The live version of this game is just about the same as the land-based version, or the RNG version, in the sense that its rules generally don’t differ. However, it does, of course, allow you to play the game with an actual person dealing out the cards, rather than a computer. There are two modes of play when it comes to the game as well, which are the ‘Ante’ and ‘Play’ wagers, which play in competition on the player hand against the dealer hand. The ‘Pair Plus’ wager is paid out on the basis that the player hand will be a pair or better. Most casinos will offer both the ‘Ante’ and ‘Pair Plus’ bets as optional choices, although a few force the ‘Ante’ to be mandatory.

Once you’ve placed any bets on these options, three cards will be dealt to each player and the dealer. Any players who have chosen to place the ‘Ante’ wager will then have a choice to either fold or continue, which requires them to place a ‘Play’ wager equal to their ‘Ante’. The cards are then turned over. The dealer hand needs to be a ‘Queen High’ or better for it to qualify. If the dealer isn’t able to play, there is no action on play wagers and ante wagers are paid 1 to 1. However, if the dealer does qualify, the dealer and player hands are compared. Should your hand lose, both ante and player gambles are lost. If your hand wins, both the ante and play wagers are paid 1 to 1. Of course, winning hands are those relative to well-known poker hands, such as ‘Straight Flush’ (three suited cards in sequence) and ‘Three of a Kind’ (three cards of the same rank).

Sometimes, you’ll find 3 Card Poker games with an Ante Bonus, which is paid to the ante wager for a straight or better. This is paid out regardless of whether or not the dealer plays, and regardless of whether the dealer or player has the better hand. The ‘Pair Plus’ wager loses if you as the player have less than a pair and win with a pair or better. This pay off applies regardless of how the dealer’s hand looks, as this is not in competition with the dealer hand.