THREE CARD POKER Ante bet size vs Pair Plus

I have some questions regarding three card poker. What is the optimal amount to bet on your ante wager relative to your Pair Plus Wager? For instance should your ante be 2x/3x/4x/5x the size of your pair plus wager or does an even bet or below still provide you with the same return in the long run? I feel there must be an optimal risk difference to limit your losses and maximize your return.

Also card rooms/Indian Casinos here in CA often show 1 of the dealers cards. Does this at all effect the common strategy of playing only Q 6 4 or better? Obviously if the dealer has a higher qualifying card you know to fold but does this alter the statistics in what you should play. I see some people play blind every hand but I know that increases the houses advantage.

There is no optimal mix. You should bet the minimum if you want to play it. You get a paying hand about 25% of the time if that helps any in structuring your bet size.

For the strategy for California rules go here:

https://wizardofodds.com/games/face-up-three-card-poker/

I believe the correct play is to just do the ante bet, especially if you are hole carding. I don't play this game anymore because the dealer and other players kept lecturing me on not playing the pairs bet.

Imagine that you are playing blackjack and don't play the 21+3 sidebet because you know it is a sucker bet. Now imagine that every time you would have won the side bet, the dealer points this out to you and tells you that you are losing money by not playing it. After you respectfully tell him that you don't like side bets, he will continue to point out every time you would have won the side bet. And every time that you would have won, the look of 'I told you so' becomes more apparent on his face. Now multiply this experience by 10. That's what it's like to play 3CP without the pair plus side bet.

I just start pointing out every time I would have lost the bet.After a few minutes of this they usually stop.

Quote: Hunterhill

I just start pointing out every time I would have lost the bet.After a few minutes of this they usually stop.

+1

Quote: Hunterhill

I just start pointing out every time I would have lost the bet.After a few minutes of this they usually stop.

When casinos allow it, I let them bet on the PP. It becomes quite evident after a short time that's is not worth it when they start losing. Conversely, when they do win, you may get a tip from them so no risk to you.

Where I play if the dealer does not qualify I automatically win the ante and push the raise spot. The chart listed through the link is assuming your hand must beat the dealers. How does this change strategy in a face up three card game if you win every time the dealer doesn't qualify

Quote: ThreeCarder

Where I play if the dealer does not qualify I automatically win the ante and push the raise spot. The chart listed through the link is assuming your hand must beat the dealers. How does this change strategy in a face up three card game if you win every time the dealer doesn't qualify

I'm pretty sure that's how all 3CP games are supposed to be played.

Quote: Avincow

I believe the correct play is to just do the ante bet, especially if you are hole carding. I don't play this game anymore because the dealer and other players kept lecturing me on not playing the pairs bet.

Imagine that you are playing blackjack and don't play the 21+3 sidebet because you know it is a sucker bet. Now imagine that every time you would have won the side bet, the dealer points this out to you and tells you that you are losing money by not playing it. After you respectfully tell him that you don't like side bets, he will continue to point out every time you would have won the side bet. And every time that you would have won, the look of 'I told you so' becomes more apparent on his face. Now multiply this experience by 10. That's what it's like to play 3CP without the pair plus side bet.

This is so true. Not to mention how much all these bets slow down play. I don't even play 3CP anymore unless it's heads up. It's just too slow. You get ridiculed in 3CP if you don't play the pair plus or 6 card. Less so in Ultimate Texas Hold'em but still often enough that it gets annoying. I almost feel like I'm generating heat because I'll get noticed for not playing it. Like somehow they'll know I'm trying to play at an advantage. Everytime the dealer points out where I would have one, I point out that they never mention when I would have lost. Then you get the other players who want to play your side bets. I'm a nice guy and don't usually mind it but I try to make an excuse and say I don't want them to play the 6 card. If you don't play the 6 card and you fold, the dealer just discards your hand. But if you play the 6 card and fold, he will obviously look at it at the end of the hand. Once I folded A/3/5 because I spotted that the dealer also had an ace. That would look really suspicious if they turned that over and everybody saw it. The other day I was playing with a nice guy that I had played before with. He kept giving me 2 red chips and a white chip as a tip to play my side bets. Of course I refused the extra. I got Q/T/T and turned to him and said you won. The dealer then proceeded to turn over the exact same hand. I was pissed cause I pushed a hand that was supposed to win but he got a 4 of a kind. Two hands later I got three 5's and said you'll be happy with this. Then the dealers proceeded to flip over the other 5. He made over $400 off my side bets. Yea I got tormented on that one. I did take a $5.

Then I raised with some crap hand like 3/5/7 cause I saw the dealer had nothing. The dealer proceeded to turn nothing over, just a jack high. She pushes back my raise bet and takes my ante. I said hold on, you're supposed to pay that. She said I beat you with the jack. I said yea but you don't have a queen, you don't play, it doesn't matter what my hands is. You pay the ante. She calls the pit boss over and the she doesn't know either. The other players at the table are all telling me I lost. I'm like are you people serious? You don't even know the rules of the game. I wonder how much you've been scammed out of. The pit boss then pulls out the rule book but can't figure it out. Then another pit boss comes over and says oh yea he's right pay it. The dealer shakes her head and says she's never heard of that and she will check with the other dealers on her break. 20 minutes later I stop by and she's says oh yea you're right.

I was playing blackjack one time and another player kept screaming everytime I got an InBet or 3 card poker hand. The dealer, who was clearly not interested in anything and looked like he just wanted his shift over, finally said to the guy, "look he doesn't play it. Side bets are sucker bets with the highest house edge."

I never play side bets.

When players ask why, I ask them "Do you think those side bets are there for my benefit or for the casinos benefit?"