Background
Let It ride poker has just been voted the 3rd most popular
table game after Blackjack and slots, ahead of Roulette
and Craps, and is especially popular online. The internet
has provided several big wins, including $30,000 for
John York at one casino (His bet was just $15). Introduced
in August 1993, Let It Ride's monumental rise in popularity
has been because of its ease of play, and potential
life changing winnings. Unbelievably, you can actually
make long term profits from this game, especially if
you can see at least 5 other players' cards. You will
need to play multiplayer Let it Ride, available at a
few online casinos
How
to Play
Let
it ride is a simplified version of five card poker.
Players get dealt three cards, and use these in combination
with the two community cards shared by all the players
to form a 5 card hand which either qualifies for a payout
or not.
Unlike
other table games, players do not compete against a
dealer or other players, winning hands are solely judged
according to the strength of the 5 card total as it
relates to the paytable.
Let
it Ride is played on a blackjack-style table with a
single standard pack of 52 cards. There are three betting
circles in front of each player. They are marked "1"
"2" and "$". These are the spots
where the three mandatory bets are placed by each participating
player. Occasionally there is an additional bet spot
as well. A red button in front of the player where an
optional $1 wager can be made.
The
player's goal in Let It Ride is to draw a hand that is
strong enough to qualify for one of the winners in the
Payout Schedule (See Table below)
1-1
Tens or Better
2-1
Two Pairs
3-1
Three of a kind
5-1
Straight
8-1 Flush
11-1
Full House
50-1 Four
of a kind
200-1 Straight
Flush
1,000-1 Royal
Flush.
Before
any bets are made, players must bet on each of the three
betting circles in front of them. These bets must be made
in equal amounts. For example if $5 were to be bet on
the circle bet "1", then $5 must be bet on circles
"2", "$"
The dealer will then deal 3 cards to each player and 2
communal cards face down. These are the 5 cards that make
up the hand.
The player will then look at his cards and make a decision
on the 1st of his $5 bets. The player must decide whether
to withdraw the money or "Let it Ride". The
player will do this by evaluating the relative strength
of the 3 cards, and should they feel that the hand is
likely to qualify for a bonus, then should let the bet
stand. See Below for clues on when to withdraw and when
to "Let it Ride"
The dealer will then reveal one of the 2 community cards.
Like before, the player must decide whether to withdraw
the 2nd $5. There are now 4 cards to evaluate before deciding
whether or not to play.
The dealer shall then reveal the final community card,
and the players hand is now complete. Payouts go according
to the table above, and how many times the player "Let
it Ride."
When to Let It Ride
When you must first decide whether to Let It Ride, consider
the following combinations as mathematically "wise"
to Let it Ride
Three
of a kind - Fairly obvious, you will have an automatic
winner guaranteeing at lest a 3-1 payoff.
Pair
of 10's or higher pair - Again another "No
Brainer"
Three
to a royal flush - You have plenty of opportunities
for a payout here - flush, straight, high pair and
of course, the jackpot, the Royal Flush
Three
to a Straight Flush - As above, plenty of
chances
Three
to a Flush with 2 cards 10 or higher and a straight
possibility - It is not enough to have the flush
chance, for there are two additional suited cards
that must be matched up. We must also have the value
of the two high cards, which can pair, and the possibility
of the straight. The combination of all the above
factors make this hand a profitable one to let the
bet ride.
Three
to a flush with J 9 8,10 9 7 or 10 8 7 -As above
10
J Q or J Q K - These hands, the most marginal of
the seven categories, but still profitable enough
to let the bet ride.
With
all other hands, you should withdraw the first of your
$5 bets
When there are 4 cards showing (after the dealer has
revealed one of the cards), you should Let It Ride with
the following
4
of a Kind
3
of a Kind
2
Pairs
Pair
of 10's or better - The above are all automatic
winners.
4
to a Royal Flush - Just one card to go!
Four
to a straight Flush
Four
to a flush
Four
to an open-ended straight
Four
to a high straight (10-J-K-A etc)
All other hands are not considered strong enough to
warrant a bet, and you should therefore withdraw the
$5.
Using these tactics, the margin to the house is less
than 3%. On any given hand, you will have a 24% change
of a payout. This is a very fun game, with some tasty
winnings for the lucky ones.
Where to play Let
It Ride.
Let it Ride can be played for fun/practice or for real
at the following online casinos:
Major Millions™ is the largest progressive jackpot game on the Internet ever, with a jackpot starting value of $250,000 !
Major Millions™ is a 1 dollar, 3-reel, 3 pay line slot, developed by Microgaming, the leader in online casino systems. Major Millions™ is connected to dozens of the best online casinos. The game accumulates deposits from players on all its participating casinos and creates jackpots that grow by the minute.
So Far there have been 16 Jackpot Winners (as of 1st March 2004)
Jim L scooped $1,683,526.64 on Major Millions
onJuly 18th, 2003 playing at Lucky
Nugget.
