Decent Game if Running a Casino

Author: Mark Pilarski

Dear Mark: I came across a card game known as 3-5-7 Poker. Can you please share any information you have regarding this game. Is it a reasonable game for a player that follows your rule of only making casino bets that have less than a 2% house edge.” Jeff J.

3-5-7 Poker is a fairly simple poker-based hybrid game found in table and video poker forms in a lot of casinos these days. It is a three-game structure where the player bets on both the 3- card and 5-card hands, and then is given the option of making a wager on the 7-card poker hand as well.

Essentially you are not playing 3-5-7 Poker against an individual opponent, rather you are playing against a standard paytable. I have listed the typical payoffs below.

Play begins with all players making at least the 3-card and 5-card wagers; the 7-card hand being optional. A player can bet different amounts on each hand, subject, of course, to the casino’s table minimums and maximums.

Then each player is dealt three cards, with the dealer then taking four cards to be used as “community cards.” Next the players review their three cards and considers the option of surrendering the seven-card poker hand or letting it stand.

The first part of this game within a game is 3-Card Poker, which is played with the first three cards dealt. At this point, you need at least 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 mandatory five-card hand. Here the dealer shows the first two community cards, which gives you the five-card game. For a win here, you need a pair of 6’s 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 (6’s or better)..................1 to 1

Finally, the dealer reveals the last two community cards, and you have a seven-card poker hand with only the best five out of seven cards being used in your final hand. At this time, you need a minimum of two pair with one pair being at least 10s high, or 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 (10’s or better)............1 to 1

In summary the casino advantage, while playing 3-5-7 Poker, is 3.49% on the 3-card bet, 4.12% on the five cards, and 3.28% on the seven-card hand. Obviously, all three games have a higher advantage than my “only make casino bets that have less than a 2% house edge ."

Knowing that I do not recommend this game, for players who decide to disregard my advice, a simple playing strategy for 3 -5-7 Poker is to never surrender a 7-card hand since it has the lowest house edge of all three hands.

Further, since you are allowed to bet any amount on any hand, it is best to wager the most on the 7-card hand and the least on your 5-card hand based on the casino advantage of each.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “If I won, I felt as if a constellation in my image should appear in the morning sky.” – Jack Richardson, Memoir of a Gambler (1979)

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