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Three Card Poker Calculator
Calculate the Q-6-4 decision for any Three Card Poker hand, then compare dealer outcomes and Pair Plus paytable odds.
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Three Card Poker calculator quick answer
For the main game, make the Play bet with Q-6-4 or better and fold weaker high-card hands. Pairs and stronger hands continue. Pair Plus is a separate wager, so match its exact five-number paytable before treating the side bet as good or bad value.
- The dealer usually needs queen-high or better to qualify in the main game.
- The Ante and Play bets are equal; Pair Plus settles on your hand alone.
- Q-6-4 is the common play/fold threshold for high-card hands.
- A 40-30-6-4-1 Pair Plus schedule has a 2.32% house edge; changing only the flush payout to 3:1 raises it to 7.28%.
Three Card Poker odds: play Q-6-4, then check the side-bet table
Three Card Poker is not poker in the normal player-versus-player sense. It is a casino table game with a fixed decision tree. You place an ante, receive three cards, and either fold or place a Play bet equal to the ante. The dealer must qualify, and the payout depends on whether your hand beats the dealer's hand.
The strategy line is short but exact: continue with Q-6-4 or better. That rule is easy to misread when the hand is close. Q-5-3 folds; Q-6-4 plays. The calculator evaluates the three ranks in order, so you can see why a hand lands on one side of the line or the other.
Pair Plus needs a second check because it pays from your hand alone, whether the dealer qualifies or not. Its five figures are not cosmetic. On the same 22,100-hand distribution, dropping the flush payout from 4:1 to 3:1 changes the long-run house edge from 2.32% to 7.28%.
Use the main-game result and the Pair Plus result as separate lines in your bankroll. The current hand can win the side bet and still have a poor long-run schedule, or lose the side bet while the Q-6-4 decision remains correct. If you are looking for Texas Hold'em equity instead, use the poker odds calculator.
Common Three Card Poker hand frequencies
Three Card Poker uses 22,100 possible three-card hands, but ranks straight above flush because straights are rarer than flushes in three-card hands.
| Hand type | Combinations | Probability | Common Pair Plus payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | Loses |
Pair Plus paytable comparison
The five numbers are the net payouts for straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, and pair. The stake is returned separately on a win.
| Paytable | Flush payout | Expected return | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40-30-6-4-1 | 4:1 | 97.68% | 2.32% |
| 40-30-6-3-1 | 3:1 | 92.72% | 7.28% |
3 Card Poker questions
What is the Q-6-4 rule in Three Card Poker?
The Q-6-4 rule says to make the Play bet with queen-six-four or better and fold weaker high-card hands. Any pair, flush, straight, three of a kind, or straight flush should continue.
Does a straight beat a flush in Three Card Poker?
Yes. In Three Card Poker, a straight beats a flush because a three-card straight is less common than a three-card flush.
Is Pair Plus a good bet?
It depends on the exact paytable. Using the standard 22,100 three-card combinations, a 40-30-6-4-1 schedule has a 2.32% house edge, while 40-30-6-3-1 has a 7.28% house edge. Check the figures printed at the table, not a generic version online.
What does a 40-30-6-4-1 Pair Plus paytable mean?
It lists the net profit for a straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, and pair, in that order. On a winning hand, the original Pair Plus stake is also returned. High-card hands lose the side-bet stake.
Does Pair Plus change the Q-6-4 decision?
No. Pair Plus pays from your three cards regardless of whether the dealer qualifies, so it does not change the main-game Play-or-fold decision. Treat it as a separate wager when working out the result of the hand.
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