May 22 2008
Let It Ride: Basics
Let It Ride is a common, poker-based carnival game.
The object is to creat poker hands, starting with a pair of 10s or better. Anything below this is a losing hand. Payouts for both the main bet and the ”bonus bet” are listed on the table in front of each player, and will sometimes vary from casino to casino, starting with even money for 10s or better and working up to $10,000:1 for a royal flush on the main bets. Bonus bet payouts tend to vary more.
To start, a player places equal bets in each of the 3 circles in front of their spot. They may also bet a $1 bonus bet on the light-up, red circle in front of their spot.
Each player is then dealt 3 cards, starting to the dealer’s left. The dealer then deals themselves three cards, and discards one. All cards are dealt face down. Each player may now look at their three cards, touching them with only one hand.
At this point, a player may scratch the cards on the felt, indicating that they wish to pull back their first bet; wave their hands over their cards, indicating that they wish to leave the first bet; or tuck the corner of their cards under the third bet, indicating they wish to leave all of their bets in play.
The dealer will now flip one of his or her cards, exposing it to all of the players. Players who tucked their cards may not now play, however, those who pull back their first bet, or hold without tucking their cards again have a choice. They may scratch the table with their cards to pull back the bet in the second circle, or they may tuck their cards immediately to leave the second bet in play. After they have acted, all players must tuck their cards under the third bet.
The dealer will now expose their second card, and go around the table (from their right) flipping the players’ cards and paying or taking bets.
The key point to remember is that the “dealer’s” two cards are really community cards, similar to the flop in Hold ‘Em based poker games. The players are trying to create 5 card hands using their own 3 cards and the dealer’s two. The other point to remember is that there is no bluffing, no drawing, etc. The only real stratgy is deciding when to pull back a bet and when to “Let It Ride.”
I’ll look into the odds of this game, and post them when I find them. My guess, and from what I’ve heard, is that the hold is probably pretty high. Nonetheless, it’s one of my favorite games and, with proper patience and will power can be a great way to build a bankroll for other games. That’s because, for instance, at a $5 table, a player really bets anywhere from $5-15 depending on the strength of their hand. If, for instance, you have 10’s or better or 3 of a kind in your hand, you can bet $15. If, however, you play conservatively, and wind up with nothing, you can bet only $5. Also, the $1 bonus bet makes it possible to win a lot very quickly. For instance, at most casinos, a flush pays 8:1, and the bonus is $50. Do the math.
On a flush, the basic bet pays $40, plus $50 for the bonus bet, if the player plays conservatively and pulls back both of their first two bets. If the player takes a few more risks, it is $120, plus $50 for the bonus, or $170. Not that flushes are easy to get, but the first time I played, I did hit three of them in 45 minutes.
Let It Ride is definitely a fun game and a good way for those new to casino gaming to get their feet wet on table games.