 A
relatively new casino game, Free Ride is based
on Poker and similar to 'Let It Ride'. Before
the cards are dealt, the player must 'ante' an
amount of money. An ante effectively buys the
player a hand in the game. All hands are based
on traditional Poker hands [see
Poker Basics], with the object of
the game being to get a pair of 10s or better.
With the ante paid, the player is dealt 5 cards,
2 of which are placed on the table face down and
3 face up. The player then has the option to 'bet'
or 'pass'. If the player chooses to bet, they
must wager an amount equal to their ante. If the
player chooses to pass, then no extra wager is
made. After making their decision, the first of
the 2 face down cards is turned over. With 4 of
the 5 cards in their hand now face up, the player
again has the option to bet of to pass. After
either betting or passing, the players final card
is turned face up. Winning bets are paid out at
odds according to the value of the hand.
The odds paid out for winnings hands are as follows:
Royal Flush, odds of 1,000 to 1.
Straight Flush, odds of 200 to 1.
4 of a Kind, odds of 50 to 1.
Full House, odds of 11 to 1.
Flush, odds of 8 to 1.
Straight, odds of 5 to 1.
3 of a Kind, odds of 3 to 1.
2 Pair, odds of 2 to 1.
1 Pair, odds of 1 to 1.
As well as the standard wagers, the player has
the option of placing a second bet, called the
'progressive'. If the player chooses to place
this bet, they must do so at the beginning of
each hand. The cost of progressive is always a
set amount, usually $1.00. If the player does
not win the bet, their $1.00 remains in the 'pot'
which accumulates as other lost progressive bets
are added to it. In order to win the pot, or a
percentage of it, players must hold a Flush or
better. The amount paid out for a Flush, Full
House or 4 of a Kind varies from casino to casino
depending on the size of the pot. However, Straight
Flushes will nearly always win 10% with a Royal
Flush winning 100% of the pot. The value of the
pot can be anything from a couple of hundred dollars
to over $100,000 depending on when it was last
won.
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