Three Way Action is an invented combination game for players at casino tables, three games in one. It is played with a single deck of cards, which is shuffled after each hand.

  • First comes blackjack with the usual rules for single-deck, with two exceptions: only aces can be split, and a player’s 7-card Charlie wins automatically. (House edge is 0.53 %.)
  • Then comes “combat” (or “war”), where the player’s first card is compared to the dealer’s face up card. The higher card wins. The dealer takes one-half on a tie. The player wins even money on a win. (House edge is 2.94 %.)
  • Then comes “seven-card showdown.” The original blackjack hands are completed to form seven-card poker hands for dealer and player, from which the best five cards are selected. If player wins, it is even money. Dealer must have at least an ace-high to win. If not, the player wins half the bet. (Simulations yield an estimated house edge of 3.29 %.)

“Bonus Action” is a side bet on the last seven cards. If the player has certain combinations, the side bet will pay (up to 1000 to 1 for a Royal Flush). But if the player has 2 pair or less, the bet is lost. The house edge is 12.9% on the Bonus Action bet.

A variation on 3 Way Action is “Triple Shot,” in which a player also competes against the house in blackjack, “combat” (or “war”) and poker, all in combination. The three bets are independent, just as in 3 Way Action, and the combat and blackjack bets proceed as in that game. The difference is that the player finishes his blackjack hand, but the dealer does not. (One rules difference is that only six cards are needed for a Charlie, not 7). Then the dealer hands out cards to complete six-card poker hands from the cards dealt in the blackjack game. Then he plays out his blackjack hand and settles up. At that point the six card hands are evaluated and paid off. The house edge in the poker phase is between 3.2% and 5.8%, depending on the pay table