Objective: The game
is based on five-card poker. The objective is to
make a winning poker hand (at least a pair of tens
or higher) from the combination of the three
player cards and two community cards.
Playing Rules : A
Let It Ride table is similar in size to a
blackjack table with enough room for 7 players.
The dealer uses a single deck of playing cards
that is shuffled with an automatic card shuffler
(which, by the way, is manufactured by the
developers of Let it Ride). The game begins
with each player placing three separate bets of
equal size in three betting areas located in front
of each player on the layout. These betting spaces
are labeled "1", "2", and "$".
Once the mandatory three bets are
made, the dealer will deal three cards face down
to each player and two community cards will be
dealt in front of the dealer. Unlike video poker
or draw poker, there are no draw cards in Let It
Ride.
After the cards are dealt, each
player examines their three-card hand and decides
based on the strength of the hand whether to let
bet number 1 ride or to take it down. Each player
in turn will signal his decision to the dealer in
this way. If you want to let the bet ride, slide
your three cards face down under your chips in the
number 1 betting circle. If instead you want to
remove your bet, indicate this to the dealer by
scratching your cards on the felt surface toward
you (like you do when you signal a blackjack
dealer you want a card in a single deck game). The
dealer will then push the chips you bet in the
number 1 betting circle toward you (do not remove
the chips while they are inside the betting
circle, let the dealer push them toward you).
After all the players have made
their decisions, the dealer will face one of the
community cards. This card represents every
player's fourth card. Based on the strength of
their four-card hand, players must decide again on
whether to let their bet in the number 2 betting
circle ride or to take it down. You signal the
dealer when it's your turn in the same way as
described above. After this decision is made, tuck
your three cards face down under your chips in the
third betting circle (labeled with a dollar sign).
There are no more decisions to make.
After all the players have made
their second decisions, the dealer will face the
second community card representing every player's
fifth card. The dealer will then face each players
hand and compare the five card poker hand to the
pay table (the five card hand is the initial three
card hand dealt to the player plus the two
community cards). If the player ends up with at
least a pair of tens or higher, the player will
receive a payoff (see Table 1 for payoff
schedule). The payoff schedule is also clearly
labeled on the layout.
You are not permitted on your second
decision to change your number 1 bet. If it was
pulled down, it stays down, and if you let it
ride, it stays as a live bet. You can take down
the first bet and let the second bet ride or vice
versa (each decision is independent). You can
never remove the third bet (the one in the $
betting circle) and you are not permitted to show
your hand to your fellow players.
Payout Limit: Many
casinos limit their payouts on winning hands. Some
have $10,000 limits and others $25,000, $50,000,
$70,000 and some even higher. For example if
the casino had a $50,000 payout limit and you were
to let ride three $25 bets and get a royal flush,
you would only be paid $50,000 rather than the
$75,000 that you were entitled to. Therefore,
always ask about table payout limits before you
play. A simple rule to remember to be certain you
don't get short changed on a big win is to never
bet more than 1/3000 of the table limit. For
a $50,000 table limit, for example, your maximum
bet in each of the three betting circles should be
$16.