Unraveling the Mysterious 3 Cards Rules

The “3 - card” game can refer to different games with their own sets of rules. Here is one common type:

Three - Card Poker Rules

I. Basics

1、Number of players

- It can be played between a player and a dealer, usually in a casino setting, or among multiple players in a home - style game where one player acts as the dealer for each round.

2、The deck

- A standard 52 - card deck is used.

II. Hand rankings (from highest to lowest)

1、Straight Flush

- This is a hand where all three cards are of the same suit and in consecutive rank. For example, a 4 - 5 - 6 of hearts. In the case of three - card poker, an Ace - 2 - 3 is the lowest possible straight flush, and a Queen - King - Ace is the highest (excluding the Ace - King - Queen which is a special case in some poker variants).

2、Three of a Kind

- All three cards have the same rank, such as three 7s.

3、Straight

- The three cards are in consecutive rank but not of the same suit. For example, a 5 of clubs, 6 of spades, and 7 of diamonds.

4、Flush

- All three cards are of the same suit, but not in consecutive rank. For example, a 2 - 7 - 10 of spades.

5、Pair

- Two of the three cards have the same rank. For example, two Jacks and a 5.

6、High Card

- If a hand does not fit into any of the above categories, the value of the highest - ranked card in the hand determines its strength. For example, if a hand consists of a 9, a 4, and a 2, the 9 is the high card.

III. Gameplay

1、Ante and Play bets

- Players start by placing an “ante” bet before receiving their cards. After seeing their cards, they can choose to either “fold” (give up their ante bet) or make a “play” bet, which is usually an amount equal to the ante bet.

2、The dealer's hand

- The dealer must have a Queen - high or better hand to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, players who made the play bet will receive a payout equal to their ante bet (but they lose their play bet). If the dealer qualifies:

- Players with a higher - ranked hand than the dealer will be paid according to the paytable, which typically pays out odds for different hand rankings against the dealer's hand. For example, a straight flush might pay out 40:1 on the ante bet and 1:1 on the play bet. A three - of - a - kind might pay 30:1 on the ante bet and 1:1 on the play bet, etc.

There are also other “3 - card” games in different cultural and gambling contexts, each with their own unique rules.

“3 Cards” is a popular card game in China, and its rules are relatively simple. The following is a detailed explanation of the rules of the game:

Game Preparation

Players: 3 - 4 players (the number of players can be adjusted according to the actual situation).

Cards: Use a deck of playing cards (excluding the big and small kings), with a total of 52 cards.

Dealing Cards

The dealer shuffles the deck and deals out all the cards one by one in a clockwise direction until each player has 17 cards.

The remaining 3 cards are placed face down in the center of the table as a “card pool”.

Card Ranking

Single card: A < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 < 6 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 10 < J < Q < K.

Straight: Five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit but not in sequence, such as 2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - 10.

Full House: Three cards of the same rank plus two cards of another rank, such as three 7's and two 3's.

Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, such as four 8's.

Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6.

Turn Progress

The game progresses in a clockwise direction around the table. Players take turns playing cards according to the following steps:

1、Playing Cards: On each round, the active player must play at least one card from their hand. The first card played must match the rank or suit of the top card in the discard pile (or the first card played if it's the first round). Subsequent cards played must match either the rank or suit of the previously played card.

2、Passing: If a player cannot play any card, they can declare “pass” and skip their turn.

3、Winning Round: The last player to successfully play a card wins the round and collects all the cards played in that round, placing them aside as their won cards.

4、Scoring and Winning

- The game continues until one player wins all the rounds and collects all the cards. This player is declared the winner.

- Alternatively, if time is limited, the game can end after a set number of rounds, and the player with the most won cards is declared the winner.

Special Rules

If a player plays all their cards before anyone else, they win the game instantly.

Some variations of the game may allow special cards or jokers, which can serve as wild cards or have special functions.

These are the basic rules of the “3 Cards” game. Different regions and groups may have slight variations in rules, so it's advisable to clarify the specific rules before starting the game.