Three Card Blackjack Rules and How the Game Works
Three Card Blackjack is a simple twist on classic blackjack that restricts players to three cards. It’s one of the lesser-known blackjack game variations, and it’s only available in a handful of casinos, but it’s still worth a look.
What is Three Card Blackjack?
Traditionally, a game of blackjack deals two cards to the player and two to the dealer. Both of the player’s cards are face-up, but only one of the dealer’s cards is exposed. The player and dealer can then hit/double/split and receive as many cards as they want until they bust.
Three Card Blackjack is slightly different, as the player and dealer are limited to three cards. Some of these variants begin by dealing three cards, but others start with two and limit hit cards to just one.
What are the Rules of Three Card Blackjack?
We have encountered two different versions of this game. They seem to be referred to as 3 Card Blackjack and Three Card Blackjack, respectively, but it’s likely that these names are used interchangeably.
The rules are similar but with a few tweaks:
Variant 1
- The game uses a single deck of 52 cards.
- The player places an ante bet and a side bet, known as Ace Plus.
- The dealer and player get three cards. Player cards are face-down (the player can look). One of the dealer’s cards is face-up.
- The player can raise or fold after checking their hand.
- Following a fold, the player loses their hand but maintains the side bet.
- The winning hand is the highest-scoring one (under 21), consisting of two or all three cards.
- Blackjacks pay even money.
Variant 2
- The game uses six decks of cards.
- The player gets two face-up cards. The dealer also gets two cards, one of which is face-up.
- Players can hit or stand, but can only hit once.
- The dealer is also limited to a single hit.
- Players can split Aces but can’t split any other pairs.
- A “Poker Play” side bet is available.
- Blackjacks pay even money.
Side Bets in Three Card Blackjack
Three-card blackjack variants offer two side bets: Ace Plus and Poker Play. Other side bets may also be available depending on the casino and game.
Ace Plus
The Ace Plus side bet pays when the player has an Ace in their three-card hand. The more Aces they have, the higher the payout will be.
A hand of three Aces offers a payout of up to 100:1, while two Aces and a 10 returns 25:1. An Ace and any two other cards also pays, although it only rewards even money.
Two or three Aces might seem very achievable, but it’s worth remembering that this side bet typically applies in single-deck games, so there are only four Aces in the deck to begin with. For this reason, the probability of receiving a hand with three Aces is just 0.000181 or 0.018%.
Poker Play
Poker Play is a variation of side bets like 21+3 and Top 3. It’s a blackjack 3-card wager based on the player’s final hand. The player receives a payout if they form a poker hand, as shown on the game’s paytable.
It’s an optional wager, and the outcome isn’t dependent on the outcome of the main hand—it’s possible to win the main hand and lose the side bet, and vice versa.
Conclusion: Play Three-Card Blackjack
Three-card blackjack is not as common as other variations. Reports suggest that it first appeared in Las Vegas in 2010, and various casinos in Washington are also said to host the game. It seems to have made its way to the Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel in Mississippi, and judging by the way popular variants spread, it’s fair to assume that it’s available at many other casinos.
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Blackjack Common Queries
How do you play 3 card blackjack?
You only have three cards to play with and may be limited when it comes to splitting. Other than that, the rules are very similar to basic versions of blackjack, so play a few games for low stakes until you get used to it.
Which has better odds, blackjack or 3-card poker?
Blackjack has better odds. Although there are many versions of this game, they nearly always have a house edge under 1%. On the other hand, 3-Card Poker hovers between 3% and 5%.
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