash). The main difference between this version and casino 3 card poker is that Teen Patti is played against other players rather than a dealer. It's been a highly popular form of the game in India for many years. This variant works best (for gambling purposes) when played with between four and seven players, with an objective of either betting in a way that makes your opponents fold (ie bluffing), or betting because you have a great winning hand. Hand rankings and the betting process are explained on the Wikipedia Teen Patti page , while the strategies and winning techniques of Flash are similar to those shown above in the best playing strategies section . Online Teen Patti It's clear that Teen Patti has been played for hundreds of years on the streets of India, so it won't be a surprise to know that online versions are available. They're becoming highly popular with Indian and other Asian region families, who are increasingly being drawn to the ease of playing online games.

For Indian players who want to play online one of the best options will be the fast growing Junglee TennPatti , however there are plenty of 3 card poker casinos that cater more for western players but which also accept Indian registrations. Ultimate Three Card Poker This is a version of 3 card which you may also see named as Face Up. The key aspect of Ultimate/Face Up is that the dealer only reveals one card in each head to head game rather than all three. Standard rules generally apply, but the big difference is in the betting process. In an Ultimate game you need to make an additional blind bet that's the equivalent of your Ante. Of course you can choose to make a pair plus bet too. If you show at least a pair in your 3 card hand, you can make an additional bet of up to three times the ante instead of the normal double. Clearly this 3 times bet is allowed because you can only see one dealer card. Anything less than a pair, and you can only double up on a bet as in standard games. The blind bet is a loser if lower than the dealers, a winner if higher, and a push if your hand is lower than a flush.

From a house edge perspective this version offers roughly the same winning chance in percentage terms, but of course there are some additional elements thrown in that could increase the volatility. You'll need to take the extra risks into account and it's suggested that you fold any hand lower then J-7-4. Also be wary of raising the full 3 times your wager unless you're holding at least a pair. Bets on the pair plus in this game can be worthwhile. With higher odds payouts the house edge sees a reduction to just over 2%. Three Card Slots I found this slots version of 3 card at the William Hill online casino. It's a unique slots game based firmly on the card game version we know and love. William Hill offer the option of either playing it for cash or for free. The slot features both Hold and Nudge options which help improve on potential winning line combinations. Each reel is made up of symbols showing all 52 cards in the deck. Operation is straightforward - select your stake, press the spin buttons, and stop each reel individually to stop it spinning. You're obviously trying to line up a good 3 card hand on the win line.

Holds are awarded randomly and can be applied across any of the reels, nudges are awarded when a 4th reel to the right of the normal winning three stops on the same number as any of those three. When this happens you get one free nudge. If the number matches and the suit matches, you get two nudges. Seems like a good option to me for any players who are also keen on slots. I think this one would work well as the subject of an online slots tournament . Sadly as we've seen before , it's hard to find 3 card tournaments though playing a 3 card type game in a slots tourney could be a good alternative. Three Card 21 "n" Done This variation of the game has only recently been introduced to Nevada casinos, and it may not be long before we see it in the online casinos game list. 21 n Done is part blackjack and part 3 card, providing an interesting variation for of sets of fans. It pays good odds on strong hands of 3 cards, but if you land a weakish hand that totals over 21 you're able to split it into three separate hands. It takes a bit of concentration to get your head around the rules at first.

Each round begins by players placing two bets - one for the standard 3 hand and another for the 21 bonus game. Three cards are then dealt to each player, with payouts for the 21 bonus as follows: 21 total: 1 to 1 Pair: 1 to 1 Straight Flush: 15 to 1 3 Card Royal: 50 to 1 3 Card Royal in Diamonds: 200 to 1 If your hand shows a total of 21 after the deal, you'll collect on the bonus wager plus be paid at evens on the Three Card 21 bet too. Now we move to the bit where blackjack comes into play. If the dealer is showing an ace, each player has the option to buy insurance which pays out 2 to 1 (just like normal). If the dealer does have blackjack then all insurance bets are paid out.

If the dealer does not show blackjack and the player shows a total that's more than 21 there are two options for the player - they can either surrender the hand and lose half of their three card wager amount in the process, or they make two additional bets of the same amount, splitting the three card hand into three distinct blackjack hands. Some additional rules to note: If a player has an ace it can be counted as 11 to take the hand count to over 21 If a player has a pair - irrelevant of whether the total count is over 21 - their 3 cards can be used to make 3 blackjack hands. Note that this is not a forced decision, you could still just hold the hand you have and stand or draw another card. In any round where hands are split, each hand plays like a normal blackjack hand except for any hand total of 21 is paid 1 to 1 automatically plus pairs cannot be split twice. All in all, if you find 21 n Done on the games list wherever you're playing it'll be worth taking a second look. The odds should be more in your favour provided you play optimal general strategy.

Strategy For Live 3 Card Poker Games You won't see too many articles on the techniques used to gain an advantage in live games, so here I'll try to fill the gap. As you'd expect, it's not easy, and is limited to either gaining some knowledge of what other cards are in play, or using promotions to increase benefits and/or playing time. Knowing What's In Play Clearly if you have knowledge of one or more cards being held in the dealers hand, you are better placed to make a decision on how to play your own. It'll be extremely rare to ever be in this position legally, though there are remote chances of using your eagle eyes to watch as an inexperienced dealer deals out the cards. Using Promotions Promotions for casino gaming are widely used in live casinos. They'll come in the form of VIP or comp points or bonuses which can normally be used in exchange for goods, services, or occasionally rebates on losses. None of these of course give any added info about the hands, and the reality is that the strategies for live 3 card are really limited to those for online games.

Summary The way to play 3 card poker and the strategies you can use to improve your chances are fairly basic, but that doesn't stop the game from being a favourite of many casino regulars. For safe gaming, making sure you play at respected and trusted casinos is of course a sensible step to take, plus keeping an eye open for the payout percentages of any casino you do play at. These can vary from casino to casino. Always remember that just as with all casino games, it’s not going to be easy for you to win at 3 card poker. Especially if you're looking for a guaranteed long term profit. What you will find though, is that intensive practice and playing the correct 3 Card Poker strategies will ensure you get a sufficient number of wins to keep your money going as long as possible.

Question: Which playing card is known as ‘Big Casino’?
Answer: Ten of Diamonds