Poker; Test Your Knowledge in 3 Card Poker discussed in Poker/Gambling at Wizard of Vegas (2024)

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I have recently been playing 3 card poker a lot, not the 'drop' or 'guts' type that the Wizard has written about, but various 3 card games with a discard and draw . I certainly was playing them wrong at first.

I'll test *your* knowledge with this question, though I suppose it's possible to prove I'm wrong or have the question messed up

In a 3 card poker game each player dealt 3 cards, *with a one card discard and one card draw*, with discard before draw rule, 7 players, rank of hands as below.... if you are dealt a pair, don't want to fold till you discard and draw for [say] complicated reasons, should you ...

* keep any pair, discarding the odd card, in all cases
* keep the pair if QQ or better, discarding the odd card, in all cases
* keep 2 to a straight draw, open ended or inside, or a flush draw, thus breaking up any pair, if possible
* keep 2 to an open ended straight draw, or a flush draw, if possible, otherwise keep any pair and draw to it

compare your answer before and after you go to this blogpost https://wizardofvegas.com/member/odiousgambit/blog/#post2933

the rank of hands in 3 card poker is always:

straight flush
3 of a kind
straight
flush
pair
high card

the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder

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Quote: odiousgambit

I have recently been playing 3 card poker a lot, not the 'drop' or 'guts' type that the Wizard has written about, but various 3 card games with a discard and draw . I certainly was playing them wrong at first.

I'll test *your* knowledge with this question, though I suppose it's possible to prove I'm wrong or have the question messed up

In a 3 card poker game each player dealt 3 cards, *with a one card discard and one card draw*, with discard before draw rule, 7 players, rank of hands as below.... if you are dealt a pair, don't want to fold till you discard and draw for [say] complicated reasons, should you ...

* keep any pair, discarding the odd card, in all cases
* keep the pair if QQ or better, discarding the odd card, in all cases
* keep 2 to a straight draw, open ended or inside, or a flush draw, thus breaking up any pair, if possible
* keep 2 to an open ended straight draw, or a flush draw, if possible, otherwise keep any pair and draw to it

compare your answer before and after you go to this blogpost https://wizardofvegas.com/member/odiousgambit/blog/#post2933

See Also

Play Wizard online from your browserPlay Free Card Games Online - Solitaired

you should break up the pair if you have any kind of straight or flush draw

the rank of hands in 3 card poker is always:

straight flush
3 of a kind
straight
flush
pair
high card
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What casinos offer that game, and what are the table minimums?? Is there a "pair plus" option?

tuttigym

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I'm thinking the usual game is 'no discard, no draw' in the casino

the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder

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Joined: Nov 9, 2009

I think there is probably some interest here for 3 card poker, but only for the casino game. Additionally, there may be very few who are playing home poker games with Dealer’s Choice.

But in case I’m wrong, here is another question to try with the same parameters as above, except let’s say everyone checked, and no player typically sandbags, giving you an irresistible free draw. You have a bad hand but 2 cards to a flush and 2 cards to an inside straight [but not a straight flush draw]. Should you discard to try to get the straight or the flush? I’ll post my opinion if I get participation

the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder

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Joined: Feb 18, 2015

Quote: odiousgambit

I think there is probably some interest here for 3 card poker, but only for the casino game. Additionally, there may be very few who are playing home poker games with Dealer’s Choice.

But in case I’m wrong, here is another question to try with the same parameters as above, except let’s say everyone checked, and no player typically sandbags, giving you an irresistible free draw. You have a bad hand but 2 cards to a flush and 2 cards to an inside straight [but not a straight flush draw]. Should you discard to try to get the straight or the flush? I’ll post my opinion if I get participation
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I'll take a shot.

So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.

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Quote: gordonm888

Quote: odiousgambit

I think there is probably some interest here for 3 card poker, but only for the casino game. Additionally, there may be very few who are playing home poker games with Dealer’s Choice.

But in case I’m wrong, here is another question to try with the same parameters as above, except let’s say everyone checked, and no player typically sandbags, giving you an irresistible free draw. You have a bad hand but 2 cards to a flush and 2 cards to an inside straight [but not a straight flush draw]. Should you discard to try to get the straight or the flush? I’ll post my opinion if I get participation
link to original post

I'll take a shot.

With a single opponent, I would draw to two suited cards rather than two connected cards with a gap.

- Drawing to 2 suited cards gives you 11 outs to make a flush.
- Drawing to an inside straight gives you only 4 outs for the straight.

However with 6 opponents with random hands it is likely that one or more opponents will have a hand in the range of a flush/straight and that a random flush hand will have a fairly low chance of winning. Its probably a close decision. I haven't done the math but I will guess that drawing to a straight is better.

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It’s a trick question you should:

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but that is the way to bet.

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Quote: gordonm888

I'll take a shot.

Uh?

oh good

Quote:

With a single opponent, I would draw to two suited cards rather than two connected cards with a gap.

- Drawing to 2 suited cards gives you 11 outs to make a flush.
- Drawing to an inside straight gives you only 4 outs for the straight.

However with 6 opponents with random hands it is likely that one or more opponents will have a hand in the range of a flush/straight and that a random flush hand will have a fairly low chance of winning. Its probably a close decision. I haven't done the math but I will guess that drawing to a straight is better.

link to original post

the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder

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Joined: Feb 18, 2015

Quote: unJon

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: odiousgambit

I think there is probably some interest here for 3 card poker, but only for the casino game. Additionally, there may be very few who are playing home poker games with Dealer’s Choice.

But in case I’m wrong, here is another question to try with the same parameters as above, except let’s say everyone checked, and no player typically sandbags, giving you an irresistible free draw. You have a bad hand but 2 cards to a flush and 2 cards to an inside straight [but not a straight flush draw]. Should you discard to try to get the straight or the flush? I’ll post my opinion if I get participation
link to original post

I'll take a shot.

With a single opponent, I would draw to two suited cards rather than two connected cards with a gap.

- Drawing to 2 suited cards gives you 11 outs to make a flush.
- Drawing to an inside straight gives you only 4 outs for the straight.

However with 6 opponents with random hands it is likely that one or more opponents will have a hand in the range of a flush/straight and that a random flush hand will have a fairly low chance of winning. Its probably a close decision. I haven't done the math but I will guess that drawing to a straight is better.

link to original post

It’s a trick question you should:

Bet and win the pit from all those weak hands now, or thin the ranks at least.

link to original post

So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.

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Joined: Jul 1, 2018

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: unJon

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: odiousgambit

I think there is probably some interest here for 3 card poker, but only for the casino game. Additionally, there may be very few who are playing home poker games with Dealer’s Choice.

But in case I’m wrong, here is another question to try with the same parameters as above, except let’s say everyone checked, and no player typically sandbags, giving you an irresistible free draw. You have a bad hand but 2 cards to a flush and 2 cards to an inside straight [but not a straight flush draw]. Should you discard to try to get the straight or the flush? I’ll post my opinion if I get participation
link to original post

I'll take a shot.

With a single opponent, I would draw to two suited cards rather than two connected cards with a gap.

- Drawing to 2 suited cards gives you 11 outs to make a flush.
- Drawing to an inside straight gives you only 4 outs for the straight.

However with 6 opponents with random hands it is likely that one or more opponents will have a hand in the range of a flush/straight and that a random flush hand will have a fairly low chance of winning. Its probably a close decision. I haven't done the math but I will guess that drawing to a straight is better.

link to original post

It’s a trick question you should:

Bet and win the pit from all those weak hands now, or thin the ranks at least.

link to original post

1. The problem statement says that you have a bad hand (which in this case must mean low ranks) and an irresistable free draw, and then asks flush draw? or inside straight draw? So executing a squeeze play on my wager didn't seem to be part of the options I was asked about.

2. Everything depends upon the kind of players at the table, but most poker analysts I know would assume that, adopting your strategy, there is a greater than 50/50 chance of being called by 1 (or perhaps 2) of the 6 opponents. That just too many opponents, IMO. Someone might even have a low pair which is unlikely to improve and unlikely to win against 6 opponents (hence they limped) but might be the favorite against a single opponent (me!) Why go super-aggro and put so many chips at risk when I can limp for free and draw and see whether my hand is pig-poop or a likely winner, a straight? I concede that reasonable people might disagree on this, though.

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I was being tongue in cheek (though I would raise in that spot a non-trivial fraction of the time).

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but that is the way to bet.

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Quote: unJon

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: odiousgambit

I think there is probably some interest here for 3 card poker, but only for the casino game. Additionally, there may be very few who are playing home poker games with Dealer’s Choice.

But in case I’m wrong, here is another question to try with the same parameters as above, except let’s say everyone checked, and no player typically sandbags, giving you an irresistible free draw. You have a bad hand but 2 cards to a flush and 2 cards to an inside straight [but not a straight flush draw]. Should you discard to try to get the straight or the flush? I’ll post my opinion if I get participation
link to original post

I'll take a shot.

With a single opponent, I would draw to two suited cards rather than two connected cards with a gap.

- Drawing to 2 suited cards gives you 11 outs to make a flush.
- Drawing to an inside straight gives you only 4 outs for the straight.

However with 6 opponents with random hands it is likely that one or more opponents will have a hand in the range of a flush/straight and that a random flush hand will have a fairly low chance of winning. Its probably a close decision. I haven't done the math but I will guess that drawing to a straight is better.

link to original post

It’s a trick question you should:

Bet and win the pit from all those weak hands now, or thin the ranks at least.

link to original post

ha ha I missed this while posting

one aspect is indeed position. In dealer's choice, maybe you are the one making this game happen, and thus in excellent position.

the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder