Gin Rummy is a popular game played between two or more players. The leading software provider Cryptologic has developed this as a single player online casino game called Vegas Three Card Rummy. This game is live at all Cryptologic online casinos like InterCasino. This article reviews the basics of Vegas Three Card Rummy.

The hand valuation of Vegas Three Card Rummy is identical to that of Gin Rummy. But since it is different from other online casino games it is being explained in some detail. The Ace has 1 point; the King, Queen, Jack and Ten have 10 points each and all other cards have their face value. In addition any pair, any triple and any two or three card suited run are valued at 0. Therefore if the three card hand is a triple or a three card suited run then its value is 0. If the three card hand has a pair or a two card suited run then the hand value is equal to the value of the third card. An important rule is that Aces are low cards only and do not make runs with Kings and Queens. If players find it difficult to keep track of hand valuation they should not be deterred from playing Vegas Three Card Rummy. The Cryptologic software values the hand and displays the value.

The game play in Cryptologic Vegas Three Card Rummy is as follows. The game is played with one standard 52-card deck. The player places an Ante Bet and is dealt three cards face up. The player can then fold, which means he will forfeit the Ante Bet. If the player wants to keep the game alive he has to place a Raise Bet equal to the Ante Bet. The dealer’s hand is then exposed. If the dealer’s score is 21 or more, then he does not qualify. In this situation the Ante Bet is paid at 1:1 and the Raise Bet pushes.

If the dealer’s score is 20 or less, then he qualifies and the hands are compared. The hand with the lower value wins. If the player’s score is higher than the dealer’s score both bets lose. If the player’s score is lower than the dealer’s score then the Ante Bet is paid at 1:1 and the Raise Bet is paid depending on the player’s score. A score of 0 is paid 4:1, a score from 1 to 5 is paid 2:1 and a score from 6 to 19 is paid 1:1. If the dealer’s and the player’s scores are equal then both bets push.

The player can also place an optional Bonus Bet at the beginning of the game. If the player folds the Bonus bet will be forfeited. The payout on the Bonus bet does not depend in any way on the dealer’s score, but only on the player’s score. The Bonus Bet is paid out as follows. An A-2-3 suited run pays 100:1. A score of 0 pays 25:1. A score from 1 to 6 pays 2:1. A score from 7 to 10 pays 1:1. A score of 11 or 12 pays 4:1.

One of the innovative and interesting features in Cryptologic Vegas Three Card Rummy is Strategy Warnings. To protect the player’s interest, the software will ask for confirmation if the hand action selected appears to have been made in error. Warning is provided when players attempt to fold with a hand that has a Bonus Bet payout. Warning is also provided when players attempt to fold with a score of 20 or less. Strategy warnings can be turned off through the settings button in the game.