3 Card Sabotage
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About
3 Card Sabotage is a variant on the very popular classic 3 Card Poker game. It was requested by my brother, Tracy, who found it in a casino in Michigan.
As in 3 Card Poker, in this game, the Player is competing against the Dealer to form the best hand. In Sabotage, the Dealer receives four cards from which to form the best three card hand while the Player only receives three cards.
The "Twist" in this game is that the Dealer also deals two "sabotage cards" face down on the table. After the Player has committed to playing out the hand, the Dealer reveals these sabotage cards and removes any cards of the same value from his hand BEFORE making his best hand. This means it is possible for the Dealer to end up with a final hand that contains less than three cards and that his final hand may not contain his best cards.
Unlike classic 3 Card Poker, in 3 Card Sabotage, the Dealer ALWAYS qualifies.
Another aspect of this game is the "Pair Plus" wager. This optional wager pays based on the Player’s three cards regardless of whether that hand beats the Dealer’s hand. If the Player makes a qualifying hand, the Pair Plus wager will be paid based on the odds defined in the Payout Table. The Pair Plus wager does not need to be the same amount as the Ante wager. Additionally, this wager may be made without placing an Ante wager.
On its face, 3 Card Sabotage is an intriguing game. I'm still trying to figure out if the draw is "hoping" to see the Dealer get "sabotaged" because, in cases when the sabotage cards have no impact on the Dealer's hand, it's basically a game where the House ends up with an exta card against the Player.
How To Play
Placing Wagers
To start the game, the Player must place initial wagers. Wagers can be made for the Ante or Pair Plus, or both. To place a wager, simply tap the appropriate space. Each tap will increase the wager by the default amount ($5, $10, $25, $50, $100) that has been specified in Preferences. The maximum amount for the Ante wager is $500; the maximum amount for the Pair Plus wager is $100.
For all wagers, once the maximum, allowable amount has been reached, an additional tap will reset the wager amount to zero. A wager can also be reset by pressing a spot and holding for a brief moment.
Dealing Cards
The Deal button becomes enabled once a wager has been placed for either the Ante or the Pair Plus. Pressing the Deal button starts the game. The Dealer will receive four cards, the Player will receive three cards, and two "sabotage cards" will be dealt face down. If an Ante wager was placed, the Player must decide whether to try to beat the Dealer or to fold the hand. If the Player believes their hand can beat the Dealer, they must place an additional wager that is equal to the initial Ante amount. This is done by pressing the Play spot.
Ending the Game & Sabotage
The hand ends after the cards have been dealt and the Player presses either the Play or the Fold button.
When the hand is ended, the Dealer will reveal the two sabotage cards and his cards. He will then remove any cards from his hand that are the same value of a sabotage card.
Those cards that remain after the "sabotage" will be used to create the Dealer's best three card hand. In some cases, as a result of the sabotage, the Dealer hand will contain fewer than three cards.
Once the Dealer's hand has been formed, the two hands are compared and the higher hand is declared the winner. A winning Player hand is paid based on the odds that are found in these instructions and by tapping on the game logo on the board.
If the Player only wagered the Pair Plus bet, the hand will end as soon as the cards are dealt. The Player will be paid accordingly for any qualifying Pair Plus hand that is made.
Winning the Bonuses
If the Player folds the hand, but has played the Pair Plus and has a qualifying hand, he will be paid for that wager as declared in the Payout Table.
If the Player did not wager an Ante, their hand will be read for the Pair Plus wager that was made as soon as the Deal button has been pressed.
Quick Replay
After a hand completes, if the Player presses the Deal button, a new hand will be dealt and the same Ante and Pair Plus wager amounts from the preceding hand will be made.
If the Player does not want to repeat the last set of wagers, play will resume after the Player has adjusted the wagers and pressed the Deal button.
Pay Table
Ante Bonus | |
| Mini-Royal (A-K-Q) | 25 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 10 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 5 to 1 |
| Straight | 2 to 1 |
Pair Plus | |
| Straight Flush | 40 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 30 to 1 |
| Straight | 6 to 1 |
| Flush | 3 to 1 |
| Any Pair | 1 to 1 |