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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.
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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