I Love Casinos: Game

Let it Ride Poker iss one of the most exciting card games you can play. The game is derived from 5 Card Stud Poker, but you are not playing against other players or the dealer, but against yourself. The objective is to put together 1 poker hand that is listed in the regular pay table, or in the bonus pay table, if you also play the bonus bet.

Let it Ride was originally developed by ShuffleMaster Gaming in 1993. In it's short history it has grown from a relatively obscure game, to one of the most popular card games available in any casino.

Despite the fact you can choose from so many variations, the basics of Let it Ride poker are still the same for each variant. In Let it Ridethere are three main bets that you can place, as well as an optional side bet. The three main bets are placed all at the same time on the, and for the same amount of money. The first and second bet are bets that you can take back later in the game, if you don't like the cards you got. If you do like the cards you got, you let your bets ride.

The decision whether to let your bets ride, or to take them back, is fairly easy to make, and if you know a little something about the best Let it Ride strategies, and their relation to odds house edge, you can maximize your chances to play winning Let it Ride poker.

Some casinos offer an optional $1 side bet. This side bet offers an additional payout if the player's first three cards contains a winning hand. The house edge on this bet is generally over 13%, making it one of the worst bets for a player in a casino. A more common $1 side bet is against a fixed payout scheduling typically starting with two pair (typically a $4 payout, but really only 3:1 since the original dollar is collected before the hand is dealt) or three of a kind (typically a $8 payout).

Let It Ride compares the player's poker hand with a payout chart, rather than comparing it with the other players' hands or the dealer's hand. The player's hand consists of the player's three cards and the dealer's two cards.

Each player is required to keep the three cards in full view of the dealer at all times.

Winners are paid according to the payout schedule (pair of 10's or better, two pair, etc.).

After looking at his three cards, each player has the option of pulling back the first bet or leaving the wager there. To leave the bet live is to 'let it ride'.

The dealer then exposes one community card. The players then each have the option of pulling back the second bet or letting it ride.(they can't add their first bet back on if they get a better hand, however.) After each player decides whether to pull back the second bet, the cards are placed face down on the designated area of the layout and may not be touched again.

The dealer then turns up the second community card and in a counterclockwise direction, turns the three cards of each player face up.

All losing wagers are then collected, and then all winning hands are paid by the dealer according to the payout schedule.

Regardless of the decision made concerning the first or second bets, a player may not take back the third bet.

Players are not allowed to show their hands to the other players, as this gives them an advantage by increasing their chances of knowing what cards the dealer is likely to turn up. In many casinos this is often not enforced at all or very sparingly. At a full table, it is sometimes difficult not to see the cards of a player on either side of you.