Three Card Poker Rules and How to Play | What to Know Before Your First Game at a Korean Casino

Three Card Poker is a game where you compare the strength of your three-card hand against the dealer (the house). Unlike Texas Hold'em Poker, you do not compete against other players. Your opponent is the dealer.

This article explains the rules and payouts based on the game guide on the official Paradise Casino website (checked on September 29, 2026). Payouts may vary by casino and table, so follow the signs at the table where you play and the instructions from staff. This article explains the rules. It is not a way to win.

Three Card Poker at a glance

• You play against the dealer. You and the dealer each get three cards, and the hands are compared
• First you bet on the "Ante." After looking at your cards, you make one decision only: fold, or "Play" (add a bet equal to your Ante)
• If you continue with Play and the dealer has less than Queen-high, there is no showdown, and only your Ante is paid at 1 to 1
• Three-card hands, from highest to lowest: straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card
• The optional Pair Plus bet pays based only on your own hand, regardless of the result against the dealer

Three Card Poker vs. the hand "three of a kind"

"Three of a kind" is the name of a hand with three cards of the same rank (in Japanese it is called "three card," which is easy to confuse with the name of this game). The hand also exists in regular five-card poker. The five-card hand rankings are covered in Texas Hold'em Poker rules and how the game works. "Three Card Poker" is the name of the three-card game covered in this article.

Hand rankings

Because hands are made with three cards, the rankings are different from regular five-card poker. The official guide ranks the hands as shown below, from highest to lowest.

With three cards, a straight ranks above a flush, and three of a kind ranks above a straight. This is how it differs from five-card poker.

How a round works

• Ante: Place a bet on the "Ante" spot to join the game. If you want, also bet on the optional Pair Plus at this point
• Everyone receives three cards. Look at your cards and decide whether to fold or continue
• To fold, push your cards toward the dealer, and your Ante is collected. To continue, place a bet equal to your Ante on the "Play" spot
• The dealer reveals their cards. If the dealer has less than "Queen-high" (a highest card of Queen), there is no showdown, and only your Ante is paid at 1 to 1
• If the dealer has Queen-high or better, the hands are compared. If the dealer's hand is higher, your Ante and Play bets are collected. If your hand is higher, your Ante and Play bets are each paid at 1 to 1

According to the official guide, players are not allowed to share information about their cards with each other during the game.

Ante bonus and Pair Plus payouts

According to the official guide, a player who bet on the Ante receives a bonus for certain hands, separate from the result against the dealer (when the dealer has Queen-high or better).

The official guide also mentions a progressive jackpot at the table, with an accumulating payout for three of a kind or better. Because the amount changes, this article does not cover it.

Which casinos in Korea offer it

Of the 8 main casinos covered on this site, Three Card Poker has been confirmed at 3: Paradise City, INSPIRE Casino, and Paradise Casino Busan.

The three Seven Luck Casino locations (Gangnam COEX, Seoul Dragon City, and Busan Lotte Hotel) offer "Seven Luck Poker," which the official website describes as a game where the player and the dealer each receive three cards and compare the strength of their hands. We could not confirm on the official website whether it uses the same rules as Three Card Poker, so check the signs at the table or ask staff (checked in October 2026).

Things to check before you play

Five-card hand rankings are covered in Texas Hold'em Poker rules and how the game works, and how to buy chips and exchange money is covered in Chips and currency exchange at Korean casinos. Decide how much you will spend at the casino before your trip, and stay within that amount. The 8 casinos covered on this site are for foreign visitors only (Korean nationals are not admitted) and are open to visitors aged 19 and over.

The house edge (the share you lose on average) for Pair Plus and for Ante + Play is calculated in our side bets feature.

Summary

In Three Card Poker, you join with an Ante, look at your three cards, and make one decision only: fold or continue with Play. Keep in mind that how the round is settled depends on whether the dealer has less than Queen-high, and that the hand rankings are specific to three cards.