Poker is the best card game ever invented, hands down. But it’s not the easiest game in the world. As Hall of Famer Mike Sexton says, poker takes five minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master. That’s why casinos have developed several poker-based table games over the years. The most enjoyable of these games is arguably Tri-Card Poker, which you can play right now in our Table Games section. Unlike other forms of poker, this game is so simple, it will take you five minutes to master.
There's only one decision to worry about when playing Tri-Card Poker and it's when to Raise or Fold. After you place your Ante bet and receive your three cards, face-up, you have the option of doubling your bet if you think your hand is good enough to beat the Dealer's three face-down cards. If you don't like your hand, you can fold instead of raising, and surrender your Ante. It's as simple as that.
Three Cards and the Truth
When to raise or fold in Tri-Card Poker? The optimal strategy to win is easy: You'd want to hit that raise button anytime you have at least Queen-Six-Four in your hand. Anything less than that, and you should hit the Fold button instead. This will narrow the house edge all the way to 3.37%. That's how the math works given the payouts in Tri-Card Poker; you win even-money on your Ante and Raise bets, provided the Dealer holds at least Queen-high in order to qualify. If you have the better hand and the Dealer doesn't qualify, you still get paid even-money on your Ante bet, but your Raise bet is returned to you.
Congratulations: You’re now a Tri-Card Poker expert! Although there is one other wager for you to consider. The Pair+ bet is a side bet that pays out if you have at least a pair in your hand, regardless of what the Dealer has. The stronger your hand, the more you get paid, up to 40:1 for a straight flush – that’s three consecutive cards of the same suit. The Pair Plus bet at Bodog has a house edge of 2.32%, so if your bankroll can handle it, making this bet every time will lower the overall house edge while giving you a shot at the big money. And there’s no strategy whatsoever to consider. Raise or Fold! Give it a “Tri” right now atBodog and see for yourself how easy and fun three-card poker can be.