Casino Poker Rules: Three Card Stud
The Basics
In common with its big brother, five-card stud, this Poker pits the player head-to-head with the casino's dealer and not other players at the table. This game requires the player to beat the dealer's hand, following a single deal of three cards from a standard deck.
Two bets are possible in this game.
The Ante bet - as with other casino Pokers this is the basic compulsory bet in order to play a hand.
The Pair Plus bet – this is a supplementary bet, with a higher risk. The player is betting on receiving a hand ranking at least a pair or higher.
A player isn't obliged to make both bets but must bet the minimum Ante to play. Once the bet(s) are made the dealer deals himself and the player three card hands, face down. The player then has an opportunity to assess the strength of their hand, following which they may fold or raise their bet (doubling their Ante being the minimum). If they choose to do the latter, the dealer's hand is then revealed and the hands' rankings compared to determine the winner. The dealer must have a hand of at least Queen High to even compete so the following outcomes are possible:
- The dealer's hand doesn't qualify. The player's ante bet wins and a pair plus bet is returned.
- The dealer's hand qualifies and ties with the player. The ante and any pair plus bets are pushed back to the player.
- The dealer's hand qualifies and is beaten. The player wins a payoff linked to the ranking of their hand and the type of bet or bets they chose to make.
Hand Rankings
With only three cards, the Poker rankings used for this casino game differ from the usual Poker rankings. They are, in order from highest to lowest:
| Hand | Description |
| Straight Flush | Three cards in consecutive order from the same suit. |
| Three Of A Kind | Three cards showing the same number or picture. |
| Straight | Three cards in consecutive sequence in any combination of suits. Highest ranking Straight is A, K, Q and lowest 4,3,2. |
| Flush | Three cards of the same suit. |
| One Pair | One pair of cards showing the same number or picture. |
| Queen to Ace High | Three cards with no consecutive sequence, or matching suits featuring at least an Ace, King or Queen. |
| Jack High or less | Three cards with no consecutive sequence, or matching suits and none higher than a Jack. |
Typical Payoffs For a Winning Hand - Pair Plus Bet
| Hand | Payoff |
| Straight Flush | 40 to 1 |
| Three Of A Kind | 30 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 |
| Flush | 4 to 1 |
| One Pair | 1 to 1 |
Typical Payoffs For a Winning Hand - Ante Bet Bonus
| Hand | Payoff |
| Straight Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Three Of A Kind | 4 to 1 |
| Straight | 1 to 1 |
Playing Online
Three Card Stud Poker is not so common among the games you'll find at UK online casinos. Where you do find it, such as at Virgin Casino, it is always worth check the casino's own game guides to know how its specific game is operated and discover any variations or bonus features it adds to the basic rules we've outlined above. Also if there is a facility to play that online casino's game in ‘for fun' mode, play a few hands that way to get used to the player controls before you get stuck into your real money bets.
