How to Play 3 Card Poker Online for Real Money in India

If you were wondering how to play 3 card poker online for real money in India, this is the article for you! We’re about to tackle some of the following questions:

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  • Where can Indian gamblers play 3 card poker online?
  • What are the rules of the game?
  • Does playing at a live casino make any difference?
  • Are there any strategies to help players win at 3 card poker online?

Stick with us to reveal all of these answers and more besides.

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What is 3 Card Poker?

The origins of 3 card poker can be traced back to several older games, including three card brag and a game known as Primera in Spain. But the casino game we know and love today was born in 1994, when a Brit named Derek Webb first designed the rules. His goal was to convert poker into a casino table game with the same fast-paced action as traditional offerings like blackjack or baccarat.

The product is yet to reach the massive popularity levels of those two casino classics. But it does have a significant global base of players who really enjoy the game, either on the internet or in a physical casino. Playing 3 card poker online for real money in India has become a particularly popular pastime.

Read our poker guide here

Best Sites to Play 3 Card Poker Online

The growing popularity of 3 card poker among Indian players is reflected in the increasing number of online casinos offering the game. Here are some of the best wagering sites which offer 3 card poker online for real money in India.

Casino NameCasino Welcome BonusAvailable Poker VariationsSoftware Suppliers
Better Dice Casino€3,500 Welcome Bonus + 100 Free SpinsPokerBet
3 Card Poker Deluxe
Casino Hold’em
Habanero
Vivo Gaming
TVBet
Parimatch CasinoUp To ₹210,000 Welcome Bonus + 300 Free SpinsCasino Hold’em
3 Card Brag
Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
Ezugi
Vivo Gaming
Playtech
Casino Days100% Welcome Bonus up to ₹100,000Triple Card Poker
Casino Hold’em
Russian Poker
TVBet
Evolution Gaming
One Touch
Genesis Casino₹30,000 Bonus + 20 Free Spins!3 Card Poker
Texas Hold’em Bonus
3 Hand Casino Hold’em
Evolution Gaming
Ezugi
Play’N Go
Betway Casino100% Deposit Bonus Up To ₹2,500Ultimate Texas Hold’em
Caribbean Stud Poker
2 Hand Casino Hold’em
BetGames.tv
Evolution Gaming
Pragmatic Play
Casoola₹30,000 Welcome Bonus + 20 Free SpinsCasino Stud Poker
Casino Hold’em
Caribbean Stud Poker
Evolution Gaming
Play’N Go
Playtech

Rules of 3 Card Poker

Three card poker vector

Learning to play 3 card poker is actually quite simple. The basic concept is similar to that of blackjack, in that the player must only beat the dealer. Any other players at the table are also playing solely against the dealer and are not competing with each other.

How to Play 3 Card Poker

All players must first place their bets before any cards are dealt, including a compulsory ante and some optional bonus bets. As the game’s name implies, you will then receive a hand of three cards. So will the dealer and any other players at the table.

Once you have seen your hand, you must decide whether to carry on playing or fold. In order to continue, you must place a further bet, a play bet, which is equal to the size of your ante. Folding your hand results in the loss of your initial bets.

3 Card Poker Hand Rankings

In order to win, your hand must be better than the dealer’s. But how do you know which 3 card poker hand is the best? Simply consult the below table to understand the possible poker hand rankings.

3 Card Poker HandDescriptionProbability
Straight FlushThree in a row, all of the same suit, e.g. 7-8-9 all spades0.22%
Three Of A KindThree of the same value, such as three Queens0.24%
StraightThree in a row but of different suits3.26%
FlushAny three cards of the same suit, but not in a row, such as K-J-34.96%
PairTwo cards of the same value plus any other, such as 9-9-416.94%
High CardWhen none of the above are made, the highest card in your hand plays, e.g. K-5-2 of different suits (King high)74.39%

Live Dealer vs Regular Online Casino Table Games

There are three ways that Indian players can enjoy this increasingly popular casino game. The first is obviously to visit a land-based casino. But if you would rather play 3 card poker online for real money in India, there are two methods of doing so.

The first is to play a traditional online casino version of the game, using software powered by a random number generator. There are several casino game developers which supply online casinos in India with 3 card poker games, including Play’N Go and Habanero Games.

Arguably the most enjoyable way for Indian players to enjoy 3 card poker online though, is to make use of a live dealer casino. Such sites offer games with a real casino dealer who will interact with you, as well as the other players. They are usually charismatic presenters and their presence, along with the use of HD cameras, enhances the overall gaming experience.

There is not a huge amount of difference between playing 3 card poker at a live casino or a regular online casino. Since the former uses real cards which must be shuffled manually, games tend to be slightly slower than those powered by RNG software. The trade off is that 3 card poker software is a solo game, with no chance of interacting with other players of a human dealer.

Check out our recommended live casinos

3 Card Poker Betting

Before a single card is dealt when playing 3 card poker, either online or live, players must first place their bets. There are three main bet types, which we’ll now discuss in detail.

Ante

In order to play 3 card poker for real money, you need to make a bet. This compulsory bet is known as the ante. The size of this ante determines what your payout will be if you are lucky enough to beat the dealer’s hand. It also determines the size of the bet required to continue playing once you have seen your initial hand.

Any other bets are optional bonus bets. However, some casinos offer a variation of 3 card poker in which the ante bet is not compulsory. In this case, players may choose between making a regular bet or a Pair Plus bet.

Pair Plus Bonus

This popular 3 card poker bonus bet is based on a similar product seen in other popular casino games. Pair Plus is completely separate from the main game. You are simply betting on whether your hand will be at least a Pair, or in other words, better than a High Card hand. If you are correct then your Pair Plus bet wins, even if the dealer beats your hand.

Six Card Bonus

Not every casino offers the six card bonus. But for those that do, players have the option to bet on what the best hand will be when combining their own hand with the dealer’s. Doing so results in a pool of six cards, from which the best possible five card poker hand will be created. Whatever that hand is results in a bonus payment, as long as it is at least a three of a kind.

Payouts and Bonuses in 3 Card Poker

One the betting is completed and the action is over, the dealer will determine the winners of each bet and pay out accordingly. How do they know what to pay? The relevant 3 card poker payouts are revealed below.

Regular Payouts

The first thing to determine is whether or not the dealer’s hand qualifies to play. When playing 3 card poker online for real money in India, the dealer must have Queen high or better in order to proceed. If the hand is Jack high or worse, players win the equivalent of their initial ante, but the play bet is returned as a push.

If the dealer’s hand is good enough to continue, then it will be compared against the hands of each player at the table. Each player who is holding a better hand will be paid the value of both their ante and their play bets. If the dealer beats your hand, you lose both bets.

Ante Bonus

Some, but not all real money casinos in India, offer what is called an ante bonus. No additional wager is required to earn the bonus, it is simply an extra reward for having an exceptionally strong hand. Payouts vary from casino to casino, but tend to look something like this:

Ante Bonus HandPayout Odds
Straight Flush5 to 1
Three Of A Kind4 to 1
Straight1 to 1

Pair Plus Payouts

If you placed a separate Pair Plus bet, you will be paid according to the following table. This is a completely distinct bet from the main 3 card poker game. Even if the dealer beats your hand and you lose your ante and play bets, you will still earn a Pair Plus bonus.

3 Card Poker HandPayout Odds
Straight Flush40 to 1
Three Of A Kind30 to 1
Straight6 to 1
Flush3 to 1
PairEvens (1 to 1)
High CardNone (player loses bet)

Six Card Bonus Payouts

The pay table for the six card bonus bet varies depending on where you are playing 3 card poker. But the pay table will look similar to this:

6 Card Bonus HandPayout Odds
Royal Flush1,000 to 1
Straight Flush200 to 1
Four Of A Kind50 to 1
Full House25 to 1
Flush15 to 1
Straight10 to 1
Three Of A Kind5 to 1

How to Win at 3 Card Poker

The most important thing to consider if you want to know how to win at 3 card poker, is the rules of the game. Until you can effortlessly understand the game’s mechanics, there is little point thinking about strategy.

A good way to begin addressing that is to practice the game for free at one of the online casinos recommended in this article. Most offer 3 card poker in demonstration mode, allowing you to practice the game risk-free until you are more comfortable with the idea of staking real money.

Computer simulations aimed at creating an optimal 3 card poker strategy suggest that you should fold every hand of Q-6-3 or below. If you are dealt Q-6-4 or better, it is worth paying the additional wager in order to play.

If you wish to play 3 card poker online for real money in India, the final thing to look out for is the house edge. As we have mentioned several times previously, the paytables vary from casino to casino. Depending on the game provider, the house edge can range from 4.28% to as little as 0.33%. Always try to identify the casinos with the biggest payouts and play there.

Online 3 Card Poker: Conclusions

Thank you for reading our article. Hopefully, you now fully understand how to play 3 card poker online for real money in India. So why not make use of this new knowledge and try playing the game for real?

Registering with any of the online casinos featured on this page would be a good place to start. Each site has been reviewed by our expert staff to ensure that they are safe and fully licensed, with a broad range of popular payment options. Sign up today and collect your welcome bonus.

Shreya
Shreya Content Writer
About Shreya

Shreya has had a passion for writing since as far as she can remember. We're lucky to have her help us out on half-time, while spending the rest of her time writing on her own material. She's been writing gambling related content for many years now, so her experience + dedication makes a perfect match for our team.

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