It depends. The Pair Plus has different payoff schedules, so the bet can be better, worse, or a lot worse than the Ante bet. Played according to the proper basic strategy, the return on the Ante is -3.37%. Depending on the schedule, the Pair Plus return is -2.32%, -5.58%, or -7.28%. The first return results from a pay schedule for straight flush/3-of-a-kind/straight/flush/pair of 40/30/6/4/1. If you're playing this schedule, you're better off betting the Pair Plus only. Otherwise, the Ante bet is superior.
This information comes directly from our new Three Card Poker strategy card, which is part of an eight-card set -- also includes Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Four Card Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, Flop Poker, Mississippi Stud, and Ultimate Texas Hold 'em -- authored by James Grosjean. They come with a pocket-sized card that's easier to read and a smaller card that fits in a wallet. Each provides the optimal playing strategy, the casino edge for different paytables, and instructions on how to play each game. At $4.95 per card or $20 for the set, Anthony Curtis wrote in the December LVA that, because the public plays these games so poorly, it's possible to recoup the price of a card in as few as two bets at a $10 table.
