The Trips bet
A side bet on your own hand. Its price depends entirely on the paytable.
Trips is an optional bet you make before the deal. It pays if your final hand (your two cards plus the
five on the board) is three of a kind or better. The dealer's hand doesn't matter, and neither does
whether you fold. The standard table (trips-8-6-5):
| Your hand | Pays | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 50 to 1 | 1 in 30,940 |
| Straight flush | 40 to 1 | 1 in 3,591 |
| Four of a kind | 30 to 1 | 1 in 595 |
| Full house | 8 to 1 | 1 in 38.5 |
| Flush | 6 to 1 | 1 in 33.1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 | 1 in 21.6 |
| Three of a kind | 3 to 1 | 1 in 20.7 |
| Anything less | loses | 84.7% |
It pays about 1 hand in 6.5 (15.3%), or about 4.6 times an hour. The house edge is 1.90% of the Trips bet: a little cheaper than the main game per Ante, and a fair price for the excitement.
The paytable is everything. Casinos change the middle rows, and small changes matter a lot. The first three edges below match the Wizard of Odds Trips tables, and the 8 / 7 / 4 table is printed on casino rack cards and gaming guides:
| Table (Full house / Flush / Straight) | House edge | Cost per hour, $5 Trips | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 / 7 / 4 | 0.90% | $1.35 | Good bet |
| 8 / 6 / 5 (standard) | 1.90% | $2.86 | Good bet |
| 8 / 7 / 4 | 3.50% | $5.25 | Fair |
| 7 / 6 / 5 | 4.50% | $6.75 | Fair |
| 8 / 6 / 4 | 6.52% | $9.79 | Poor bet |
Read the felt before you bet. If the straight pays 4 and the flush 6, walk to the next table.
Trips never changes your play. Its result depends only on your cards, not on any decision you make. Keep playing the main game by the chart. Don't make bigger raises because Trips is riding.
Show the math: The Trips EV, row by row (8-6-5 table)
EV per $1 = Σ P(hand) × (pays) − P(lose): royal 0.0016 + straight flush 0.0111 + quads 0.0504 + full house 0.2077 + flush 0.1815 + straight 0.2310 + trips 0.1449 = 0.8283 returned on wins, minus 0.8473 lost on everything else = −0.01904. Exact: −48987/2572780. The other tables: 9-7-4 −301629/33446140, 8-7-4 −233985/6689228, 7-6-5 −115779/2572780, 8-6-4 −545459/8361535.
Quiz
You fold on the river holding three of a kind (two of them on the board). What happens to your Trips bet?
- It loses with the fold
- It pushes
- It pays 3 to 1
- It pays only if the dealer qualifies
Show the answer
C: It pays 3 to 1. Trips is paid on your own hand, even after a fold.
Quiz
Which Trips paytable is the best for you?
- Full house 8, flush 6, straight 4
- Full house 8, flush 6, straight 5
- Full house 7, flush 6, straight 5
- Full house 8, flush 7, straight 4
Show the answer
B: Full house 8, flush 6, straight 5. 8-6-5 is 1.90%. The others are 6.52%, 4.50% and 3.50%.
Quiz
Should you raise more often when you have a Trips bet?
- Yes
- No, Trips doesn't depend on your decisions
Show the answer
B: No, Trips doesn't depend on your decisions. Your Trips result is fixed by your cards. Play the main game normally.