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Let it Ride Poker Game

The Basics of Let it Ride

Let it Ride is a famous poker variation of the 5-card stud game. Played using a classic 52-card deck shuffled randomly, it was first introduced to casinos back in 1993 by ShuffleMaster Gaming, a company known for its machines that perform auto-shuffling of cards. It can be played by up to seven players at once, on a table which bears a strong resemblance to that used in blackjack. The game runs more slowly than games of blackjack, but offers players the chance to win very high pay-outs, which has made it very popular both in casinos and online. Don't forget to check list of top 5 casinos www.top5casinos.at.

The game is played against pay-out schedules like those used in video poker, and the aim of the game is to get the best possible card combination in your hand. Each player at the table will have 3 circles in front of them, marked with a 1, a 2 and a $ sign. These are the places where bets are laid. Players can take back the first and second bets at a later stage in the game. The aim is to get a pair of Tens or better. Players use the three cards dealt to them, plus the dealer’s two community cards.

Once all the players have been dealt their cards, the dealer discards one, which leaves two playing cards facedown before the dealer. Players place three equal bets on the bet circles in front of them. Once the players are permitted to look at the three-card hand they’ve been dealt, they have the opportunity to take back the first bet, or to simply Let it Ride. Once the first of the two community cards is turned over, players are given the option to take back the second bet. When the second community card is shown, this completes the five-card hand and here the dealer pays out for all winning combinations.

Strategy for Let it Ride

Generally, the object of this game is to take back the first and second bets if you believe that you won’t achieve tens or better in the game. If you are already holding a strong hand, the best strategy is to let both bets ride – this means, if you have tens or better, let the bets ride. Bet 1 should be left to ride if you have a pair of tens, three of a kind, a three-card royal flush or a straight flush. Let bet two ride if you are holding a winning hand, a four-card Flush, Royal or Straight Flush, four high cards, or four cards which run in sequence (so that one of two possible cards would complete the straight at either end).

Bonus and Side Bet

In some games, players are given the opportunity to have a side bet. This bet is based on the value of the board’s three cards. In Let it Ride, special rules apply: there is a separate win up for grabs if a “Mini Royal” – that is, an Ace, King and Queen – is achieved. This has a separate pay-out table from the main game. Alternatively, in some games there is a Side Bet of $1 that gives players additional pay-outs on particular hands.

Poker Tournament Rules

PokerStars has long since been the best place to play tournaments for online poker but it's a good idea to learn the poker tournament rules before you take the plunge. There is nothing more exciting than playing in a poker tournament because you might be pitting yourself against thousands of others, all vying for the grand total pot. As you can imagine, all players putting at least a dollar into the pot as a buy-in will quickly become a huge pot.

There are of course higher stake tournaments which might attract slightly less people but the pot size will be just as, if not, bigger. It's all about pride too, as you can hold your head up high if you managed to win the pot after beating hundreds of other players directly. What you need to understand are the poker tournament rules so you can play more effectively and not make any silly mistakes.

First of all, there is the time at which it starts. Ensure you have set enough time, as tournaments can last a long time, and that you are at your computer for the start. If you time-out, then you lose your seat. Some tournaments have re-buys, which adds to the pot too, and that lets you rejoin the tournament even after you're beaten and lose your chips. This is only allowed up until a certain point as it could last forever if not.

Poker Tournament Rules Continued

The poker tournament rules at PokerStars or any other poker room are similar. If you join, then you have to use the designated amount of chips to beat your opponents. If you have the most chips, it doesn't always mean you're going to win as it depends on that final table and the head to head at the end. You need a level head when playing in a tournament as getting through to the next table or even the final table can be too exciting that you play differently.

It's important to understand that tournaments payout to not just the winner, but the pot is filtered down to sometimes the last 100 places. This is really good for those who want to progress as they will want to try and get higher and higher up the final standings. Some tournaments are set out to win a seat in the WSOP, which are called satellite tournament and the poker tournament rules are similar.

If you want to take advantage of the poker tournaments and win so much more money, you need to enter them. By joining PokerStars today, which is the biggest and most popular poker room in the world, you can click here and get a 100% bonus on deposits up to $600 to get you started. Be sure to use Pokerstars marketing code PSA2049 when you sign up. It's easy to clear and there are so many different tables, poker games and tournaments that you will instantly feel at home there, and the opportunity to win lots of more money is so great. Join today using the link above and grab that free cash they give to new sign-ups.

Best Hand in Poker

No matter if you play Texas Hold Em, 7 or 9-card poker, it's the best of five cards. Party Poker is the best poker room to play at for beginners and it's one of the best places to learn how to play. The best hand in poker is one that is shown in the rankings of poker hands. The best one is a royal flush and follows in this order: straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair and a high card.

In a deck of cards, there are 52 different cards, four suits and 13 different cards in each suit. That means the different possibilities equals 2,598,960 combinations for each hand. If two players have a straight, then the highest card in that straight means there is a victor. If two players have identical hands, then the pot is split between them. In many poker players' careers, they might only hit a royal flush once or twice in many years of playing. That just shows how rare, and how why every player usually applauds a royal flush, when it happens.

Best Hand in Poker – Tie Breakers

For beginners, playing at Party Poker is a good choice as it has a simple interface, easy to use lobby area and there are many freeroll tournaments and low stake poker games. If you're looking for a poker room to join but aren't sure which on to pick, then Party Poker is a good start. You can use the bonus code of PKR100 to receive 100% bonus on deposits of up to $500. Although there are many other poker rooms, Party Poker is the best for beginners and an ideal place to learn about the best hand in poker.

When it comes to a high card or a set of pairs, there are usually tie breakers which can determine the winner. A tie break is where two or more players has the same value of card, for example, two Aces. If player 1 has an Ace and a 2, and player 2 has an Ace and a 9, then player two will win as the second card kicks player one's second card. Thankfully, for beginners who might find learning about the hands that are best in poker, Party Poker explains who is the winner and why. For example, a note pops up saying player 2 wins with a 9 kicker.

The overall hierarchy of cards is easy to learn while you play. There's not much point in sitting down and trying to swot up on the rules. Just play some free games, some low stake ones and learn as you go. For all the reading you do, you could have earned a lot of money. It doesn't take long to master the basics, and what all of the top poker players advise is to 'keep on practising'.

Don't forget to take advantage of Party Poker bonus code PKR100 by clicking here, which gives you 100% bonus on deposits of up to $500.

Basics, Rules, Phases of the game, Betting actions

 The rules may seem complicated at first sight, but once you have played a while (play-money, of course) you will find them rather easy. The poker room software will offer you the options available to you in any given situation, so it will be self-explaining.


In Hold’em, the player that wins the pot at the end is the player that holds the best “hand” of five cards after combining his two “hole cards” or “pocket cards” (his own cards that only he can see) with the five cards on the table (“board” or “community cards”). If in any phase of the game one player bets and nobody calls his bet, then of course the betting player wins without a “showdown”.

 

“Hand” has a double meaning in poker: it can mean the hand of an individual player, but the term is also used to describe a complete playing round from the beginning where the blinds are posted and the hole cards are dealt, until the end - the showdown.

 


After all players have taken their seats (in the following we will always assume that we have 10 players at our table), everybody gets dealt one card, and the player with the highest card gets the dealer button first (“highcarding for the button”). The player on the dealers left (or next clockwise) is the “Small Blind” who has to post half a small bet before seeing his hole cards. The next player clockwise is the “Big Blind”, his deposit has to be one small bet.

 

If you join an ongoing game, as you will do when you play online, you just take a free seat. In this case, you will have to post a big blind. You can also choose to sit out until it would be your turn to be the “Big Blind” anyway.

 


After all the blinds have been posted, the player left of the Big Blind has to speak first. He can fold, call (by posting a small bet), or raise (by posting a big bet). The player on his left has the same choices now.If  players have called before him, he can call too, or raise if he wants. If one player has raised before him, he can call two bets (cold-call), but he can also re-raise (three-bet) again. The basic principle is that at the end of a betting round everybody has put the same amount of money into the pot if he wants to see the next card (exception: all-in situation, see later). If a player has called initially and somebody else raises behind him, he can decide between folding, calling the raise and re-raising when it’s his turn again.

 

The Small Blind has already posted half a small bet, so if the pot is not raised, he can fold or put another half small bet in (complete). If somebody has raised, it’s 1 and a half bet to him.

 

The Big Blind has already posted a small bet, so he can just check (meaning he does not have to put extra money in), or call if somebody has raised, or raise and or re-raise himself.

 

Betting is limited to 4 small bets per round pre-flop. If the pot is bet to the maximum, it is called “capping”.

 

Now that everybody has acted “pre-flop”, the dealer deals 3 cards for everybody to see on the table (the “flop”). Now every player has to evaluate the strenght of his hole cards combined with the flop.

 

This time, the first player to the left of the “button” (dealer) has to “speak” first. If he has folded before the flop, it’s the next player to his left and so on. This player can now check or bet (one small bet). The next player can check (only if nobody has bet before him), bet (if everybody has checked before him), raise (if somebody has bet before him) or re-raise (if somebody has raised before him. He can also fold, but if the checking option is still open, there is no need to fold right away – check first, then fold if someone bets.

 


After this betting round is over, the dealer deals another “community card”, which is called the Turn.  After that card, all players re-evaluate their hand strength, and another betting round begins. The same betting rules as in the round before apply, only this time the minimum bet is a big bet (e.g. 10 cents in a 0,05/0,10$ game). Maximum is 4 big bets per player now.

 


Once this betting round is over, the dealer deals a last community card, called The River. After that, nobody can improve his hand anymore. Another betting round follows, and at the end of the betting after everybody who remains in the “hand” has posted his equal amount of bets, the players show their cards and the best hand wins the pot (showdown).

 

Sometimes the pot is split between two or more players, when they have hands of exactly equal strength.

 

All-in situation:

 

This is a special situation. When at some point during a hand a player does not have enough money left to make a call, he is then considered all-in. There will be a main pot, in which will be the money that the all-in player can win, and a side pot that belongs to the player that holds the best hand of all the remaining players. If this player’s hand is better than the all-in players hand, he wins both the main and the side pot. If the all-in player holds the best hand, he wins the main pot. The side pot goes to the best hand of the remaining players.

 

Hand ranking

 

At the end of each round that is played to the showdown, the winner is the player with the best combination of his 2 hole cards and the board cards. Only the five best cards count. Theorethically, using all seven cards you cold have 3 pairs, but then only the two highest pairs would count. Or you could have a straight and a flush, then only the flush would count. Or the highest combination could consist of the 5 exact board cards without any player’s hole cards being used, then the pot is split.

 


The sequence of card values is (in decreasing sequence): A=Ace, K=King, Q=Queen, J=Jack, T= Ten, 9, 8, 7, and so on. The colours or suits are s=spades, c=clubs, h=hearts, d=diamonds

 

A hand would be described in written form as for example Ah Qc – Ace of hearts and Queen of clubs. Describing a hand as AKo would stand for Ace and Queen offsuit (of different suits), JTs for Jack and Ten of the same suit.

 


Ranking of the different hands, from lowest to highest value

 

High Card

 

When nobody has hit a pair or better, the player with the highest hole card wins, if two players have the same high card, the highest second hole card wins.

 

Example: Player A holds AT, player B holds K T, Board is Q 9 8 2 3, no flush. Player A wins because his Ace is the highest card and nobody has a pair.

 


One Pair

 

Two cards of the same value, such as Qh and Qd. When both players have pairs, the higher pair wins. When both players have the same pair, the player with the higher kicker card (second hole card) wins. The kicker rule is actually a bit more complicated and will be explained in detail in the forum.

 

Example: Player A holds AQ, Player B hold QJ, Board is QT923. Both A and B have a pair of queens, but A wins because of his higher kicker (also: B is outkicked by A).

 


Two Pair

 

Should be self-explaining. If both players have two pair, the highest pair decides. If both players have the same highest pair, the player with the higher second pair wins. If both have the same two pair, the player with the higher kicker card wins.

 

Example: AA QQ beats KK QQ, or JJ TT beats JJ 77.

 


Three of a kind – 3oak

 

In Hold’em, they are called a set (when you have two cards for the 3oak as hole cards with one on the board) or trips (when there is a pair on the board and you hold the matching card). Again, if both players hold 3oak, the higher set oder trips wins. When both players hold the same trips, the kicker again decides.

 

Example: Player A holds TT, Board is A K T 7 3. Player B holds 77. Player A wins.

 


Straight

 

5 cards of connected value. If both players have a straight, the highest straight wins. If both have the same straight, the pot is split. A2345 is the smallest possible straight. KA234 is not a straight!

 


Flush

 

5 cards of the same suit. If two or more players hold a flush, the player with the highest card of that suit wins.

 

Example: Player A holds Ad Kd, Player B holds Qd Jd, Board is Th, 9d, 8d, 5d, 2c.

 

Player A wins ( he is holding the so-called “nut flush”, because his Ace makes his flush the best possible card if nobody has hit a straight flush). Note: the fact that player B also has a straight does not matter.

 


Full House

 

Three of a kind plus one pair. If two players have a full house, the player with the highest 3oak wins, if the 3oak is the same for both, then the pair counts. No kicker rule if both have the same full house exactly – the pot will be split.

 

Example: Player holds Kh Qh, board is Ks Qc Qd Ts 8h: Full house, also “Queens full of kings”.

 


Quad or Four of a kind (4oak)

 

Four cards of the same value. Kicker rule only applies when the quad consists of 4 cards on the board.

 

Example: Player holds Kh Kd, board is Ks Kc Jd 4s 2h

 


Straight flush

 

5 cards that are suited and connected. In the (rather unlikely) case that two players have one, the higher one wins.

 

Example: Js Ts 9s 8s 7s

 


Royal Flush

 

AKQJT of the same suit, the rarest and highest of cards.

 



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