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California Three Card Poker

Last update: Mar. 21, 2008

Introduction

California Three Card Poker is a variation of traditional Three Card Poker, played in some of the poker casinos of Los Angeles County. The game is still titled "Three Card Poker", but I add the "California" to distinguish it from the standard rules. The rules are the same as played in Nevada, except as follows.

  • One dealer card is dealt face up.
  • If the dealer doesn't qualify, then the player must still beat or tie the dealer to win the ante.
  • There are no ante bonuses.
  • There is a fee to play, usually 1% of the amount bet, rounded UP to the nearest dollar.

Here are the rules in their entirity.

Rules

  1. A single 52-card deck is used.
  2. Hards are scored accoring to poker rules, except the rank of hands is as follows.

    Straight flush
    Three of a kind
    Straight
    Flush
    Pair
    Ace high or less

  3. Player makes an ante wager.
  4. The player and dealer each receive three cards. One of the dealer's cards is dealt face up, and two face down. The player's cards are dealt face down, which the player may examine.
  5. The player may either fold or raise.
  6. If the player folds, then he forfeits his cards and ante wager.
  7. If the player raises, then he must make a raise wager equal to his ante wager.
  8. The dealer will turn over his cards.
  9. The dealer needs at least a queen high to qualify.
  10. If the dealer does not qualify, and the player's hand beats or ties the dealer's hand, then the player's ante will pay 1 to 1, and the raise will push.
  11. If the dealer does not qualify, and the dealer's hand beats the player's hand, then the player's ante and raise will push.
  12. If the dealer does qualify, and the player's hand beats the dealer's hand, the the player's ante and raise will pay 1 to 1.
  13. If the dealer does qualify, and the dealer's hand beats the player's hand, then the player's ante and raise will lose.
  14. If the dealer does qualify, and the player's hand ties the dealer's hand, then the player's ante and raise will push.

Strategy

The following table shows the optimal strategy according to the player's hand (down) by the dealer's up card (across). Obviously, if the player has a flush he should always raise.

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California Three Card Poker Strategy
Player 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 T J Q K A
A,9,2 and higher: Always raise
A,8,7 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,8,6 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,8,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,8,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,8,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,8,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,7,6 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,7,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,7,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,7,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,7,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,6,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,6,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,6,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,6,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,5,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,5,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,5,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,4,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,4,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
A,3,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R R
K,Q,J R R R R R R R R R R R R R
K,Q,T R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,9 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,8 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,7 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,6 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,Q,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,T R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,9 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,8 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,7 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,6 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,J,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,9 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,8 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,7 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,6 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,T,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,8 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,7 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,6 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,5 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,4 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,3 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,9,2 R R R R R R R R R R R R F
K,8,7 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,8,6 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,8,5 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,8,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,8,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,8,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,7,6 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,7,5 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,7,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,7,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,7,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,6,5 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,6,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,6,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,6,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,5,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,5,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,5,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,4,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,4,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
K,3,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,T R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Q,J,9 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,8 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,7 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,6 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,5 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,J,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,9 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,8 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,7 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,6 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,5 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,T,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,8 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,7 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,6 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,5 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,4 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,3 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,9,2 R R R R R R R R R R R F F
Q,8,7 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,8,6 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,8,5 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,8,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,8,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,8,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,7,6 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,7,5 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,7,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,7,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,7,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,6,5 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,6,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,6,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,6,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,5,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,5,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,5,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,4,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,4,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
Q,3,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,9 R R R R R R R R R R R R R
J,T,8 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,7 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,6 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,5 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,T,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,8 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,7 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,6 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,5 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,9,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,8,7 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,8,6 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,8,5 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,8,4 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,8,3 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,8,2 R R R R R R R R R R F F F
J,7,6 R R R R R R R R R 2 F F F
J,7,5 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,7,4 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,7,3 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,7,2 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,6,5 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,6,4 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,6,3 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,6,2 R R R R R R R R R F F F F
J,5,4 R R R R R R 1 R R F F F F
J,5,3 R R R R R R 1 R R F F F F
J,5,2 R R R R R R 1 R R F F F F
J,4,3 R R R R R 1 1 R R F F F F
J,4,2 R R R R R 1 1 R R F F F F
J,3,2 R R R R 1 1 1 R R F F F F
T,9,8 R R R R R R R R R R R R R
T,9,7 R R 2 1 1 R R R R F F F F
T,9,6 R R 1 1 R 1 R R R F F F F
T,9,5 R R 1 R 1 1 R R R F F F F
T,9,4 R R R 1 2 2 R R R F F F F
T,9,3 R R 1 2 2 2 R R R F F F F
T,9,2 R R 2 2 2 2 R R R F F F F
T,8,7 R R 2 2 1 R R 2 R F F F F
T,8,6 R R 2 1 R 1 R F R F F F F
T,8,5 R R 1 R 1 1 R F R F F F F
T,8,4 R R R 2 2 2 R F R F F F F
T,8,3 R R 2 2 2 2 R F 1 F F F F
T,8,2 R R 2 F 2 2 R F 2 F F F F
T,7,6 R 1 F 1 R R F F F F F F F
T,7,5 R R 2 R 1 R F F F F F F F
T,7,4 R R R 2 2 R F F F F F F F
T,7,3 R R F F F 1 F F F F F F F
T,7,2 R 1 F F F 2 F F F F F F F
T,6,5 R 1 2 R R F F F F F F F F
T,6,4 R R R 2 R F F F F F F F F
T,6,3 R R F F 1 F F F F F F F F
T,6,2 R 1 F F 2 F F F F F F F F
T,5,4 R R R R F F F F F F F F F
T,5,3 R R F R F F F F F F F F F
T,5,2 R 1 F 2 F F F F F F F F F
T,4,3 R R R F F F F F F F F F F
T,4,2 R 1 1 F F F F F F F F F F
T,3,2 R R F F F F F F F F F F F
9,8,7 R R R R R R R R R R R R R
9,8,6 2 F F F F F 1 R F F F F F
9,8,5 2 F F F F F 2 1 F F F F F
9,8,4 1 F F F F F F 2 F F F F F
9,8,3 1 1 F F F F F F F F F F F
9,8,2 R F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,7,6 F F F F F 1 F F F F F F F
9,7,5 F F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,7,4 2 F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,7,3 2 1 F F F F F F F F F F F
9,7,2 R F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,6,5 F F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,6,4 F F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,6,3 F 2 F F F F F F F F F F F
9,6,2 R F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,5,4 F F F F F F F F F F F F F
9,5,3 F 2 F