LET
IT RIDE
In this games, you are playing for the best poker hand possible
(the dealer is not involved), and the house edge is a little
less than 3 percent. Your five-card poker hand consists
of three cards dealt to you and two "common" cards
that all the players use to make up their five-card hands.
When you play the games, notice the three betting squares
on the layout labeled "l," "2," and
"$" because they figure prominently in the rules
of play described here.
Step 1. To start, the players place three
bets, one in each of the three betting squares. You will
learn shortly that you will have the option of removing
two of these three bets depending on the strength of your
hand and the risk you wish to take.
Step 2. The dealer deals three cards face
down to each of the players and two "common" cards,
also face down. The players look at their three cards without
showing them to the other players.
Step 3. The players no"- decide to
take back their number "1" bet or "let it
ride." To let a bet ride, the player tucks his three
cards under his wager or lays the hand down behind the number
"1" bet.
If the player wishes to take the bet back, he scratches
the felt as signal to the dealer to return the bet. Do not
reach for it yourself.
Step 4. After all the players have decided
on their number "1" bets, the dealer turns over
the first of the two common cards. With this additional
information, the players now decide whether to take back
their number "2" bets or let that bet ride in
the same way as the number "1" bet. At this point
in the games, it is possible that you may only have one bet
at risk, the "$" bet, but that bet may not be
taken back. Or, if you've let one or both "1"
and "2" bets ride, you have one or two bets at
risk going into the next step.
Step 5. The dealer turns over the second
common card and the players' five-card hands are now complete-their
three cards and the two common cards. Your hand is paid
off according to the typical payoff schedule shown in Table
6. Note that if your hand is less than a pair of 10s, you
lose. Also note that if you let one or both of your "1"
and "2" bets ride, you could be collecting on
or losing one, two, or three bets.
| Royal
flush |
:
1,000 to 1 |
| Straight flush |
: 200 to 1 |
| Four-of-a-kind |
: 50 to 1 |
| Full house |
: 11 to 1 |
| Flush |
: 8 to 1 |
| Straight |
: 5 to 1 |
| Three-of-a-kind |
: 3 to 1 |
| Two pair |
: 2 to 1 |
| Pair of 10s or
better |
: 1 |
Bet Size.
A side from your bet size for the "l," "2,"
and "$" bet boxes, the two decisions you make
in this games are whether to let the "1" and "2"
bets ride. On the "1" bet, I recommend letting
it ride only if your three cards contain a pair of tens
or better (higher pair or three-of-a-kind) or if your three
cards are of the same suit (the possibility of a flush)
or are in sequence; for example, 6, 7, 8 (the possibility
of a straight). Otherwise, take the "1" bet back.
On your "2" bet, clearly you will let it ride
if you opted to let the "1" bet ride with a pair
of tens or better. With a three-card flush or three-card
straight, let your "2" bet ride if that first
common card improves your hand to a pair of 10s or better
or to a four-card flush or four-card straight. Otherwise
fold your hand and take back the "2" bet.
