Three card poker doesn’t require a lot of complex strategy. The basic strategic decision of whether to increase your bet or fold is easy. If your hand is Q-6-4 or better, you should increase your bet. If it is worse than that, you should fold. There aren’t a lot of complex rules to learn, but some tips can improve your play, increase your winnings, or just make sure that you have a better time overall.

Here are some basic 3 card poker tips that should help you out at the casino tables.

If you’re playing online, you can afford to shop around for a better pay table. The best pay table available is one where a straight flush pays 5:1, three-of-a-kind pays 4:1, and a straight pays 1:1 on the ante bonus. If you’re playing at a casino, you won’t have the option of shopping around.

If the pay table for pairs plus puts the house edge higher than the house edge for the regular game, don’t play pairs plus. Ignore the appealing jackpots and stick to the statistics.

Don’t play when you’re tired or you’ve had too much to drink. You’ll forget basic strategy, make foolish mistakes, and bet too much. If you’re tired or drunk, find something to eat and somewhere to sleep. You’ll come out ahead overall.

Forget about betting systems. Unless you have a budget of millions of dollars and the table has no limits, betting systems will inevitably wipe you out. In three card poker, you are expected to win much fewer than half of the hands, so a system like the Martingale system is far more dangerous in three card poker than it would be even in a game like blackjack or roulette.

Don’t worry about the guy next to you. Whether he wins or not does not affect your win. Cheer him on to keep the atmosphere nice, but don’t overdo it. Just say congratulations if he gets a big win.

Tip the dealer. If you’re friendly and tip him nicely when you win, he’ll make sure that no one steals your wallet and that there’s a chair for you if you get up to use the restroom.

Don’t chase losses. The difference between a fun afternoon of gambling and a day of gambling gone wrong is chased losses. Decide exactly how much you can afford to spend at the table. If you spend it all, leave, no matter how certain you are that you’re close to winning.

Have a top goal in mind too. Decide that if you’re up 50% over what you came in with, you’ll pocket your winnings. Most people at the three card poker table get up quite a bit, only to lose it all chasing a jackpot.

Have fun! Don’t think of three card poker as an investment. Think of it as entertainment. If you enjoyed yourself, it’ll take some of the sting away, even if you do come out behind. These 3 card poker tips are just given as guidelines to help you out at the tables. Remember, 3 card poker is a casino game so the odds are stacked in favour of the house. But if you use our tips and our basic strategy, you’ll give yourself the best shot!