Free Poker Software

Advantages and Disadvantage of Video LIR Poker

Advantages

Unlike most video poker machines whereby the poker game pays even money for pairs of jacks or better, Let It Ride pays even money for pairs of 10s or better. This is also somewhat better than Caribbean Stud, since in Let It Ride the dealer does not have to "qualify" before making payoffs. Another advantage is that you can make three bets, but risk only one, because you have the option of "taking back" the first two bets.

The biggest advantage in Let It Ride is if you receive a "pat hand" from the start. Which means a hand that contains kings, or aces, or any three of a kind, even before the dealer's two cards are turned over. Any of these hands showing up among your first three cards means that you have won already, regardless of what the two common cards are (which the dealer turns up). You should therefore stay in all rounds, knowing that you cannot lose and can only improve your hand from that point on.

Another advantage is in situations wherein the dealer turns up a pair of 10s or better. Since the dealer's cards are common cards to all players, if this happens all players win, regardless of what they have as their three cards. The problem with this situation is that if you had a lousy hand to start with, and did not improve it when the first dealer's card was turned up, by the time you find out that the dealer's cards made a "pat hand" for all the players at the table, including yourself, you would have ordinarily already taken back your first two bets and therefore will only have the last bet "in play" (which you cannot take back).

But the up side is that you have a winner, and got one even though your initial three cards were trash. Since you cannot take back your last (third) bet, these situations work in your favor by providing you with a winner that you would not have ordinarily received. This is better than blackjack, where if you surrender you lose half of your bet. Situations such as these, whereby the dealer's two cards count as a winner for everyone in the game are rare. Nevertheless, this is an advantage, particularly if you already have another pair or three of a kind, and thus the fact that the dealer turned up a paying pair will provide you with an even bigger win, two pairs or full house, for example.

Disadvantages

There is no draw in Let It Ride, which means that you cannot make any decisions concerning the ultimate outcome of your hand. Also, if you have marginal hands, such as a flush draw, or a straight draw, or a pair of 9s or less, you then stand the risk of "letting it ride" and potentially losing much more than just your base required minimum bet. That's the catch in this game, and that's primarily why the game generally has a large house edge.