Hang on – what is Let ‘Em Ride? It might sound like a Wild West movie but it’s the name of a casino table game. It’s not as old as you might think either, dating from the late Nineties.
That’s all reasonable enough but how do you play it – and when should you raise your bet? Don’t play this poker variant until you’ve found out more in our handy guide right here.
The game is based on five cards
A five-card poker hand is the focus for Let ‘Em Ride. However, the dealer doesn’t give you five cards when the game begins. Instead, you get three. Before this happens, you need to make three bets. They should all be of the same value, so you might pick a dollar wager. This means you’ve made three one-dollar bets.
Decide whether to let your first bet ride
You decide on this after viewing your three cards. Letting it ride means you’re keeping the bet in play. If you’re not keen on your hand thus far, you pull your first one dollar bet back.
The dealer reveals the first of two community cards
At this point, you can look at the card in relation to the three in your hand. If you’re not keen on the potential, you can withdraw the second dollar bet in our example. Once again, if you’re keen on the possible outcome, let that bet ride as well.
The final community card then appears, completing the set of five. The idea is that you will try and form anything from a pair of 10s or higher to the Royal Flush – the best hand of all. Based on your first three cards and the two dealt by the dealer, you can work out when to raise your bet, i.e., when to keep one or two of those bets in play.
You’ll always have one bet in place – the bet for playing that individual game. After that, you can raise (keep one or both additional wagers in play) depending on the outcome of the community cards and your hand.
Make sure you have a paying hand before you raise
This applies to both a three-card hand – the one you are initially dealt – and a four-card hand. So, if you have a good set of cards to start with, keep your bets in play. Raise rather than withdraw one of your coins. If the first community card gives you an improved position, you can raise on that too. The crux of it is always to look for a winning hand.
To dig a little deeper here, your three cards should give you at least a pair of 10s. You might also get three of a kind. Another example would be to see three of the cards you would need for a straight flush.
When the next card is dealt, you can see if it improves on your existing hand. Again, a pair of 10s is the minimum to look for. It’s best to play a few demo hands of the game to start with. Let It Ride is a great alternative to video poker and simple to understand once you get the hang of it. We love the fact you can pull back one or two of your set of three wagers. What do you make of it?
