Should you play every hand in 3-card poker, or mimic the dealer?
Neither. Playing every hand more than doubles what the game costs you, and mimicking the dealer (playing any queen) costs a bit more than Q-6-4. Folding the weakest hands is worth it.
House edge per ante: 3.37% playing Q-6-4 or better, 7.65% playing every hand, 3.45% playing any queen or better.
What each playing rule costs
| Play with | House edge (per ante) | Hands played |
|---|---|---|
| Q-6-4 or better | 3.37% | 67.4% |
| Any queen or better (mimic the dealer) | 3.45% | 69.6% |
| Any king or better | 4.99% | 57.6% |
| Every hand | 7.65% | 100.0% |
| A pair or better | 38.84% | 25.6% |
Exact, over all 22,100 hands against all 18,424 dealer hands each, with the 5/4/1 ante bonus. Pair plus not included.
Why
The worst hands lose the play bet so often that putting in a second unit costs more than giving up the ante. Folding them saves money even though folding feels like losing. Mimicking the dealer is close to the right rule, because the dealer qualifies with any queen, but queens below Q-6-4 still lose a little more by playing than by folding.