 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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