Ready to discover the wide range of Live Poker games currently available in the Marathonbet Live Casino?
If you’ve never tried poker before, you may need a few pointers before you take to your first table.
Below, you’ll find our guide to some of the most popular Live Poker games in our library…
Live Poker Guide | How To Play Live Poker
What is Three Card Poker? | Three Card Poker Explained
Three Card Poker is the most popular casino speciality table game of all time. Packing all the excitement and suspense of regular poker, it’s an easy-to-play game that gives players a number of opportunities to win.
Betting Options
Initially you bet on the Ante, which is a bet played against the dealer, while the optional Pair Plus and 6 Card Bonus bets allows bets at higher odds according to the pay table.
After this the player receives three cards, with the dealer’s three cards being dealt face down.
If the player is confident in their cards, they can then select Play to place a further Play bet in addition to their Ante bet.
Otherwise, the player will Fold.
Because players are playing against the house, an unlimited number of players can play simultaneously at one Three Card Poker table.
Winning Hands
The game is played with one standard 52-card deck, with the cards shuffled after each game.
The order of winning hands is:
- Mini Royal – Ace, King, Queen of the same suit
- Straight Flush – Three cards in sequence, all of the same suit
- Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same rank
- Straight – Three cards in sequence, containing at least two different suits
- Flush – Three cards of the same suit, but not sequential
- Pair – Two cards of the same rank, plus any other card
- High Card – The highest card in a hand which does not meet any of the above criteria
Within each category, the higher value wins if both hands fall in the same group.
For example, with Three of a Kind, three kings will beat three sevens. In a Straight, 8,9,10 will beat 6,7,8.
In the case of two Flushes, the winning hand is ranked by the highest card held in that suit. If that is the same, then by the second card etc.
Similarly, with a High Card, they are ranked by the highest card. If that is the same, then by the second card etc.
Outcomes
You play directly against the dealer.
The dealer must have at least a Queen high to qualify.
As a quick guide, the table below shows the payout outcomes in various scenarios, remembering a Push is when the player receives their stake back.
If you place a Play bet and get a Straight Flush, Three of a Kind or Straight on your initial three cards, you win an Ante bonus according to the following ratios:
If you place an optional Pair Plus bet, you win with a Pair of better on your three cards according to the ratios below, even if you fold and the dealer wins the hand.
If you place an optional 6 Card Bonus bet, you win if your cards and the dealer’s three cards combined make a five-card poker hand of Three of a Kind or better. You win according to the pay table below, even if you fold and the dealer wins the hand.
What is Casino Hold’em Poker? | How Casino Hold’em Works
Casino Hold’em is a variant of the popular Texas Hold’em poker and differs in that it is played against the house rather than against other players.
The object is to beat the dealer by getting the best possible five-card hand, comprising the two cards dealt to the player and three of the five community cards dealt.
The community cards are thus named as these cards can be used by all players, including the dealer, to make the best five card hand when added to the individual cards originally dealt.
Betting Options
You start by placing an Ante bet before any cards are dealt. You can also place a Bonus bet which pays out if you have a pair of Aces or higher in your first five cards.
This only considers the players hand with and includes the two dealt cards and the first three community cards only. A Bonus bet can’t be placed without a prior Ante bet being placed.
Once the initial bets are placed, the dealer deals two cards face-up to the player and two cards face-down to the dealer. Three community cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table (this is known as the flop).
At this stage the player then decides whether to Play (they must then place a Play bet double the amount of their Ante bet) or Fold (ends without placing a further bet but the Ante bet is lost).
After the player has decided, the dealer then deals two more community cards (called ‘Turn’ and River’ cards) and will reveal their two cards.
Winning Hands
The game is played with one standard 52-card deck.
The best possible five-card hand, comprising the two cards dealt to the player and any three of the five community cards dealt, will decide whether the player or dealer wins.
The order of winning hands is:
- Royal Flush – Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of the same suit
- Straight Flush – Five cards in sequence, all of the same suit
- Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank
- Full House – Three cards of the same rank and a pair
- Flush – Five cards of the same suit
- Straight – Five cards in sequence, containing at least two different suits
- Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same rank
- Two Pairs – Two pairs of different ranks
- Pair – Two cards of the same rank
- High Card – The highest card in a hand which does not meet any of the above criteria
Within each category, the higher value wins if both hands fall in the same group.
For example, with Four of a Kind, four kings will beat four sevens. In a Straight, 6,7,8,9,10 will beat 4,5,6,7,8.
In the case of two Flushes, the winning hand is ranked by the highest card held in that suit. If that is the same, then by the second card etc.
Similarly, with a High Card, they are ranked by the highest card. If that is the same, then by the second card etc.
When there are Two Pairs, it is the highest ranked pair which will win. For example, two Kings and two threes will beat two Queens and two Jacks. If the highest ranked pair is the same, then the value of the second pair will be considered.
Outcomes
You play directly against the dealer. The dealer must have at least a pair of fours or higher to qualify.
As a quick guide, the table below shows the payout outcomes in various scenarios, remembering a Push is when the player receives their stake back.
The Ante bet will be paid depending on the players winning hand at the following ratios:
If you place a Bonus bet which is successful, you will receive a payout on the following ratios. Remember, only your first five cards are considered (the two dealt and first three community cards), and you can still win the Bonus bet if you lose to the dealer’s hand, or the dealer does not qualify.
Live Casino | Live Poker Games
Head to our Live Poker lobby to try out games including:
- Casino Hold’em
- Three Card Poker
- Caribbean Stud Poker
- 2 Hand Casino Hold’em
- Side Bet City
Live Poker games accurate as of 23/11/2021; please note, games libraries and providers can be subject to change.
