Most Australian players sign up at online casinos to play pokies. But there are some other exciting casino games on offer as well. One of them is called Vegas Three Card Rummy. It is live at Australian online casinos like Joe Fortune and Ignition Casino.
If you have played Gin Rummy then you will find some similarities. Certain card combinations count as zero points. These are a pair, three of a kind and runs of at least two cards of the same suit. The remaining cards are valued as follows: cards from twos to nines are valued at their face values; aces are valued at 1 point and all other cards are valued at 10 points. A lower hand value is better in Three Card Rummy. However, you play against the house and not against other players.
Three Card Rummy is played with a single standard deck of 52 cards. You start by placing the mandatory ante bet. You have the option of placing the bonus bet as well. You will be dealt three cards face up and the dealer will be dealt three cards face down. If you think that your hand is not good enough then you can fold. In this case you will lose the ante wager and the main game will end. If you raise then then you must place another bet equal to the ante bet. The dealer’s cards are turned over.
If the dealer hand has more than 20 points then the dealer does not qualify. The ante bet pays even money and the raise bet pushes. If the dealer qualifies with 20 points or less then the hand with the lower count wins. If your hand is lower, the ante bet pays even money and the raise bet pays according to the payout table. If the dealer’s hand is lower, both the bets lose. If both hands are of the same value, then both bets push. The bonus bet pays if your hand count is 12 or less, irrespective of whether you win or lose the main game. The payout is made according to a separate payout table.
The optimum strategy for Three Card Rummy is simple. You should raise if your hand count is 20 points or less. This will result in a house edge of 3.2%. The bonus bet offers a house edge of 3.5%. This is about the same as the main game and therefore you should also place the bonus bet.