Evolution Gaming
Three Card Poker: Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus Payouts and Basic Strategy Guide
By M8BET Editorial · Updated March 2025 · 6 min read
Three Card Poker is one of the easiest poker variants to learn, with a short hand ranking list and a simple strategy. Here are the Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus payouts and how to play the main bets.
How Three Card Poker Works
You and the dealer each receive three cards. You place an ante, look at your hand, and choose to play (betting a further amount equal to your ante) or fold. The dealer must qualify with a Queen-high or better; if not, your ante wins and your play bet is returned.
Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus
Pair Plus is a bet purely on your own hand, paying on a pair or better. The 6-Card Bonus combines your three cards with the dealer's three and pays on the best five-card poker hand, adding a jackpot-style element.
- Three cards each, simple hand rankings
- Dealer must qualify with Queen-high or better
- Pair Plus pays on your hand alone
- 6-Card Bonus uses both hands combined
Basic Strategy
Three Card Poker has an unusually simple optimal strategy: play with Queen-six-four or better, and fold anything lower. That single rule captures almost all of the game's theoretical value, making it a favourite for beginners.
Playing Well
Master the play/fold threshold, then decide whether the side bets fit your session. As always, the side bets offer more variance and a higher house edge, so keep them modest.