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Stork
10-06-2004, 06:31 PM
You ante, if you like your hand you play. If you fold, you lose your ante. If you win, you're payed 1 to 1 on both the ante and the play bet. If dealer doesn't qualify (with Queen high or better), ante is payed 1 to 1 and the play bet is a push.

If all this is correct, can someone explain to me why the house has a 3.4% edge?

If you calculate the average winning hand, and only play when you have it beat, shouldn't that give the player a huge edge? Not to mention the bonus payouts on the ante for having a good hand.

I realize that sometimes you'll be folding a winner, but is that strong enough to tip the scales in the house's favor?

*And yes, I'm intentionally ignoring the Pair Plus option.
Iceman
10-06-2004, 08:33 PM
http://wizardofodds.com/games/threecardpoker.html

"Optimal strategy in ante and play is to raise if you have a queen/6/4 (that is a queen, 6, and 4 all in the same hand) or greater, regardless of the bonus pay table. Overall the player stands to lose 8.66% of the original wager but win 5.29% on the bonus."

The main reason for the house advantage is that when you have a weak hand and the dealer has an even weaker hand, you'll fold and lose the ante bet when you would have beaten him. This factor outweighs your gains from the bonus payouts on strong hands.
LokiV
10-06-2004, 11:07 PM
The same principle that gives the house a small edge in blackjack then? Acting last is a big deal.
Iceman
10-07-2004, 09:17 AM
[ QUOTE ]
The same principle that gives the house a small edge in blackjack then? Acting last is a big deal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly.
Ed Miller
10-07-2004, 11:41 AM
If dealer doesn't qualify (with Queen high or better), ante is payed 1 to 1 and the play bet is a push.

What would happen to the house edge if they bumped the qualifier up to a pair of deuces?
Iceman
10-07-2004, 12:47 PM
[ QUOTE ]
If dealer doesn't qualify (with Queen high or better), ante is payed 1 to 1 and the play bet is a push.

What would happen to the house edge if they bumped the qualifier up to a pair of deuces?

[/ QUOTE ]

Since the dealer would only qualify 26% of the time, the player would have a huge edge if he just raised every hand.
Stork
10-07-2004, 05:04 PM
thanks.