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3 CARD POKER

Pokerworld is proud to announce the addition of No Limit 3 Card Poker! 3 Card Poker is an action packed game that is fun and easy to learn and is immensely popular in India and England. Please read these rules, and take a seat and try it out today.

About

3 Card Poker is a card game that originated in East India and one that has been played for centuries among those all over South East Asia. It is also known as "3 Card Patti", "Flush", and is closely related to the British game "3 Card Brag".

This version of 3 Card Poker is played with a standard 52 card deck, with the ace being the highest ranking card, followed by the King, Queen, Jack, etc. Each player is dealt 3 cards to start the hand and keeps those exact 3 cards throughout the hand.

Hand Rankings

Some of the hand rankings for 3 Card Poker are different from those used in normal poker.

From the Best to the Worst the rankings are as follows:

Three of a kind: 3 cards of the same rank. AAA is the highest and 222 is the lowest.
Straight Flush (Straight Run): 3 consecutive cards of the same suit. The highest of these is A23 followed by AKQ, KQJ, and so forth. 432 is the lowest. AK2 (2AK) is invalid.
Straight: 3 consecutive cards not of the same suit. A23 is the highest followed by AKQ, KQJ, and so forth. 432 is the lowest. AK2 (2AK) is invalid.
Flush: 3 cards of the same suit. High cards are used to determine the winner in flush versus flush scenarios. If the high cards are the same then the next highest cards are compared. Example: QJ6 suited beats T97 suited. Also, J65 suited beats J54 suited. The highest flush is AKJ suited, while the lowest is 532 suited. No suit is better than another suit.
Pair: 2 cards of the same rank. The kicker will play if the pairs are equal. Highest pair is AA, lowest is 22.
High Card: Highest card value in your hand determines the winner. If the highest card is shared, then the next highest cards are compared. Example: A54 beats KJT and K98 beats K76. AKJ is the best high card hand.

Betting and Game Structure Rules

The betting and structure of play for 3 card poker is different to that of normal poker. All players ante the same amount and all players receive 3 cards, face down. The player to the left of the dealer button starts the action. This player now has the option of playing as a "Blind" player or a "Seen" player. The terms are literal, meaning a Blind player does not look at his cards and a Seen player looks at his cards. If the player chooses to play blind, he must at least match the ante, but can also bet any amount that is greater than the ante. A blind player also has the option of folding without looking at his cards. If the player chooses to play as a seen player he must then either fold or bet at least double the ante. There is no maximum to how much he can bet.

The amount of money that a player has to put in the pot at any given time depends on the "current stake". At the beginning of a hand, the current stake is equal to the ante for a blind player and double the ante for a seen player. After a bet had (has) been made the current stake is equal to that bet for a blind player, and double that for a seen player. For instance, if the current stake is $100 then a blind player must bet at least $100 and a seen player must bet at least $200. The thing I note is that at the top of the tables, it says what the current blind stake and current seen stake are. So, perhaps we should talk about the current blind or seen stake, instead of just current stake.

A blind player has the option of becoming a seen player every time the betting comes back to him. If he becomes a seen player, he must bet at least double the current stake like all other seen players.

The betting continues this way until one of the following things happen:

All but one player has folded. The remaining player will win all money in the pot.
All but two players have folded and, in their turn, one of these players has paid for a show.

The rules for a show are as follows:

A show cannot occur until all but two players have dropped out.
If you are a blind player, the cost of a show is the current (blind) stake, paid into the pot, regardless of whether the other player is blind or seen. You do not look at your cards until after you have paid for the show.
If you are a seen player and the other player is blind, you are not allowed to ask for a show. The seen player can only continue betting or drop out.
If both players are seen, either player in turn may pay twice the current stake which one for a show.
In a show, both players´ cards are exposed, and the player whose hand is highest ranking wins the pot. If the hands are equal, the player who did not pay for the show wins the pot.

Example: Players A, B, C & D are playing the game. They all put 1 unit on the table and D deals. Player A decides to play blind and puts one more unit. Player B sees his cards and folds. Player C plays blind and bets one unit. Player D looks at his cards and puts in 2 units (the minimum amount); the current stake remains at one unit. Player A raises the stake by putting in 2 units. Player C looks at his cards and folds. Player D puts in 4 units (the minimum amount for a seen player since A has raised the current stake to 2). Player A decides to look at his cards, and having done so he puts in 4 units and asks for a show. Player D shows his cards and the winner takes it all.

Note that the betting process in this game is quite different from Poker betting. There is no concept of equalizing the bets, and a showdown is not possible with more than two players.

If a player or players are all in, appropriate side pots will be created.