Three Card Prime

Introduction

Three Card Prime is very similar to Three Card Poker In these games, the aim is to achieve a superior three-card poker hand compared to the dealer's hand. Players need to decide whether to fold or raise their bet after seeing their own cards.

Rules

1. Initially, the player places an Ante bet. At this stage, they have the option to also place bets on the Pair Bonus and Prime side bets.
2. The dealer deals three cards to each player, including themselves. While players can view their own cards, the dealer's cards remain face down.
3. If a player has placed an Ante bet, they must choose to either fold or raise at this point.
4. Choosing to fold means the player loses their Ante wager.
5. If the player opts to raise, they are required to place an additional Play bet that matches their Ante bet exactly.
6. The dealer will turn over his cards.
7. For the dealer to qualify, they must have at least a queen high hand.
8. Should the dealer fail to qualify, the Ante bet is returned to the player, and the Play bet is paid out according to the payout table detailed below.
9. When the dealer qualifies, the player's hand is then compared to the dealer's. The hand with the higher rank wins. The hierarchy of poker hands is provided below.
10. If the player ends up with a stronger poker hand, the Ante will pay out at even odds, while the Play wager will be rewarded based on the payout table.
11. Conversely, if the dealer possesses the superior hand, the Ante is lost. If the player has a flush or a weaker hand, the Play bet also loses. In an unusual situation where the player loses despite having a straight or better, the Play bet will still pay out according to the payout table.
12. In cases where the player and dealer have equivalent hands, the Ante pushes, and the Play wager pays according to the designated payout table.
13. The Pair Bonus is primarily determined by the strength of the player’s hand. If the player achieves at least a pair, an additional card will be revealed that can enhance their winnings, particularly if it's a deuce, as indicated in the payout table below.
14. The Prime side bet offers odds of at least 3 to 1 if the player’s three cards share the same color. If all six cards from both player and dealer hands match in color, it pays out at 4 to 1.
15. The All 6 bet’s payout is based on the poker value derived from all six cards consisting of both the player’s and the dealer’s three cards.

The table below outlines the hierarchy of hands in the Three Card Prime game.

The subsequent table provides the payout structure for the Play bet, detailing the winnings on a 'to one' basis.

Presented below is 'pay table 1' for the Pair Bonus bet, showing winnings on a 'to one' basis.

The next table outlines 'pay table 2' for the Pair Bonus, which was recorded at the Aquarius casino in Laughlin on January 20, 2020.

The Prime bet system is straightforward, as demonstrated in the accompanying payout table. The highest payout occurs when both the player's and dealer's cards maintain the same color, with all payouts calculated on a 'to one' basis.

The 'All 6' bet's payout is determined by the strongest 5-card poker hand formed with the three cards from both the player and the dealer. The corresponding payout table displays winnings on a 'to one' basis.

Comparison to Three Card Poker

Statistically, the base game of Three Card Prime functions similarly to Three Card Poker, but with increased payouts for players with a straight or better hand losing against the dealer. There are semantic variations as well; now if the dealer does not qualify, it is the Ante that pushes rather than the Play. The Ante Bonus has been removed, replaced by a premium payout on the Play bet for straight hands or higher. This ultimately results in almost the same scenario, except the Play bet rewards a premium for a loss when holding a straight or better, also recognized as a 'Bad Beat Bonus.'

Additionally, the Pair Bonus operates comparably to the Pairplus but features an added premium if the revealed fourth dummy card is a deuce. A new side bet called the Prime is introduced, which wins if the player’s three cards are of the same color.

If you're unfamiliar with the rules of Three Card Poker, refer to the rules section for a detailed explanation.

Ante and Play Analysis

The next table outlines the probabilities and expected returns for all potential results in the base game.

The table above illustrates the house edge, which is defined as the expected loss ratio compared to the Ante bet, calculated at 2.96%. Players are projected to raise their bets 67% of the time with an average wager of 1.67. This leads to a defined Element of Risk, or expected loss over the total wager amount, being 2.96% divided by 1.67, resulting in 1.77%.

Pair Bonus Analysis

The subsequent table displays the probability and return metrics for pay table 1 associated with the Pair Bonus bet. The bottom right cell indicates a house edge of 4.52%.

The following table presents the probabilities and expected returns for pay table 2 related to the Pair Bonus bet. The lower right cell reveals a house edge of 3.38%.

Prime Analysis

The next table indicates the probabilities and returns for the Pair Bonus wager. In the bottom right corner, a house edge of 3.62% is shown.

All 6

The table below offers my evaluation on the All 6 bet. The combinations were derived from my own findings. Probabilities in Poker The lower right corner highlights a house edge of 10.22%.

External Links

• Play Three Card Prime at the Galaxy Gaming web site.
• Discussion about Three Card Prime in my forum at Wizard of Vegas.

Written by: Michael Shackleford