3 Hand Casino Hold’em
By: Play ‘n Go
Review of 3 Hand Casino Hold’em Poker by Play ‘n Go.
You may have given Texas Hold’em a go online yourself, but as a newb, you were at the mercy of the many shark-like players hunting all the poker rooms across the internet. Of the many card games that exist in the world, poker is probably only second to Contract Bridge to play when it comes to difficulty, as you can win hands with bad cards if you are a decent-enough player.
If you want to play Texas Hold’em but don’t want to end up with an empty wallet, then there are alternatives, such as playing freeroll poker where the stakes are tiny are even poker for play money. You can also play ‘Casino Hold’em’ which is a version of Texas Hold’em where you play against a dealer as opposed to other poker players. The dealer will never try and bluff you, either, as they must adhere to the rules of the game.
One of the most popular versions available of Casino Hold’em is 3 Hand Casino Hold’em from software company Play ’n Go. If you are a frequenter of online slots sites, then you are probably familiar with the Play’ n Go name as they make many great five-reel video slots for online play. They also make casino games too – blackjack, roulette, and this version of the casino version of Texas Hold’em poker.
The bonus with this game is easy to work out. As poker can sometimes be a slow game as opposed to, say, blackjack or baccarat, you can speed up play by playing three hands against the dealer at the same time.
How to Play 3 Hand Casino Hold’em
First up, you have to know how to play poker to play Casino Hold’em. In most forms of poker, you have to obtain the best poker hand, and poker hands normally consist of five cards. There are eight possible types of hand available (although there are 101,836,800 possible hands in total – all ranked) and winning is all about obtaining the best hand (or, in table poker play, making your opponents believe that you have the best hand possible). You will need to learn all the possible poker hands before you play this game.
In all forms of Hold’em, you are only dealt with two cards. After a round of betting three further cards (known as ‘the flop’) are dealt face up in the centre of the table. Two more cards (‘the turn’ and ‘the river’) are added to the face-up cards after subsequent betting rounds. After all, betting is complete all remaining players (if there is more than one) reveal their hands, and the best hand takes the betting pot.
With 3 Hand Casino Hold’em, it’s only you against the dealer. You can play one, two, or all three hands at once. The game starts with an ‘ante’ bet which you need to make to play. Select your chips from those available and place them on the ‘ante’ space in front of you.
You will then be dealt with two cards, and three community cards (‘the flop’ as mentioned above) will be dealt onto the middle of the table. You may fold at this stage if you think you have no chance, losing your ante bet. You can continue to play by pressing the ‘call’ button. This will add a bet to the table that’s worth double your ante bet.
If you call then two further cards will be dealt with the centre of the table, and the dealer’s hand is revealed. Both you and the dealer will now form your best hand from the seven cards available.
The dealer must have a minimum of a pair of fours to ‘qualify’. If the dealer does not qualify, then you win back double your ante bet, and your call bet is returned.
If the dealer has a higher-value hand than you, then you lose both your ante bet and your call bet. If you have a higher-value hand than the dealer, then you win back double your ante bet and the return on your call bet in line with the following table:
| Your Hand | Return |
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 20:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 10:1 |
| Full House | 3:1 |
| Flush | 2:1 |
| Straight | 1:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 1:1 |
| Two Pair | 1:1 |
| One Pair | 1:1 |
| High Card | 1:1 |
If you wish, you can pay the ‘AA’ side bet. If you pay this and land at least a pair of aces, then your side bet is returned in line with the following table:
| Your Hand | Return |
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 50:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 40:1 |
| Full House | 30:1 |
| Flush | 20:1 |
| Straight | 7:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 7:1 |
| Two Pair | 7:1 |
| Pair of Aces | 7:1 |
All other hands will lose your ‘AA’ side bet.
Once the hand is complete, you can select ‘Rebet’ to bet at the same levels of the previous game or change your stake as you so wish.
Game Rules
- Game is played with a normal deck of cards.
- Hand ranking is done via normal poker rules.
- ‘AA Bonus’ side bet is optional.
Graphic and Sounds
Graphically this game does all that it needs to do without any unnecessary flashiness. The cards are easy to read, so it’s never hard to work out the strength of your hand and the dealer’s hand. The software is just as easy to use.
The audio is simply a smooth jazz track (that can be turned off if you don’t like it) plus announcements made by a female dealer’s voice.
Final Thoughts
Fancy a relaxed, stress-free poker game at a decent pace? Then Play ’n GO’s 3 hand Casino Hold’em is the game that you have been looking for! You won’t get the same kind of thrill as from playing ring games, but you won’t be devoured by the poker sharks either!
13 Apr. 2019, by Ari Waknine
