What are the most important factors you look for in a poker game? If fast action and quick hands are anywhere on your list, then 3 card poker is worth looking into. But what if you don’t know how to play poker? Don’t worry about that, either. The truth is, it’s very simple to learn. By the time you get a dozen hands under your belt, you’ll know exactly how to play 3 card poker.
In India, the most popular variant of 3-card poker is Teen Patti (Hindi for, literally, three cards), also known as Flash or Flush. Teen patti is a popular, social card game and is played at home during festive seasons such as Diwali.
Here are the online casinos our team of experts recommend Indian players use for playing 3 Card Poker online:
There aren’t many, if any, 3 Card Poker variations. However, you may see 3 Card Poker listed as tri-card poker at some online casinos. At first glance, 3 Card Poker might seem strange or unfamiliar if you have never played the game. But it’s a simple game to learn. We’re going to walk you through it now.
The premise behind 3 Card Poker is simple: you want to make a better poker card hand when you play against the dealer – your only opponent.
Each hand begins with you making an ante wager. Your online ante wager can be as low as ₹50, while most live casinos have a required minimum bet of somewhere between ₹250 and ₹1,000.
The deal and wagering process in a game of 3 Card Poker goes like this:
After placing your ante bet, you and the dealer are both dealt three cards.
Your cards face up, while the dealer’s hand is dealt face down.
At this point, you have two options: make a play bet or fold.
If you fold, you’ll forfeit your ante. The hand is over.
Your play bet must be equal to the amount of your ante. So, if your ante bet is ₹250, you must raise another ₹2.
This is something you want to keep in mind before you make your play bet
After you raise, the dealer will flip his hand over.
If the player’s hand beats the dealer’s hand, your ante and raise are paid out based on the pay table listed on the game.
If the dealer’s hand beats yours, you’ll lose both your ante and play bets.
But that’s only if the dealer qualifies.
The dealer must have a Queen-high hand or better to qualify. If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, your ante is paid out at 1:1 and your raise (if you made it) is given back to you (a push or tie).
This means that even if you have a 9-high hand, but decide to raise and play it anyway, the dealer has to have a queen or better for you to lose your ante or raise. If the dealer only has Jack high, then you’ll still win the ante and pay bets.
3 Card Poker has an additional bet called Pairs Plus. This is an optional ante bonus bet you make at the same time you make your ante bet. This bet can be any size (within the table limits). And it pays only when you make a pair or better.
Nothing else matters. Not even the dealer’s hand.
But none of that matters because we recommend you pass on this side bet. It doesn’t have very good odds (7+ percent).
When playing 3 Card Poker, it is important to understand what beats what, as there are a few differences in how card hands are ranked playing this game compared to a traditional poker game. The same terminology is used – straight flush, straights and pairs. The hands simply have a different ranking. We listed the 3 Card Poker ranks below.
Keep in mind that suits are not used to break any ties.
| Hand | What Is It: | What it looks like: |
| Straight Flush | such as A, 2, 3 of one suit, or 4, 5, 6 of one suit
|
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| 3 of a Kind | such as J, J, J |  |
| Straight | such as 7, 8, 9 of different suits |  |
| Flush | same cards of one suit, such as A, 7, T of diamonds |  |
| Pair | such as 8, 8, 4 |  |
| High Card | such as A, 9, 4 of different suits |  |
Yes, most online casinos and poker rooms allow players to play table games in free mode or practice mode. This is a great way for players to get experience playing the game and using the online platform offered. After that, players can switch over to play for real money.
Yes, online poker is legal in India for players. There are no laws against a foreign online casino operating in India. Online casinos have been accepting players from India for years and there shows no sign of that coming to an end. In fact, there are plenty of trusted online casinos located around the globe that Indians have access to.
Yes, as long as you’re playing at a trusted online casino, you will be safe. The best online casinos in the industry use the same top-notch encryption technology as international banking institutions. And the games offered employ Random Number Generator (RNG) technology that ensures there’s no way to know which cards are upcoming. All the online casinos we list on Gamble Online have been vetted by casino experts and come recommended.
The most popular strategy and the easiest to implement in 3 Card Poker is to simply raise if you hold at least a Queen, 6 and 4. If you have anything above this combination, you call; anything lower, you fold.
According to our poker experts at Gamble Online, when following the Queen, 6, 4 or better strategy, you can expect a house edge of 3.45%. This is a lower house edge than casino games like Roulette and Baccarat.
