Double Feature: 3 Card & 4 Card Pro

364 days ago I reviewed Avalinx’s masterpiece 21 Pro: Blackjack and even now, a year later, it’s still one of the best casino games I’ve ever played on the iPhone… and I’ve played a few. Maybe it would be more accurate to say it’s the best casino series I’ve ever played; 3 Card Pro and 4 Card Pro are built on the very same foundation as 21 Pro, and they both come with the same slick graphics and smooth gameplay that the blackjack game features.

Some of you are probably wondering what the hell happened to good old 5 CARD poker like they play on TV, but if you play either of these games enough you’ll see why they’re so popular at casinos. 3 Card is vastly different from 4 Card, but both are easy to learn, fun to play, hard to win, and like most casino games, they can get pretty addictive even when you’re not playing for real money.

Since both 3 Card Pro Poker and 4 Card Pro Poker share a lot in common, I’m gonna throw out a list of some of the cooler features that they both provide:

• Mastering The Game: History, Rules & Terminology, Strategy, Payouts, Help
• Customizable table cloths and card decks
• In-game payout breakdowns
• Ask Dealer for advice
• High roller chip stacks
• High roller tables
• Global leaderboards

The Mastering The Game section is more or less a short reference book, and if you’re new to either 3 Card or 4 Card you’ll want to at least take a peek at Rules and Strategy to get the gist of how to play. The general rules of poker still apply but in a slightly twisted form, and in each game you’ll notice that the table looks a little goofy if you’re a total noob.

Customizable table cloths and card decks are nice, but the ability to ask the dealer for advice and get the in-game payout breakdown are both especially helpful if you’re a rookie. The action on the table moves pretty fast (something you’ll appreciate when you’re a jaded old pro), so these tools are there to help you learn the game and understand what’s going on when cards start flying every which way.

Both games will start you off with $1000 in chips, and the addition of the High Roller tables is a nice incentive for you to actually win instead of playing like a complete jackass since it’s just a video game. See, the minimum bet for High Rollers can be as high as $1000, so it’s not something you can just jump into right off the bat. You’ve gotta pay your dues at the kids’ table first, and when your bankroll is high enough to support the minimum bet and a raise then you can graduate to the big leagues.

Something that hadn’t been implemented a year ago when I first played 21 Pro was a global leaderboard, but it’s now a reality which is awesome. Both games have it and I seriously doubt I’ll ever get on either because I suck at every card game I’ve ever played, but never say never.

3 Card Pro

If you’ve ever strolled across a casino floor, you’ve probably seen this game mixed in with the Caribbean Stud Poker and Let It Ride tables. It’s actually very similar to Caribbean Stud with a couple of exceptions, but make no mistake… 3 Card Poker, aka Tri-Card Poker, is its own game and it can bankrupt you as fast as any other.

The rules are simple: both you and the dealer get dealt three cards each, you put down a Pair Plus bet and get paid on it if you get a pair or better, put down an ante bet that you can get paid on as long as you beat whatever the dealer has, and if you choose to Raise you can match your Ante with a Play bet, but you only get paid on that bet if you beat the dealer when he has a Queen or higher.

Yeah, it sounds confusing but, like most casino table games, it’s really easy to get the hang of. The thing to remember is that with only three cards it’s suddenly really easy to come up with straights and flushes, so even if you think you’re a hotshot with your pair of Aces, the dealer can (and often will) lay the smackdown with a big hand that seems to come out of nowhere. Of course, it’s also true that you can be the one to get the big hand, but games like these always favor the dealer so don’t get cocky!

4 Card Pro

4 Card Poker is just like 3 Card Poker, except it has 4 cards! Ok, I’m just being an ass. It’s true that you’re only playing with one more card, but that’s pretty much where the similarity ends.

In 3 Card Poker, you and the dealer each have three cards so you’re sort of on even footing. In 4 Card Poker, you get five cards and the dealer gets SIX! Yeah I know, WTF! Well, like I said before, these games always favor the dealer.

Each of you is still only playing a four card hand, but while you’re choosing the best hand out of five, the dealer gets to choose his hand from six. Ugh. Luckily, Avalinx has made it super easy for you by automatically throwing out the least-helpful card so there’s no chance of accidentally flushing a flush down the toilet.

Once each of you has been dealt cards and tossed out the trash, you get to either fold or Raise 1x, 2x, or 3x your ante bet. Naturally, the better your hand the higher you want to raise, but don’t forget the dealer’s extra-card advantage when you’re deciding how far that pair of Kings will take you.

Although the dealer doesn’t have to “qualify” with a Queen in this game for you to win, 4 Card Poker does have an Aces Up bet (similar to Pair Plus in 3 Card) where you can win if your four card hand has at least a pair of aces or better.

Conclusion

I only found one noticeable flaw which happens when the device gets turned upright during the game… it’s played in landscape format, but it’ll go into a weird-looking portrait thing if you tilt the device too much during gameplay. To get out of it you need to exit and restart the game, but don’t worry about losing your hand because it’ll get remembered. This bug seems like something that would (hopefully) be easy to fix and I’m sure Avalinx will be having a look at it soon if they’re aren’t already.

Overall though… duh! These games rule.

When I started testing these games I knew they’d be awesome because of the standard set by 21 Pro a year ago. Avalinx rules the casino game genre and you absolutely cannot go wrong here – it doesn’t matter if your name is Phil Hellmuth or Phil McCracken – both of these games are a blast to play!

Five bucks a pop may seem like a lot compared to the ocean of $.99 apps out there, but you truly do get what you pay for and these games are totally worth it.

iTunes Link – 3 Card Pro
iTunes Link – 4 Card Pro
Version 1.1 (both games)
3 Card Pro reviewed on iPhone 3G OS3.0.1
4 Card Pro reviewed on iPod Touch 2nd Gen OS3.0.1