|
Poking Right Along
Dear Mark,
Just wanted to know if you knew anything about this new
game called 3-5-7
Poker? Itšs being played here in the Mississippi
casinos. What do you think
of it? Bill S.
3-5-7 Poker is a simple poker-based game recently
finding a home in many a
casino from sea to shining sea. It is actually a
three-game-high edifice in
which the player bets on both 3-card and 5-card hands,
and may also bet on a
7-card poker hand, with payoffs set by the standard pay
table (see below).
Play begins with the player making at least two wagers.
He must bet the
3-card and the 5-card hands, saving the optional 7-card
hand for dessert.
Players can bet different amounts on each hand, subject
to the casinošs
table minimum and maximum.
The dealer then deals each player three cards, and four
cards to herself to
be used as "community cards." The player
reviews his three cards and then
considers the option of surrendering his last hand
(seven-card poker), or
letting it stand.
The first game, poker with three cards, is based on the
first three cards
dealt to you. Here, you need a pair or better to win.
3-Card Hand Pay Table
Hand
Pays
Straight flush
40 to 1
Three of a kind
25 to 1
Straight
6 to 1
Flush
4 to 1
Pair
1 to 1
Next, you play the obligatory five-card round, where the
dealer exposes his
first two community cards, making this the five-card
game. (Yeah, I know,
the dealer was a "she" a moment ago, and is
now a "he". Odd things happen.)
To win, youšll need 6šs or better.
5-Card Hand Pay Table
Hand
Pays
Royal flush
500 to 1
Straight flush
100 to 1
4 of a kind
40 to 1
Full House
12 to 1
Flush
9 to 1
Straight
6 to 1
3 of a kind
4 to 1
2 pair
3 to 1
Pair (6šs or better) 1 to
1
Finally, the dealer (Guess) exposes the last two cards,
and you are now
playing seven-card poker, but only the best five of
seven cards are used.
Without at least two pair (10šs high or better), you
lose.
7-Card Hand Pay Table
Hand
Pays
Royal flush
100 to 1
Straight flush
20 to 1
4 of a kind
7 to 1
Full House
5 to 1
Flush
4 to 1
Straight
3 to 1
3 of a kind
2 to 1
2 pair (10šs or better) 1 to 1
Herešs a summary of the housešs edge on each of the
three games.
On three-card: 3.49%,
on five-card: 4.12%, and ...
on seven-card: 3.28%.
Like the game itself, strategy for 3-5-7 poker is quite
simple. The player
should never surrender the 7-card hand since it has the
lowest house edge.
Also, because the player may bet any amount on any hand,
he should bet the
most on the 7-card hand, and the least on his 5-card
hand.
You asked, Bill, if I knew the game (answered) and what
I think of it (stay
tuned). All three games have more than my threshold 2%
casino advantage, so
for this columnist, itšs a triple thumbs-down ...
unless, of course, youšre
running the casino.
Gambling thought of the week: A guy walks into a bar and
notices three men
and a dog playing poker. The dog is playing beautifully.
"Thatšs a smart
dog," the man says. "Not really," says
one of the players. "Every time he
gets a good hand, he wags his tail." from Poker
Nation, by Andy Bellin
-------------------------
|
