Let It Ride did not come about as a game of chance
in the beginning; it is a molded version of a poker
game. It was first introduced in 1993, as a
proprietary casino game created by Shuffle Master, a
well know gaming company. You may already know
Shuffle Master as the company that makes all those
auto shufflers. In fact, this game was invented to
create more of a market for its auto shufflers.
The game of Let It Ride does not demand that its
players beat the dealer or other players at the
table. Players of this game need to get a winning
poker combination (10’s or better) using the three
cards they are dealt and two shared (board) cards.
The house advantage in Let It Ride is a just a
little better than you get playing Caribbean Stud.
It is still big at 3.5%, but definitely better than
Caribbean.
Other than all the potential for big payoffs, much
of this game’s lure is based on its laid back
environment. Like Caribbean Stud, there is no real
competition between the players at the table, so it
is a bit more social than most poker related casino
games. In fact, in this game, you aren’t even
playing against the dealer either. Another
attractive quality about this casino game is that
you can pull back two of your first three initial
wagers. This is a great playing technique that make
players fell like they have more control over the
game. Again, this casino game does not have the best
or worse odds in the casino. It is a great game for
those of you who usually play slots and keno, but
are looking to break into the table game scene.
Consider this a great transition game for this
instance.
Game Play
This casino game is played at a table that looks
similar to a blackjack table and it can also seat
about seven players. AT first, when new players sit
at this table, they get a bit concerned that the
game may be too complex for them. This is only
because of the three different betting circles they
have in front of them. It is a lot easier than it
looks at first. This is a very simple game indeed.
In
the beginning, all players place a bet in each of
the three circles in front of them on the table. All
of these bets must be in the exact same quantity. If
you bet 10$ in one – you have to bet $10 in all of
them. After all the bets are placed, the dealer
gives each player in the game three cards faced
down. Then, the dealer places two more shared cards
faced down in front of all of the players. Theses
are the two community (board) cards. Theses two
cards will be used by all of the players in the game
in conjunction with their other three private cards
to create a five card hand of poker. Players hope to
have a final hand that is a winner from the game’s
payout schedule.
The first action of the play sequence happens after
the three cards are dealt. Each player then checks
their three cards. They determine whether they want
to keep their bet that is in circle one or not. This
determination is based on the fact that a player
does not yet know what the two shared cards are at
this point. If you want to remove your bet, the
dealer will remove the bet from the first circle and
push it back towards you. This means the bet is no
longer valid. If you do like your three cards so
far, and you want to Let It Ride – you put your
cards under or behind the first bet.
After all of the players have decided what they want
o do at this point (the first bet), the dealer then
turns over one of the two shared cards for all of
the players at the table to see. Now, players must
make another decision on the second bet, just as
they did in the first bet. But, now – your choice to
keep or remove the second wager is based on four
cards. The first three cards dealt and the one
exposed community card. Important: Your choice on
the second bet is completely independent of your
choice on the first bet. So, if you removed the
first bet, you are still able to keep the second one
and vice versa. Many people who are new to Let It
Ride tend to get confused by this.
After all of the players in the game have made their
respective decisions on the second bet, the dealer
exposes the second shared card. This will complete
your five card hand of poker - -your three private
cards and the two shared cards that are now
available for all players at the table to see. AT
this point in the game of Let It Ride, you have no
additional choices that you need to make. Your poker
hand is realized. You are stuck with the last
remaining bet of the three initial bets. No matter
how bad your hand is.
The dealer then turns over each player’s three card
private hand and checks them for winners. Remember,
to win, your hand must qualify as one of the hands
on the payout schedule. You must have at least a
pair of 10s or better to get some sort of winnings.
Remember, this is a proprietary casino game, the
following pay schedule is typical of what you will
find clearly posted at the casino where you are
playing the game:
-
A royal flush pays 1,000 to 1.
-
A straight lush pays 200 to 1.
-
A four of a kind pays 50 to 1.
-
A full house pays 11 to 1.
-
A flush pays 8 to 1.
-
A straight pays 5 to 1.
-
A three of a kind pays 3 to 1.
-
Two pair pays 2 to 1
-
A pair of 10s or better pays even money.
If
you hand ends up qualifying for a payout, the dealer
will provide the payout for each of the bets that
were kept in the betting circles.
Let It Ride Bonus Game
There is a bonus game in Let It Ride that has gained
a lot of popularity among this game’s players. This
bonus game offers up an optional one dollar wager
that qualifies Let It Ride players for seemingly
large payoffs on rare hands of poker. This side bet
comes with a very large house edge. But, if it is
achieved, players stand to win a lot of money. Like
Caribbean Stud, this offer is what attracts players
to this game on a regular basis. Now, this bonus bet
has nothing to do with your regular bets during a
hand. Meaning, you only have to place the one dollar
bonus bet once for each total hand. So, it is not
offered in triplicate and you are not able to remove
it after the start of the game like your first two
regular bets.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that most
casinos will offer a different payout schedule for
the bonus game bet. Try to find a casino that
provides a high payout schedule for the bonus game
bet in Let It Ride.
Here is a typical schedule so you can compare it to
the one the casino you are play at:
-
A
royal flush can pay $20,000
-
A
straight flush usually pays $2,000
-
Four of a kind should pay about $400
-
A
full house pays about $200
-
A
flush should pay about $50
-
A
straight typically pays $25
-
Three of a kind should net you about $5
-
There are no bonuses typically offered on two pair
or a pair of 10s or better.
This casino game has many similarities to Caribbean
Stud Poker and it’s attractiveness comes in the
bonus bet offer as well. This game carries a pretty
hefty house edge, but it can produce some very large
payouts in the bonus game. Be sure to check back at
out poker article section as we will be adding
another article covering this casino game’s strategy
in depth.
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