Play Three Card Brag Online for Free

Three Card Brag is a British card game coming from the 16^th century. It has some resemblance to poker, but its betting style and hand rankings are totally different.

Three Card Poker requires a standard 52-card deck. With three ways to play and four ways to win the game, it has a relatively high RTP of 99%. Players have a chance to bet against the dealer, bet on their own three-card hand, or do both things simultaneously. To master the game, some basic rules must be learned.

How to Play Three Card Brag

When a game of Three Card Brag begins, all players acquire hands of three cards each. Considering the quality of their hands, they decide whether to bet or fold. The game doesn’t stop until two players stay. Eventually, the player with the best hand becomes a winner.

A good hand always secures a victory. But a good hand isn’t always easy to get. This is where bluffing becomes a real thing. Players can bluff until the showdown in order to mislead the other players.

To play Three Card Brag, players have to stick to the standard rules. Here they are.

The Ante Bet

At the beginning of the game, players who want to be involved in the game need to place their bet on the table. This bet is known as the “Ante.” Its value is usually indicated in the table’s rules.

The Deal

Now that it’s clear who continues the game, the dealer gives three cards to each player.

The Betting

Now, players have two options to choose from:

• Bet – Those players who continue playing the hand place a bet of the same value as their Ante. Let’s say that their Ante is $5. Then, their bet is also going to be $5.
• Fold – Those players who aren’t sure about their hand can fold and leave the hand. Thus, they don’t need to put more money at stake. But they should accept the loss of their Ante.

When players decide whether they want to continue the game or not, they should ask themselves a simple question: “Is my hand good enough to guarantee some wins?”

The Showdown

Three Card Brag consists of one betting round. If players carry on with the game, they are allowed to see the dealer’s cards. At this moment, they find out how much they win with their hand (if any). In the case of loss, they need to give all their chips to the dealer. Meanwhile, the dealer can take over the game only with a Queen or any higher card in its hand.

Hand Rankings and Odds

Hand rankings in Three Card Brag are different from traditional poker. Here are the potential hands along with their odds:

• Straight Flush (three cards of the same suit like 10C, 9C, 8C or 8H, 7H, 6H)
• Three of a kind (three cards of the same rank like 5D, 5H, 5S or 10S, 10H, 10C)
• Straight (three cards of consecutive rank like JS, 10H, 9C or 8D, 7C, 6H)
• Flush (three cards of the same suit like QH, 9H, 4H or 10S, 4S, 2S)
• Pair (two cards of the same rank like 9S, 9D, 2C or AC, AH, 8D)
• High Card (three cards that don’t repeat the above hands like KC, 8H, 4D)

When comparing two hands, the hand that involves the highest ranking card is viewed as the highest ranking hand.