Free Casino Games / 3 Card Poker / The 6 Card Bonus in 3 card poker
The 6 Card Bonus in 3 card poker
The 6 Card Bonus is a side bet that uses your three cards and the dealer's three cards together. The best five-card poker hand out of those six is paid by a table, starting at three of a kind. It is a separate bet from the Ante and Pair Plus.
How it works
- Before the deal, you place a 6 Card Bonus bet next to your other bets.
- You and the dealer each get three cards.
- When the dealer's cards are shown, all six cards are put together, and the best five of them make a regular five-card poker hand.
- Three of a kind or better pays. Anything less loses.
Because it uses five-card poker hands, the normal poker order applies here: a flush beats a straight, and full houses and four of a kind count. That is different from the three-card ranking used for the Ante and Pair Plus. The three-card ranking.
Odds of each hand
There are 20,358,520 ways to deal six cards from one deck. Counting the best five-card hand in each:
| Hand | Ways | Chance | One in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 188 | 0.0009% | 108,290 |
| Straight flush | 1,656 | 0.008% | 12,294 |
| Four of a kind | 14,664 | 0.072% | 1,388 |
| Full house | 165,984 | 0.82% | 123 |
| Flush | 205,792 | 1.01% | 99 |
| Straight | 361,620 | 1.78% | 56 |
| Three of a kind | 732,160 | 3.60% | 28 |
| Less than three of a kind | 18,876,456 | 92.72% |
The bet wins 7.28% of the time, about once in 14 hands.
Pay tables and house edge
The 6 Card Bonus is paid "to 1" by a table, and the tables differ. Here are two versions and their house edge, worked out from the counts above:
| Hand | Table A | Table B |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Straight flush | 200 | 200 |
| Four of a kind | 100 | 50 |
| Full house | 20 | 25 |
| Flush | 15 | 15 |
| Straight | 10 | 10 |
| Three of a kind | 7 | 5 |
| House edge | 8.56% | 15.28% |
Three of a kind is the line that matters most. It comes about once in 28 hands, so its pay, 7 or 5, is the biggest single difference between the two tables.
How it compares with the main bets
The Ante and Play with the Q-6-4 strategy have a house edge of 3.37% of the Ante, and Pair Plus on the 1-4-6-30-40 table has 2.32%. The 6 Card Bonus, at 8.56% to 15.28%, costs several times more per bet. You are paying for the chance at a big hit: a royal flush at 1,000 to 1. 3 card poker odds.
Does it change the strategy?
No. The 6 Card Bonus doesn't change when to play or fold your Ante. Play queen-6-4 or better and fold the rest. The Q-6-4 rule.
On this site
Our free game plays the Ante, Play, Ante Bonus and Pair Plus. If you want to learn the main game and the one decision in it, that is where to start.
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Questions
How does the 6 card bonus work in 3 card poker?
It takes your three cards and the dealer's three, and pays on the best five-card poker hand in those six. Three of a kind or better wins.
What does the 6 card bonus pay?
It depends on the table. A common version pays 1,000 to 1 for a royal flush, 200 for a straight flush, then 50 to 100 for four of a kind, down to 5 or 7 for three of a kind.
What are the odds of winning the 6 card bonus?
7.28%, about once in 14 hands. Three of a kind, the most common winner, comes about once in 28.
What is the house edge on the 6 card bonus?
From about 8.6% to 15.3% on the two tables above. Both are well above the Ante (3.37%) and Pair Plus (2.32%).
Does the 6 card bonus change 3 card poker strategy?
No. Play queen-6-4 or better and fold the rest, with or without a 6 Card Bonus bet.
More: How to play 3 card poker · 3 card poker rules · 3 card poker strategy · 3 card poker payouts · 3 card poker hands · 3 card poker odds · Pair Plus in 3 card poker · How to win at 3 card poker · Practice 3 card poker