There’s something for everyone at the casino, from games of pure chance to games that reward highly-skilled players. Striking a balance between the two is key; 3 Card Poker might be the simplest online table game at Bovada, but with a touch of strategy, you can narrow the house edge to the minimum 3.37% – or even lower, as we’ll get to in a moment.
First, a quick explanation of the rules. 3 Card Poker is you versus the Dealer. To play, you place an Ante bet and receive three cards face-up; the Dealer gets three cards face-down. The object is to make a better poker hand than the Dealer. If you think the cards you’ve been dealt are good enough, select Raise and double your bet, then the Dealer’s cards are revealed and the winner declared. If you don’t like your cards, select Fold instead of raising, and move on to the next hand.
With only one decision to make in 3 Card Poker, the optimal casino strategy for Ante play is about as easy as it gets. All you have to do is remember this three-card hand: Queen-Six-Four. If you have this hand or anything better, Raise. If you have anything worse, Fold. This is all you need to do to maximize your return in 3 Card Poker. We have covered
Ante Up Poker Strategy
That’s for the Ante play. 3 Card Poker also features a side bet called Pair+, which carries an even lower house edge of 2.32% at Bovada Casino. The Pair Plus bet requires no strategy; you get paid whether your hand wins or loses, and the stronger your hand, the more you get paid – up to the top prize of 40:1 for making a straight flush. That would be any three consecutive cards of the same suit.
If you’re interested in lowering the house edge, betting the Pair+ as large as possible (the maximum bet in 3 Card Poker is $500) and keeping your Ante small makes sense, although you should also keep bankroll management in mind when choosing your bet sizes. Otherwise, Queen-Six-Four is the only thing you have to remember when you play 3 Card Poker at Bovada. If that’s too much, stick with Queen-high, and you’ll be playing close to optimally.
