A three-card spread is the simplest useful tarot layout, and a good place to begin once you know the cards. Three cards are drawn and read left to right.
Two common layouts
The most familiar layout is past, present and future. Another reads situation, action and outcome, which suits a specific decision. Choose the layout before you draw so the positions are clear.
The skill is in connecting the three cards into one story rather than reading them separately. Notice how each card modifies the one beside it.