3 Card Poker - Simple? Q-6-4?

[Malak]

You lose the pair plus but you get paid even money on your ante while your raise is pushed back to you. So in the end, instead of losing pair plus and ante, you even out. That's why some speculate that you play every hand since the changes of dealer qualifying is the same chance as you qualifying.

If you don't have a qualifying hand, the chances are greater that the dealer does. It is absolutely retarded to play every hand, there is a reason the Q-6-4 rule was made.

 

[gorcorps]

Being lucky != playing perfectly.

If you're up $1500, who gives a shit?

 

[gorcorps]

Also, I'm of the opinion that if you go gambling with the intent of winning you will be frustrated and stressed out. No fun comes from an expectation of winning because you rarely do. It's even worse if you have a system in mind as it's harder for you to walk away when you should because you have a plan. "I'm down now, but if I stick to the plan it'll come back up." People get into trouble this way.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Wait, what?
Losing the Pair Plus is still losing.
You get your ante back, so you lose 1/2 your wager, which is still a loss.

No, you get your raise back. They pay you your ante.

If you don't have a qualifying hand, the chances are greater that the dealer does. It is absolutely retarded to play every hand, there is a reason the Q-6-4 rule was made.

No, it isn't retarded. If you fold, you have 100% chance of losing both ante and pair plus. If you don't fold, the dealer has 3 less cards to not qualify but you still have a chance to get your money.

 

[whattaguy]

Learn to count in blackjack. You'll have a small percentage advantage over the house. I've used this method with all standard rules of hitting and staying.

2-6 cards = +1
7-9 cards = 0
10, face cards, and Aces = -1

Always keep a running count of every card played on the table and divide it by the number of decks remaining.

If the running count is +1, double the minimum bet; if it's +2, triple the minimum, and so on.

If the count is high, always take insurance on the dealer's ace card.

Those are the basics from what I remember.

However, if the deck's in a constant shuffle, this won't work.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Learn to count in blackjack. You'll have a small percentage advantage over the house. I've used this method with all standard rules of hitting and staying.

2-6 cards = +1
7-9 cards = 0
10, face cards, and Aces = -1

Always keep a running count of every card played on the table and divide it by the number of decks remaining.

If the running count is +1, double the minimum bet; if it's +2, triple the minimum, and so on.

If the count is high, always take insurance on the dealer's ace card.

Those are the basics from what I remember.

However, if the deck's in a constant shuffle, this won't work.

If they're using 6 decks it'll also end up being shuffled before you can get an edge, and all single deck tables now a days pay out less for blackjack which removes the edge you could get.

 

[whattaguy]

If they're using 6 decks it'll also end up being shuffled before you can get an edge, and all single deck tables now a days pay out less for blackjack which removes the edge you could get.

Didn't know that. The last time I played blackjack a lot was over 10 years ago. I always came out ahead. I guess things changed.

 

[Malak]

No, it isn't retarded. If you fold, you have 100% chance of losing both ante and pair plus. If you don't fold, the dealer has 3 less cards to not qualify but you still have a chance to get your money.

No, it is retarded. If you play a hand that isn't at least queen high, that means there is more chance the dealer has a qualifying hand. It also means you are putting more money into a very probable losing hand. This is poker 101, you always do the right move because over time it pays out. The right move is folding anything that is lower than Q-6-4, although I personally prefer something a bit stronger. I don't go to a casino to lose money. I like 3-card because you have a lot better chance of making money on this game than most others.

 

[edro]

The right move is folding anything that is lower than Q-6-4, although I personally prefer something a bit stronger.

From the sites I have read, holding out for a stronger hand than Q-6-4 just means you are folding slightly more, which increases the 3.3% house edge.
At first, I thought the same way, that a slightly stronger hand (Q-7-5 or K-x-x) would be a better strat, but it's not.

I understand DrunkenSano's point, that a fold is 100% failure of 2 bets, so it seems more like a wash.

I don't know enough about statistics to do an analysis, so I trust the guys that write the books on it.
And they say Q-6-4 is the best sweet spot to bet on and above.
Anything else and you are diverting from the 3.3% minimum house edge.

 

[Malak]

From the sites I have read, holding out for a stronger hand than Q-6-4 just means you are folding slightly more, which increases the 3.3% house edge.
At first, I thought the same way, that a slightly stronger hand (Q-7-5 or K-x-x) would be a better strat, but it's not.

I understand DrunkenSano's point, that a fold is 100% failure of 2 bets, so it seems more like a wash.

I don't know enough about statistics to do an analysis, so I trust the guys that write the books on it.
And they say Q-6-4 is the best sweet spot to bet on and above.
Anything else and you are diverting from the 3.3% minimum house edge.

Your strategy changes depending on how many players are there. If it is a full table, you can modify what cards you will stick with based on how many at the table fold. If 2 people fold, your Q-6-4 looks weak because chances are the dealer has a qualifying hand, and it will most likely beat yours. Assuming everyone that folded understands how the game is played of course.

 

[Schfifty Five]

So is a hand like Q-7-3 better or worse than Q-6-4?

 

[Malak]

So is a hand like Q-7-3 better or worse than Q-6-4?

Better.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Better.

So what makes a hand better than Q-6-4?

I know that something like 10-10-2 is better since u made a pair, but Q-7-2 is better than Q-6-4?

 

[edro]

So what makes a hand better than Q-6-4?

I know that something like 10-10-2 is better since u made a pair, but Q-7-2 is better than Q-6-4?

They say to look at the first 2 cards, so Q-7-2 is good and so is K-2-3.
Of course all pairs, straights, flushes are better as well.

It is extremely simple to play and practice online. You can go through about 10 hands in a minute.

To get Blackjack 's minimum house edge, you have to remember numerous strategies and double down and split at certain times.
3 Card Poker is simple compared to blackjack (which is pretty simple).

 

[Malak]

So what makes a hand better than Q-6-4?

I know that something like 10-10-2 is better since u made a pair, but Q-7-2 is better than Q-6-4?

If you have queen high and the dealer has queen high, then you break the tie by looking at the next highest card. 7 obviously beats a 6. The third card is irrelevant at this point.