3 Card Poker Calculator
Enter your three cards. The calculator compares them with every possible dealer hand and shows whether raising (making the Play bet) or folding is better, the exact expected result, how often you win, and the odds and Pair Plus house edge of the game.
Three cards such as Qs 6h 4d: rank (2-9, T, J, Q, K, A) then suit (s, h, d, c).
Straight flush / three of a kind / straight / flush / pair, paid to 1. Casinos use different tables.
Your hand: High card
- Better play
- Raise (Play = Ante)
- Expected result if you raise
- -0.993
- Expected result if you fold
- -1.000
Against a dealer hand (ante units)
- Dealer qualifies (Q-high or better): 68.7%
- You win: 1.7%
- You lose: 67.0%
- Tie: 0.1%
- No ante bonus for this hand
Pair Plus with this hand
Loses the Pair Plus bet
How often each hand comes
| Hand | Combinations | Chance | Pair Plus pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight flush | 48 | 0.22% | 40:1 |
| Three of a kind | 52 | 0.24% | 30:1 |
| Straight | 720 | 3.26% | 6:1 |
| Flush | 1,096 | 4.96% | 4:1 |
| Pair | 3,744 | 16.94% | 1:1 |
| High card | 16,440 | 74.39% | – |
Pair Plus house edge by pay table
- 40 / 30 / 6 / 4 / 1: 2.32%
- 40 / 30 / 6 / 3 / 1: 7.28%
- 40 / 30 / 5 / 4 / 1: 5.57%
- 40 / 25 / 6 / 3 / 1: 8.45%
Rules used: the dealer qualifies with queen-high or better, the Play bet equals the Ante, the ante bonus is 5:1 for a straight flush, 4:1 for three of a kind and 1:1 for a straight, and A-2-3 is the lowest straight. Casinos vary, always check the table rules. Results are in ante units; a negative number is a long-run loss.
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How the calculator works
A 3 Card Poker hand is ranked differently from five-card poker: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card. A straight is rarer than a flush with three cards, so it beats it. The dealer needs queen-high or better to qualify; if the dealer does not qualify, your Ante is paid 1 to 1 and your Play bet is returned.
For your hand the calculator takes all 18,424 dealer hands that can be dealt from the remaining 49 cards and adds up the result of each: +1 if the dealer does not qualify, +2 if you win, −2 if you lose, 0 on a tie, plus the ante bonus for a straight or better. The average is the expected result of raising. Folding always costs the Ante, so the better play is the higher number.
Doing this for all 22,100 possible hands shows that raising is better exactly when your hand is Q-6-4 or higher. That rule is well known; here it is checked against the exact numbers. Played this way the house edge is about 3.37% of the Ante, or 2.01% of the average total wager. The Pair Plus house edge depends on the pay table.
Worked example
Q♠ 6♥ 4♦ is the weakest hand you should raise: raising is worth −0.993 ante units and folding −1.000. Change the 4 to a 3 (Q♠ 6♥ 3♦) and raising falls to −1.003, so folding is better. The edge is tiny, which is why the Q-6-4 rule is the dividing line.
K♦ K♣ 2♠ is worth +1.243 ante units when you raise. The dealer qualifies in 66.4% of deals; you win 55.9% of all deals and lose 10.5%. A♠ K♠ Q♠, a straight flush, is worth +6.635 because of the 5-to-1 ante bonus.
Questions and answers
When should I raise in 3 Card Poker?
Raise with Q-6-4 or better and fold anything weaker. In this calculator that rule matches the exact numbers for all 22,100 possible hands.
What is the house edge?
About 3.37% of the Ante with the Q-6-4 strategy, or 2.01% of the average total amount wagered. The Pair Plus house edge is 2.32% on the best common pay table and above 7% on weaker ones.
Does a straight beat a flush?
Yes. With three cards a straight (720 combinations) is rarer than a flush (1,096), so it ranks higher than in five-card poker.
Does the ante bonus pay if the dealer does not qualify?
Yes, the ante bonus is paid to a player who raises with a straight or better whatever the dealer holds.
Related guides
3 Card Poker is a casino game with a negative expected return: no strategy beats the house in the long run. The calculator is an educational tool, not advice. Players must be 18 or older. Play only with money you can afford to lose: responsible gambling.