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PLAYING TIPS for 3 CARD DROP with DRAW POKER

HOW TO PLAY ​3 CARD DROP with DRAW POKER 
​3 Card Drop with Draw Poker is a simple three card poker game but possess a potentially high risk.   There is an initial ante, then each player is dealt 3 down cards, followed by 1 round of betting.  Each player may now discard and draw up to 2 cards to his hand. From that point there is no further drawing or betting.  Each player must now decide if they wish to stay in the game or drop out.   This is done by all players simultaneously declaring play or drop (fold) by means of chips:
          No chip in hand = drop.        One chip in hand = play.
Here is what happens after declaration:   The best 3 card hand wins with this ranking: high card, pair, flush, straight, trips, straight flush (why is a straight ranked higher than a flush?  See the discussion and probabilities table for 3 card poker at the bottom of this page.)  
 
If only 1 player declares "play" that player wins the pot. 
If no players declare "play" replay the game.  
If 2 or more players declare "play" showdown hands.
Best 3 card hand wins the pot. 
Losing hand(s) match the pot.  Add this money to the next pot.


​Additional versions of 3 Card Drop with Draw are described at the bottom of this page.
SUMMARY of ACTION:
All players ante.
Deal 3 hole cards to each player.
Bet
​Draw Cards (maximum 2 cards)
Simultaneous declaration: "play" or "drop"
If only 1 player declares "play" that player wins the pot. The game is over.
If no players declare "play" replay the game.  All players ante again.
When 2 or more players declare "play" showdown hands.
Best 3 card hand wins the pot.
Losing hand(s) match the pot.
Replay game.  All players ante again.​
PLAYING TIPS for 3 CARD DROP with DRAW POKER 
The only way to gauge the strength or weakness of an opponent's hand is by their play before the draw and, if they draw cards at all, the number of cards they draw.   You have your cards and now you either play them or not.  Non-playable hands should be obvious.  How strong a hand you think you need to play is your big decision. You should decide what you consider to be the minimum hand you will declare "play" with ahead of time and stick with it.  If you do not have a hand that meets that minimum strength you should drop out.  As the pot grows larger and your risk increases, consider raising your minimum hand strength threshold.  Apart from factoring in your own style of play, you also need to know your opponents to help you with that decision.  Where are they on the risk-taking scale?  Where are you?  It then becomes basically a risk to benefit decision.  You'll need to know the probabilities of being dealt or drawing to various hands, so review the 3 card poker probabilities charts at the bottom of this page.

There are 3 key elements to 3 Card Drop with Draw that you absolutely must consider beforehand:
  1.  The game does not end until only one player declares "play".
  2.  As the game keeps repeating the pot keeps increasing.
  3.  As the pot keeps increasing your potential loss increases.
There is the potential to create huge pots and win or lose sums well beyond your normal limits or expectations and comfort levels. There is also the potential for a lot of tension and ill-will between players when a losing player must pay an unusually large sum into a pot.  This is not a game for the faint of heart and probably not suitable for a "friendly" game of poker.   You can limit the pots by reducing the additional antes to a fraction of the initial ante, eliminating re-antes altogether after a few rounds and by exempting a loser from also having to make a re-ante.  You may also wish to place a maximum cap on the amount losers must pay. 
​
When there is a lot of money in the pot it may occur to you that the other players will be reluctant to remain in the game and that you will be able to steal the pot with any hand just by having the nerve to declare "play". This is a risky idea!  You need to take at least 3 things into consideration: the other players' tendencies, will this same idea occur to them, and will they be dealt a hand that's actually strong enough to play?  You only have an idea of the first two factors.  Even the timidest player could be dealt or draw a very strong hand and if they are you're beaten badly.  If you are against another risk taker you might barely beat them, but you may just as easily lose to only a marginally better hand.  When the "ghost hand" version of the game is used (see below), additional risk is added making this tactic far less desirable to attempt.​ 
HAND RANKING & PROBABILITY TABLE
There is a very important detail you must make sure is worked out before you play 3 Card Drop with Draw poker.  That is the matter of the ranking of straights and flushes.  In every 5-card version of poker a flush beats a straight.  That's because it is mathematically harder to get a flush than a straight with 5 cards.  But the mathematical fact of 3 card poker is that it is harder to be dealt a pat straight than a pat flush. It is also more difficult to make a one card draw to a straight versus a flush.  (There are 8 cards to complete a straight; 11 cards to complete a flush.)  Therefore, probability-wise, their ranking should be reversed.  You absolutely must make sure everyone is well aware of this beforehand.  If not, when a player with a flush goes against a player with a straight it is very likely to result in a big argument.    
THE DEAL
The probabilities below are the chances for an individual player being dealt these hands in the initial deal.  For an 8 player game expect that at least one player will be originally dealt a pair or better almost all the time, a flush or better over 50% of the time,  a straight or better nearly  30% of the time.
Never play a hand that is not either a pat hand or a one card draw hand.
3 Card Hand
Straight Flush
3 of a Kind
Straight
Flush
Pair
Percent Probability
0.22%
0.24%
3.26%
4.96%
16.9%

Odds Probability
454:1
416:1
30:1
19:1
5:1
This Hand or Better 
---
0.46%
3.72%
8.68%
​25.58%
THE DRAW
The opportunity to draw cards means that overall final hand strengths will improve and become stronger.  Also, even if not dealt a pat hand, players will frequently be dealt starting hands that have strong one card draws.   It is also common to be dealt hands that contain 2 or even 3 possible draws.  For example:
                                                                A pair plus straight draw:   K♣ K♥ Q♠          Draw to 3 of a kind vs straight?
                                                                    A pair plus flush draw:   K♣ K♥ 3♥            Draw to 3 of a kind vs flush?
                                                             A pair plus straight flush draw:  K♣ K♠ Q♠      Draw to 3 of a kind vs straight flush?
                                                                 2 straight cards plus 2 flush cards:  K♠ Q♥ 8♠      Draw to flush vs straight?

With these types of hands you are faced with making a decision as to which of the draws you choose or even giving up pat hands in order to draw to a better hand.   Consider these choices carefully.  For example:  with a hand like K♣  Q♠  7♠  you can draw a flush more often than a straight but, a straight is a higher ranked hand so stands a better chance of winning.
You may also be faced with being dealt a pat hand, but also having a draw to a stronger hand.  For example, a pat flush with straight and straight flush draw like:   T♠  9♠  4♠  or   K♥  8♥  7♥.
These examples show why deciding ahead of time on the minimum hand strength you will play is of vital importance as it will guide your decision.  
PROBABILITIES of ONE CARD DRAW to HANDS
Approximate chances of improvement when holding these hands and drawing one card.
Holding
Pair
2 to Flush
2 to Straight (open)
2 to Straight (inside)
2 to Straight Flush (open)*
​2 to Straight Flush (inside)**
Drawing 1 Card To
3 of a Kind
Flush
Straight
Straight
Straight Flush
​Straight Flush
# of Cards to Make Hand
2
11
8
4
2
​1
Probability
4%  (24:1)
22%  (3.5:1)
16%  (5.3:1)
8%  (11.5:1)
4%  (24:1)
​2%  (48:1)
* This hand also has 18% chance of making a flush &  12% chance of making a straight.
** This hand also has 20% chance of making a flush &  6% chance of making a straight.
​ADDITIONAL VARIATIONS of 3 CARD DROP with DRAW POKER

Short Version:  This version of 3 card drop with draw will result in a quicker game, smaller pots and reduced likelihood that it will cost the loser(s) a lot of money. As in the long version, when only 1 player declares "play" they win the entire pot and when no one declares "play" the players re-ante and play again. However, in this short version, when more than 1 player declares "play" the winner takes the pot plus each loser must match the pot and pay it to the winner.  The game then ends.
​
With Ghost Hand:   Play exactly like 3 Card Drop with Draw but deal an additional hand to a "ghost" player.  The "ghost" hand is only revealed when just one player declares "play".  When that occurs, the "ghost" hand is exposed.  The "play" player's hand must beat the ghost hand in order to win the pot.  If it does not, that player must pay the pot and the game continues.  The ghost hand must remain secret, so it does not draw and must stand pat with its 3 original cards.  
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