Third Card Let It Ride Online Casino Strategy

Let It Ride was introduced in land casinos in the early 1990s and when online casinos became popular it became a part of their games portfolio. In online casinos Let It Ride is known by different names such as Poker Ride or Let Them Ride.

Before understanding the strategy it is essential to understand the decisions a player has to make in Let It Ride. To start the game the player places three equal wagers. He is then dealt three cards and two community cards are dealt face down. On the basis of the three cards the player has to decide whether to withdraw one of his bets or to “let it ride”. The strategy employed here is known as ‘third card betting strategy’. Then one of the community cards is turned face up. Now on the basis of four cards the player has to decide whether or not to withdraw one of his bets. The strategy employed here is known as ‘fourth card betting strategy’. Then the fifth card is turned up and the resulting poker hand is compared to a payout table that begins with a pair of tens. Each time the player makes a decision he has to assess his chances of ultimately getting a hand that pays out.

This article discusses the third card betting strategy. The strategy describes the three card hands on which the player should let the bets ride. The hands are listed below.

• Any hand that is already a paying hand like three of a kind or tens or better. Such hands guarantee a payout and with the other two cards they can only improve. So all the money should be at the table.
• Three cards to a royal flush or straight flush can open possibilities of getting a flush, a straight, tens or better, and three of a kind as well. The chance of getting a paying combination is high and therefore let the bets ride.
• Three cards to a flush with two cards ranked ten or higher and with the possibility of a straight is the next hand. It is important to note that all three possibilities should exist. Whereas one should let it ride with K, J and 9 of clubs, one should pull a bet with A of hearts, K of diamonds and 10 of clubs. Note that with K, J and 9 of clubs there are two gaps to a straight but that is acceptable because there are two chances for a tens or better.
• Let it ride with three cards to a flush with one card ranked ten or higher and only one gap to a straight. An example is J, 9 and 8 of spades. Because there is only one possibility of tens or better this has to be compensated by only one gap to a straight.
• The last hand with which one should let the bets ride is 10, J and Q or J, Q and K of any suit. This gives options for a straight in both directions, with three options for tens or better and three options for three of a kind.

On all other hands the player should pull the first bet and minimize his losses. There are certain hands that novice players tend to let ride. Though they may appear promising they lose in the long run. One such hand is the unsuited A, K and Q. Here the straight can be made only in one direction, which is not good enough. The other hand is a low pair (less than 10) with a high card (more than 10) such as 6, 6 and K. Though possibilities exist for three of a kind and tens or better, the chances are not good enough to let the bet ride.

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