3 Card Fury

Introduction

In June 2019, 3 Card Fury was introduced for testing at the Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas. This game shares its scoring system with Three Card Poker and employs a betting framework similar to Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, requiring two initial bets with an option to either raise or fold.

The complete name of the game is Advantage Play 3 Card Fury.

Instructional Video for Advantage Play 3 Card Fury

Rules

1. Up to six (6) participants can join a game against the dealer.
2. A single 52-card deck is used.
3. Poker hands are ranked in the following order, starting with the highest:
   • Straight flush
   • Three of a kind
   • Straight
   • Flush
   • Pair
   • Three singletons
4. To start the game, each participant must place an Ante bet and a matching 3 Card Monster bet.
5. The dealer then distributes three cards to themselves and four cards to each player, all facedown.
6. Players must then make a choice to either raise or fold. If a player opts to raise, they must make a Play wager that matches their Ante wager.
7. If a player raises, the dealer will reveal both their hand and the dealer’s hand to find the best three (3) card hand from four (4) cards for each player.
8. Here’s a breakdown of how each bet is resolved:
   • Ante — The player with the superior hand wins. Payouts are made at even money. Ties result in a push.
   • Play — The dealer needs to have a king high or higher to qualify. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, the Play bet is pushed. Once qualified, the higher hand wins, with payouts made at even money. Ties push.
   • 3 Card Monster — This bet always stands. Payouts are determined based on the player’s hand compared to the dealer’s hand, as follows:
     • Mini Royal (suited AKQ) — Pays 250 to 1 on a tie and 25 to 1 for a win.
     • Straight flush — Pays 250 to 1 on a loss or tie, and 10 to 1 for a win.
     • Three of a kind — Pays 250 to 1 on a loss, and 5 to 1 on a win.
     • Straight — Payouts are 1 to 1 on a win, push on a tie, and loss on a loss.
     • Flush — Results in a push on a win or tie and a loss on a loss.
     • All other — Loss
   • If a player folds, they forfeit both the Ante and 3 Card Monster wagers immediately.
   • An additional side bet named the 4 Card Royal Family Bonus is also available, which pays based solely on the poker value of the player’s hand. The payout table is provided below.

Below are two recognized payout tables for the 3 Card Monster. Winnings are calculated on a 'to one' basis.

*: A Mini Royal consists of a suited ace, king, and queen.

Here are two established payout tables for the 4 Card Royal Family Bonus side bet. Wins are referenced on a 'to one' basis.

Example

In the previous hand, the player made an initial wager of $100 on both the Ante and 3 Card Monster bets, along with a $25 wager on the 4 Card Royal Family Bonus. The player's cards were 7-7-7-5. The best three-card combination was a three of a kind, which justifies making the Play wager. The dealer revealed a jack high that did not qualify. Consequently, the outcomes for each bet were as follows:

• Ante — The player outperformed the Dealer, so the Ante pays 1-1.
• Play — Since the dealer did not qualify, the Play bet resulted in a push.
• 3 Card Monster — The player outmatched the Dealer, hence the 3 Card Monster pays 5-1.
• 4 Card Royal Family Bonus — Among the player’s four cards, the best combination was three of a kind, resulting in a payout of 9 to 1.

The total win was $100 × 1 + $100 × 0 + $100 × 5 + $25 × 9 = $825.

Refer to the external links below for access to the demo game showcased above.

Rack Card

If my clarification of the rules was unclear, please review the rack card. You can click on either image for a larger display.

Strategy

Players are encouraged to raise when holding a queen high or better.

Analysis

The following images are excerpts from the mathematical report provided by BMM, detailing the probability and contribution to the return for all potential outcomes under payout table 1 of the 3 Card Monster.

The above table illustrates that the expected loss ratio against the Ante bet, often referred to as the house edge, is 3.10%. However, by the conclusion of the hand, the average number of units wagered is 2.88. A more appropriate gauge of the game’s value is the expected loss ratio compared to the total amount wagered, termed the Element of Risk, which is recorded at 1.08%.

Under payout table 2, the house edge compared to the Ante bet is 2.25%, while it is 0.78% relative to all funds wagered.

The following analysis evaluates two recognized payout tables for the 4 Card Royal Family Bonus. The bottom right cell indicates a house edge of 5.08% on Pay Table 1.

The forthcoming analysis of Pay Table 2 reveals a house edge of 3.50%.

Methodology

This is an unusual circumstance where I relied on someone else's analysis, specifically the math report from BMM, graciously provided by the game’s creator and owner.

External Links

Discussion Discussions concerning 3 Card Fury are available on my forum at Wizard of Vegas.

Acknowledgements

I express my gratitude to Money$uit Industries for allowing me to utilize the mathematical report for 3 Card Fury on this page.

Written by: Michael Shackleford