Which cards and combinations count?
The side bet uses three specific cards: your two opening cards and the dealer’s face-up card. Later hits, the dealer’s hidden card and cards dealt after a split do not replace those original cards in this Top 3 evaluation.
| Combination | Illustrative three cards | What makes it qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Three of a kind | 9♠, 9♥, 9♦ | Three cards of the same rank, without all three sharing one suit. |
| Straight flush | 7♣, 8♣, 9♣ | Three consecutive ranks in one suit. |
| Suited three of a kind | Q♥, Q♥, Q♥ | Three copies of the same rank and suit from a multi-deck pack. |
| Ordinary straight | 7♣, 8♦, 9♥ | Not a Top 3 winning category in the compared rules. |
| Ordinary flush | 2♠, 6♠, J♠ | One suit without a qualifying sequence or identical rank does not suffice. |
Blackjack point values do not determine poker ranks. A ten, jack and queen all count as ten points in the main game, but they are three different ranks. Three queens qualify as trips; a ten, jack and queen qualify for Top 3 only if they meet the straight-flush rule. Check the selected help for its treatment of Ace sequences.
Identical suited cards are possible because the compared games use several standard decks. They are separate physical or simulated copies, rather than one card being counted repeatedly.
Why do some Top 3 paytables show 270:1 and others 500:1?
The following are two documented examples. Grosvenor publishes the first for All Bets Blackjack RNG. The second appears in Metropolitan Gaming’s six-deck venue rules, version 3.0 dated December 2021; it is a dated comparison, not a current online-table recommendation.
| Winning category | Grosvenor All Bets RNG | Metropolitan venue rules, December 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Suited three of a kind | 500:1 | 270:1 |
| Straight flush | 180:1 | 180:1 |
| Other three of a kind | 90:1 | 90:1 |
These figures quote profit odds on the successful Top 3 stake. At 90:1, a £1 winning side bet earns £90 profit and returns £91 including that £1. A 500:1 winning side bet returns £501 on the same assumed £1 stake. Other bets in the round have their own settlements.
The name Top 3 does not choose the paytable for you. Read the numbers in the actual game and its category definitions. Do not add the 90:1, 180:1 and 500:1 figures together for one hand; the comparison gives different categories, not three cumulative awards.
Must you also place a 21+3 bet?
Galaxy Gaming describes Top 3 as an addition to 21+3 that requires a 21+3 wager first. Metropolitan’s dated venue rules also require 21+3. Grosvenor’s published All Bets RNG rules state that a regular blackjack wager is needed for side bets, without stating that extra Top 3 prerequisite.
Check the betting controls and help for the version in front of you. If it requires a main bet, 21+3 and Top 3, all three stakes contribute to the amount committed. A £1 Top 3 chip is not the total round cost.
Our 21+3 guide explains that separate side bet, including winning categories beyond Top 3. A qualifying hand can settle the two wagers differently, using each wager’s own stake and paytable.
How do you calculate a Top 3 return and the whole round’s result?
Assume a hypothetical round in a version accepting a £5 main wager and £1 Top 3, with no other bets or later additions. Suppose the three original cards make ordinary trips at 90:1, but your main blackjack hand eventually loses.
| Money record | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total committed | £5 + £1 = £6 |
| Top 3 profit | £1 × 90 = £90 |
| Top 3 return, including its stake | £91 |
| Main-hand return | £0 |
| Complete round net result | £91 − £6 = £85 profit |
The £90 side-bet profit and £85 complete-round profit answer different questions. If both wagers lose, the net result is a £6 loss. If Top 3 loses but the £5 main wager has an ordinary 1:1 win, the £10 main return leaves £4 profit across the same £6 total cost.
If a further £1 21+3 wager is mandatory, the initial cost becomes £7 and its actual settlement must also be included. You cannot carry the £85 answer into that different ledger. These are arithmetic examples, not accepted limits or predictions of the cards.
Can a blackjack strategy improve a Top 3 result?
Hit, stand and double decisions happen after the three cards used for Top 3 have been dealt. Changing your later main-hand decision does not change those three opening cards. The wagers settle separately, but their outcomes are related because they use some of the same cards.
Metropolitan’s December 2021 six-deck guide gives an 11.07% house edge for its 270:1 Top 3 table. That figure belongs to that stated model. It does not establish the return of the 500:1 table, every live shoe or the combined cost and return of several bets.
A large winning payout says little about how often that category occurs. Compare deck count, winning definitions and all payout categories before comparing theoretical returns. A general blackjack RTP displayed elsewhere on a page is not automatically the Top 3 RTP.
For the later hand decisions, use our basic-strategy explanation for the exact main-game rules. It does not turn the side bet into a profitable wager.
What should you check before using the Top 3 label?
- Identify the exact game and whether it is live or RNG.
- Read the Top 3 paytable and its winning combinations.
- Check all mandatory companion bets and the complete accepted stake.
- Check profit-versus-total-return wording, any payout cap and overlapping-category treatment.
- For a settlement query, preserve the round reference, opening cards, stakes and the game’s own rules.
Sources and limits of this comparison
We read the named public rules and supplier description on 2 November 2026. The Metropolitan document is explicitly dated December 2021 and concerns a venue game. It supports the comparison of rules, not availability at an online casino.
We did not open a player account, launch a game or place a wager. The examples use invented stakes; they do not establish the price or settings of a personal account.
Related questions
Is Top 3 the same as 21+3?
No. In the compared rules, Top 3 restricts wins to trips, straight flushes and suited trips. 21+3 can also pay an ordinary straight or flush, using its separate paytable. Some Top 3 versions require a 21+3 wager first.
Does a flush win Top 3?
An ordinary flush does not qualify in the compared Top 3 rules. A straight flush does. Three identical rank-and-suit cards form the separate suited-trips category.
Can Top 3 win when my blackjack hand loses?
Yes. The side bet uses the original three cards and settles under its own rules. Later main-hand play can lose while a qualifying Top 3 result still pays. Include every stake and return when calculating the complete round.