3 card brag rules
To start a game give the cards a good shuffle. This is the only time the pack is shuffled unless a prial (3 of a kind) is dealt. 3 card brag is part of the bluffing family when it comes to card games.
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3 card brag, rules, hand rankings & how to play!
Brag comes in many forms, not just the most popular 3 card version. 7 card brag, 9 card brag and even one called bastard brag were and still are popular even today.
Below is the most comprehensive and informative guide to playing 3 card brag. If you’re looking for a specific rule or part of the game overall then using the quick links below will help you narrow down your criteria.
3 card brag rules
Getting the 3 card brag rules in place before starting a game for real money is one of the most important things you can do.
This ensures everyone knows what’s going on and saves disagreements or worse as the game progresses.
Here we take a complete look at the rules and how to play 3 card brag. Further down we go through the 3 card brag hand rankings with a quick reference guide.
If you want to learn how to play? Then sit back, relax and get ready to read as we pretty much take a walk through of a hand and how to play 3 card brag.
Quick rules guide:
- The cards are never shuffled unless a prial is shown
- A run beats a flush
- Ace – 2 – 3 is the highest run
- 333 is the highest prial and highest hand
- Caller loses if 2 identical hands are shown
- A blind man can raise an open man
- An open man can NOT raise a bling player
- When 2 players remain an open player can call a blind player after 3 rounds of 1v1 betting
- All 3 cards count in a hand. A – K – 7 would beat A – K – 6
- Play always moves clockwise
Dealing the cards
Grab a pack/deck of cards from behind the bar, find some waifs and strays with a few quid in their pockets, pull some chairs up to a strange round table that you don’t all quite fit around, and you’re ready to play!
To start a game give the cards a good shuffle. This is the only time the pack is shuffled unless a prial (3 of a kind) is dealt.
Whoever has the cards simply dealt one card face up to each player in a clockwise direction starting on your immediate left. Whoever has the highest card is the dealer.
2 cards the same value? No problem, deal those players another card again clockwise until someone wins. Ready? Thank F$uk for that, now lets play.
Once you have established the first dealer the game can get started. At this point, all players place an ante into the pot. The dealer then deals 1 card at a time to each player in a clockwise direction. That means you deal to your left and play always goes in this direction throughout the game.
Once all players have 3 cards face down with the dealer dealing himself the final card it’s up to the player to the left of the dealer to either bet, fold, look (open) or don’t look (playing blind). Let’s look at how the betting works in more detail.
Betting in 3 card brag
The betting used may seem a bit strange or complicated at first. However, it really is pretty simple and you will get the hang of it quite quickly.
3 card brag hands
Along with learning the rules to this game, understanding the 3 card brag hands is equally important. There are a few unique hands that rank higher than you may well expect.
Poker players, for example, will get confused as to whether a flush beats a run or vice versa. So below are the 3 card brag hand rankings to help you play.
Also, remember a run is known as a straight in poker. It’s a RUN in brag so don’t bring your poker lingo into this real mans card game.
Brag hand rankings high to low
- A prial: 333 is the highest followed by AAA, KKK, QQQ, 222 being the lowest
- Running flush: (a run all the same suit) A-2-3 is the highest followed by A-K-Q. 2-3-4 is the lowest
- A run: 3 cards in value order. A-2-3 is the highest followed by A-K-q, K-Q-J and so on down to 2-3-4
- A flush: all 3 cards the same suit. Value counts so the highest flush is A-K-J, the lowest being 2-3-5
- A pair: all 3 card values count again so K-K-A would beat K-K-Q for example. Aces are the highest pair followed by kings, queens and so on.
- High card: ace high is the highest but again all 3 cards add value to the and. A-K-J would beat A-K-10 for example.
The main points to remember where 3 card brag hands are concerned are:
- A flush beats a run
- A 2 3 is the highest run
- 333 is the highest hand
- All 3 card count
Hopefully, that’s cleared things up a bit.
The history of 3 card brag
3 card brag is a 16th-century british card game and one of the early ancestors of poker. The elizabethan card game primero (from as far back as 1526) is thought to be the main influence behind brag.
3 card brag is part of the bluffing family when it comes to card games. In reality bluffing rarely comes into it and it’s usually just about who has the most bottle!
3 card brag was immensely popular in the 1980s and 1990s and played in most pubs or clubs for real money.
The explosion of UK poker sites and texas holdem, in particular, which stemmed from the USA caused the game of brag to lose its popularity. Yet, it’s still played today and I expect it to make a huge comeback within the next few years.
Amazingly 3 card brag in its best multiplayer form is not yet available online, multi-player poker yes, brag no. You can play 3 card brag online against the casino by choosing one from the list below.
Online casinos with 3 card brag
Before we get too excited multiplayer 3 card brag you would play against other people isn’t available online yet. This is very disappointing but something that should change over the next few years.
You can, however, play 3 card brag against the casino in where the excitement and history are noticeable. I suppose the fact online casinos dish out a welcome bonus is a reason to give it a go at the very least.
Three card poker rules
3 card poker is an interesting twist on what remains one of the most fiercely competitive card games on the planet.
The idea of 3 card brag, or 3 card poker, is that the simple elements of the game at large are repackaged into a casino format to be played alongside other standards such as blackjack, craps or roulette.
Before you get started at any given online casino, it’s worth bearing in mind the basic three card poker rules. While you will largely be able to play for free before you cast too much of your own cash in, isn’t it a good idea to get yourself acquainted with a game before you get too involved?
Each and every game can be that little bit different, especially when it comes to live poker – meaning that there’s never been a better time to start looking at the play basics as well as a few tips on how to get that competitive edge.
Three card game rules
Three card game rules revolve around the simple premise of any and all players competing directly against the house. With this in mind, you are playing a game alongside a main dealer – one who is playing on behalf of the house – and you’re only ever going to be making up hands with 3 cards at a time.
It’s an inventive and modern way for you to try your poker playing skills at something a little different – and as you are effectively playing against the house as well as others, on a live or emulated basis, the game has just gotten that little bit more intense.
The casino is always playing to win – which means knowing the rules and the basics before you get started is only ever going to be in your favour. Why go in blind?
3 card brag rules
3 card brag rules are deceptively simple – here is a brief breakdown of what to expect:
- All bets are taken, before players receive 3 cards each, which remain hidden to all other players.
- Players can now bet or fold. If they wish to fold, they are out of the game – this usually happens if you have a bad hand – betting must, therefore, take place if you have equal or higher to the previous player’s wager – and this keeps continuing round the table until only a maximum of two players remain.
- You can pay to see the other player’s hand at this point, though this will cost double your bet – and if your hand is better, you must prove it. If equal or worse, you can fold.
- The winner is the last player standing, or, in the event of a draw, the player who hasn’t paid to see the other’s cards.
If you are unsure how to play 3 card brag online you’ll be able to find instructions and people to help you when you join a site. You can also find plenty of promo codes and bonuses from the various sites to help make the most of your money.
Three card brag rules
The above three card brag rules apply generally – but, as stated, you’ll largely be playing against a dealer when playing online.
Other players can line up at the table and play against the dealer, too – but unlike larger games of poker under standardised rules and conditions, the 3 card approach at online casinos is largely to see you compete against the house. This may make things a little more intensive, but no less fun.
There’s also plenty of chances for you to win big off the back of premium bets and wagers, too, meaning that this is a game which you can genuinely diversify to your advantage.
It’s also worth remembering that, in this game, you are more or less playing a table game over a poker game – while it holds many of the same rules and traits of out-and-out poker classics, you are playing one-on-one with the dealer most of the time.
For one thing, due to the limited number of cards in your hand, you’re going to find that holding a straight is more valuable than holding a flush.
How to play 3 card poker
There are normally three different bets you can make at a poker table – all of which can come into play fairly early on when learning how to play 3 card poker altogether.
- The ante bet – your basic bet
- The play bet – if you ‘fold’ your ante bet, you forfeit it – but if you choose to ‘play’, you need to match it
- The pairplus bet – pairplus bets allow you to claim extra winnings if you make a 3 card poker containing a pair or greater.
We will look at winning hands in more detail in a dedicated guide – but you can expect straight flushes, three of a kinds and straights to be your most valuable hands if you’re punting with your pairplus.
Essentially, the three bet types allow you to make your move in what remains a very strategic game – online guides will likely go into much more detail, but if you already know the basics of poker, you are already more than 75% of the way there.
3 card rules
3 card rules for online and table play allow you to bring your poker a-game to a one-on-one standoff. It’s amazingly intense at times, especially in the live casino arena! Check out the best sites currently offering live 3 card poker.
How to play three card poker and win
Many players will ask how to play 3 card poker and win – it’s about strategy, and even about luck. Take a look at our quick rundown of strategies, but in the meantime, brush up on three card poker rules!
All tips and tricks strategies
We recommend having a look at our 12 top tips for three card poker if you are looking to play.
Check out the in-depth list of tips and tricks strategies for various online games.
The full list shows the various strategies for online gambling sites.
3 card brag rules
OBJECTIVE OF BRAG: win the money in the pot by remaining in the hand and/or having the highest ranking hand.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4-8 players
NUMBER OF CARDS: 52-card decks
RANK OF CARDS: A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2
TYPE OF GAME: gambling
AUDIENCE: adult
INTRODUCTION TO BRAG
Brag, or three card brag, is a descendant of the spanish game primero. It is very similar to the popular card game in india, nepal, bangladesh, and trinidad teen patti, which means literally in hindi ‘three cards’.
Brag is popular british gambling game which employs the skill bluffing to deceive other players.
There are several variations of brag which use anywhere between 4 and 13 cards, although 6,7,9, and 13 card brag have a very different game mechanism.
THREE CARD BRAG
Set up
Before starting the game, players must agree upon:
- The amount of the initial stake or the ante – a forced bet each player must make before each deal.
- Minimum and maximum bet amounts – a bet the first player must make to stay in the hand.
- The limit on how much bets can be raised, if any.
- Any variations on the traditional rules.
Hand rankings (from high to low)
- PRIAL: prial is short for “pair royal.” three cards of equal rank, for example, K-K-K
- RUNNING FLUSH: three cards in sequences of the same suit. A-2-3 is a viable run and actually the highest, despite A being the highest ranking card. A-K-Q is the second highest run/running flush. 2-A-K is not a valid flush or run.
- RUN: three cards in sequence of any suit. Running flushes beat all runs.
- FLUSH: three cards, not in sequence, of the same suit. For example, if all cards are spades, 7-10-Q is a flush.
- PAIR: in a three card hand, a pair is having any two cards of equal rank. For example, A-A-J.
- HIGH CARD: A three card hand that doesn’t form any of the above combinations relies on high card- that is the highest ranking card. For example, in this hand: 5-10-K, K is the high card.
Suits are not ranked so equivalent hands are possible.
The ante & the deal
Prior to each deal, players must agree upon an ante. The ante must be paid by each player to the pot before the deal can begin. The deal and the play passes clockwise, the deal passes to the left with each hand.
Before the first deal, the dealer shuffles the cards. After, the cards are only shuffled if the last hand was ‘seen’ and was won by a prial. For the most part, cards are not shuffled between hands.
The dealer passes each player three cards, face-down, one at a time. Players have the option to look at their cards, but they do not have to. However, a player’s cards must remain secret from all other players in the game. There is only one exception to that, which is when the betting round ends with a “see.”
Betting
After the cards have been dealt betting starts with the player to the left of the dealer. The first bettor has two options: fold (throw down their cards and sacrifice their ante to the pot), or bet anywhere between the minimum and maximum amounts. If all but one player folds as betting continues the remaining player wins the pot and a new hand dealt.
If a player bets, the following players must either fold or make a minimum bet equal to the previous bet. Players may raise the bet, but it must be within the limit decided upon mutually by all other players.
In the event there are only two players left in the game, and all others have folded, there is another option available. Players may see the other’s cards. To see a player must pay twice the amount of the previous. If you pay to see another player’s card, they expose their hand first. If your hand is better than your opponents, expose it to collect your winnings in the pot. If your hand is worse or equal to your opponents, it is not necessary to reveal your hand, they win the pot. Reminder, if hands are equal, the player who paid to see loses the hand.
Betting does not end until all but one player drops out or there are two players left and one pays to see the other.
Here is an example of turn of betting in a four player game, note there is no equalizing of bets as in poker:
Player A bets 3 chips, player B bets 3 chips, player C folds, player D bets 3 chips, player A must bet at least 3 chips to stay in the hand.
As a rule of etiquette, never fold out of turn.
Running out of money
Brag is rarely played with table stakes, as in poker. Table stakes means players keep all the money they are playing without on the table, in brag players keep much of their money in their pockets. However, there is typically a minimum players must have on the table.
If you do not have enough money to bet but would like to stay in the hand you may cover the pot by betting all the money you have, putting it in the pot, and placing your cards face down on top. Players continue as normal but place their bets in a new pot. After the new pot is square, the winning hand is exposed. The hand covering the pot is compared with the winning hand, the old pot is won by the higher ranking hand. If the hands tie the winner of the new pot wins the old pot as well.
Covering the pot may be exercised when there are only two players left in the hand, however, the betting round ends. Some players, instead, practice that if there are two players and one runs out of money they must either: borrow money to bet or show their cards to potentially win the pot.
Playing blind
Any player has the option to play blind. Playing blind means you do not look at your cards and keep them on the table, face-down. Blind player’s bet normally but their bets are worth double. This means they only have to bet half the minimum or previous bet of an open player.
If you’ve been playing blind on a hand, when it is your turn to bet you always have the option of looking at your cards before choosing to bet or fold. However, this means you are now an open player and must bet equal to other open players to remain in the hand. You may not revert back to blind on that hand.
In the event you are playing blind and all other players fold, you do not win the pot. The pot continues on to the next hand.
Rules of seeing with blind players:
- You are open and your opponent is blind: you are not allowed to see a “blind man,” you may either bet or fold as normal, but you are not permitted to see.
- Both are blind: paying twice the blind (equal to an open bet) allows for hands to be compared. Normal seeing rules apply.
- You are blind and your opponent is open: your opponent can not see your cards but you may see theirs. Pay twice the blind stake in order to see.
Retaining a blind hand
If you have a blind hand and all other players fold you may keep that hand for the next deal. The dealer will still deal you three cards so that you have two hands. You have three options:
- Look at the new hand
- Look at the old hand
- Play double-blind
If you look at a hand you must decide if you want to keep it or fold immediately. Keeping the hand means you fold the other. You play as an open player, not a blind one. If you fold the hand you looked at, you may play blind with the other hand.
You may choose to look at neither and play both hands blind. If on your turn you decide to look at a hand you must follow the rules described above.
In the unlikely event you are the last player standing at the end of this hand, with two blind hands, you must sacrifice one. You cannot have three blind hands. You may only look at one hand.
VARIATIONS
Four card brag
The same rules are three card brag apply but players receive four cards as opposed to three. Players who look at their hands may dispose of one card to make the best three card hand they can. If there is a tie between two hands, the fourth card is the decider of the winning hand- high card wins. If those cards are also equal it is a tie.
Blind players keep all four cards on the table, if they decide to look at them, they must dispose of one card.
Five card brag
Played exactly like four card brag except players discard two cards as opposed to just one.
Wild cards
Brag can also be played with wild cards, referred to as floaters. Players must agree upon the details of wild cards before the game begins. Here are the common options:
- All 2s are wild OR
- Only black 2s are wild OR
- One-eyed jacks are wild (jack of hearts and jack of spades) OR
- Suicide king is wild (king of hearts) OR
- A joker or both jokers
Wildcards can be used to represent any card. In the case of equal hands, the natural hand- the hand without the wild card(s)- wins. A hand with fewer wild cards beats one with more.
3 card brag: A complete guide with rules, strategies and where to play for free
If you are new into casino card games, the first and the most basic game that may be recommended to you is known as 3 card brag. It is basically a british card game originating in the 16th century that became widely popular in the upcoming years.
Currently, this game is played by millions of gamblers in numerous regions who can try out their luck in this game against real players or against live dealers in an online casino. If you are interested in 3 card brag, check out our detailed guideline on this game.
3 card brag basics you need to know
The game is almost similar to poker but played with 3 cards. Though the idea of the poker games that we see today were inspired by 3 card brag, and it took an even longer time for the ancient game to come to online casinos.
Traditionally, it is played against a few players where everyone is given 3 face-down cards. Players need to continue betting or folding their cards until one bets with the highest hand and wins the pot.
In online casinos, the game is simplified and takes place between the player and the dealer. The key objective of this online 3 card brag is to end the game with a higher valued hand than the dealer’s.
As you can assume from the name of the game, ‘brag’ or ‘bluff’ is pretty common in 3 card brag. Somehow it enhances the thrill of this card game and makes it more appealing to the witty players.
How to play 3 card brag at online casinos
A 3 card brag game starts with 52 playing cards which are shuffled when a new hand is played. Depending on the online casino you choose, you can play this game within a range of £1 to £1000. Before you begin 3 card brag, let us take you through some of the terms and the gameplay.
The hands in a 3 card brag look a lot similar to those of poker. The difference lies in the order of value. To clarify it better, here are the hands based on their values. We have included them in low to high order.
- High card: an ace is known as the high card.
- Pair: A pair indicates two cards consisting of the same value. If there is a standoff, the one with the higher pair will win.
- Flush: flush is the combination of three cards of the same value. In a tiebreaker situation, the high card rule will be applicable in here.
- Run: A run is 3 cards from any suit making them a straight.
- Running flush: A running flush is 3 cards from same suit making them a straight.
- Three of a kind/ prial: A prial is 3 cards of the same value.
3 card brag betting rules: betting types and gameplay
When you play 3 card brag in an online or a live casino, at first you will be asked to make a bet. In this game, you can bet in two ways: the ante and the pair plus side bet.
- The ante
Unlike many other games, in 3 card brag, this can be an optional bet if you play with the pair plus bet. If you place this bet, you will be qualified for the ante bonus payout. It means that even if you do not win, you can still earn bonuses for certain hand values.
- Pair plus side bet
As you can assume from the name, this type of bet is related to the pair hand. This bet works only for the player who has a hand containing one or two pairs. It increases the odds for the player if he receives a pair.
It can also be paid out when the dealer has the better hand. Unlike the ante bet, pair plus side bet can be made alone. However, most gamblers go for both types of bets at the same time.
The way this game works is that you need to select a bet type before you see the cards. After you make a bet, the dealer will deal cards and distribute 3 cards to the player while keeping 3 for himself.
The player can then consider their hands and decide whether to fold or play. It can be done in a few ways, such as:
- If you have chosen ante bet and decide to play, you will require placing a play bet equivalent to the amount of ante bet.
- If you have chosen pair plus side bet, the game will proceed normally without you doing anything.
- If you decide to fold the hand, you will lose both the ante bet and the pair plus side bet.
After your turn, the dealer will compare his cards with the player’s. He can continue to play only if he has a queen or higher in his hand. Depending on his move, the game’s outcome is set.
- If the dealer does not play, the player receives the play bet money as PUSH and an amount equal to ante bet.
- If the dealer plays with a higher hand, the player loses both bets unless the hand is qualified for an ante bonus.
- If the player succeeds in beating the dealer, both bets are paid to the player unless the hand is qualified for the ante bonus. In that case, the player will receive this payout instead.
Hand ranks and payout tables in 3 card brag
Your payouts are different based on the hand value and the type of bet you aim for. Check out this table below to see what we mean.
| Hand value | payout |
| three of a kind | 5:1 |
| running flush | 4:1 |
| run | 1:1 |
| Hand value | payout |
| three of a kind | 40:1 |
| running flush | 30:1 |
| run | 6:1 |
| flush | 4:1 |
| pair | 1:1 |
How to win at 3 card brag: strategies to maintain
This game has a very simple strategy that helps you to take better decisions. Just keep on mind that you need a hand equal to or higher than Q, 6 and 4. If you have it, make a bet. If not, call it a fold.
Why you should give 3 card brag a try
There are many user-friendly benefits of this game. Firstly, it may be your first step to master before you go for a harder version of other card games. It also comes with less complicated rules and requires a basic level of knowledge of gambling. In addition, 3 card brag is fast-paced and a lot simpler than its other counterparts with similar features.
The game has 98.00% RTP for the ante bets and 97.86% RTP in case of the pair plus side bet. Potentially, it has a higher payout percentage than traditional pokers, which is another reason why you may want to check this game out.
Where to play 3 card brag online for free
3 card brag is a relatively new game that is available in playtech powered online casinos. However, before you get all hyped up and play the game for real money, we will suggest you to try it in free mode first. These extra practice sessions will not only help you to understand the game more clearly but also let you develop some of your own strategies to win in 3 card brag for real.
So, let's see, what we have: welcome to 3 card brag the UK's authority on this and other card games. Learn the 3 card brag rules and hand rankings in our complete how to play guide. At 3 card brag rules
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