How to Play Vegas Three Card Rummy: Rules, Strategy & Odds
Vegas Three Card Rummy is a very exciting, fast-past casino table game in which many things can happen, some being extremely lucrative for the player. The object is to have the lowest scoring hand 3-card hand. An ante bet is required, a raise bet is optional, and another optional bonus side bet can be very rewarding if the player gets lucky enough.
To play Vegas 3 Card Rummy, a player must first place an ante bet in the betting circle labeled Ante. If the player wishes to make a bonus bet, they may do so at this time by placing an additional wager of any size (within the table’s limits) in the betting circle labeled Bonus. We will talk more about the bonus side bet later.
Once the player has anted, the dealer will deal three cards to the player, and three cards to himself. The dealer’s cards are face down for the time being. The player will evaluate the total sum of his hand in the following manner.
Aces = 1
2-10 = Face Value
Face Cards = 10
The points are totaled up, but because this is a rummy game, matching suits (flushes) and consecutive suited cards (straights, or runs) are discounted from the sum as such:
Straights: If two or more cards make a run, such as 4 and 5 of hearts, or 9, 10 and Jack of spades, the cards involved in the run are scored as 0. For example, a hand of 4 of heart, 5 of hearts and 8 of clubs would total 8 points. The consecutive hearts drop to 0 and only the 8 is counted, totaling 8 points for the hand. Note that, because the Ace is always low, a suited King and Ace are not considered a run.
Flushes: If a player is dealt a pair, the two matching cards drop their value to 0. A three of a kind would result in a total score of 0. For example, 2-2-6 would be a total score of 6 because the paired 2’s count as 0 points.
If you are uncertain as to the total score of your hand, don’t worry At an online casino, the score will automatically be calculated and shown. At a land based casino, you can ask the dealer to add your total score for you.
Once the player has come up with his total score, he will choose whether to fold the hand, forfeiting the ante bet, or to raise, doubling the current bet. To raise, the player will place a bet equal to the ante in the betting circle labeled Raise.
When the player chooses to raise, the hand proceeds. The dealer will reveal his 3-card hand and its total score. The ante bet wins even money if the player’s total is lower than the dealer’s.
In order to win the raise bet, the dealer’s hand must “qualify”? to play. The dealer will qualify if his total is 20 or below. If the dealer qualifies, and the player’s hand is lower, the raise bet wins an amount that is based on the total score (see Vegas 3 Card Rummy Pay Table below). If the dealer’s hand is 20 or more, it will not qualify, thus the raise bet is returned to the player as a push.
Vegas Three Card Rummy Pay Table
Ante Bet Pays 1 to 1
Raise Bet with Score of 0 Pays 4 to 1
Raise Bet with Score of 1-5 Pays 2 to 1
Raise Bet with Score of 6-19 Pays 1 to 1
Vegas Three Card Rummy Bonus Bet & Payouts
In order to participate in the Bonus side bet, a player must place a wager in the Bonus betting circle before any cards are dealt. The bonus bet wins only if the player’s total score is 0-12. The following payouts apply:
Score of 0 Pays 25 to 1
Score of 1-6 Pays 2 to 1
Score of 7-10 Pays 1 to 1
Score of 11-12 Pays 4 to 1