The first thing that many casino players think of when they picture the inside of a casino are the slot machines, because slots tend to take up the most space. But there are also plenty of other options when it comes to casino games. As you continue reading below you will find a list of popular casino card games and descriptions of each.

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Blackjack is by far the most popular casino card game. Almost everyone has either.

The list on this page is extensive, but I can’t claim it to be 100% complete, as there are new games developed every day and there are obscure games that pop up now and then. But if you familiarize yourself with the card games on this page you won’t have any trouble finding a game to play at any of our top casino sites.

Blackjack

Blackjack is by far the most popular casino card game. Almost everyone has either played blackjack or has seen it being played, but if you need a refresher here is a quick rundown on how to play.

Each player receives two cards and the dealer receives one card face down and one face up. Each player in turn then decides whether to stand pat, receive another card or cards (hit), split, double down or surrender (where available). Once all of the players have either busted (exceeded a total of 21) or stand the dealer flips their hole card over and completes his or her hand.

Dealers always hit when they have 16 or less and stand when they have 18 or more. Depending on the house rules, they always stand on hard 17’s but in some places they will hit on soft 17 and in others they will stand on soft 17.

This is just a basic overview, so if you want to play blackjack you should study the rules and table variations before investing a great deal of money. You can also play for free at most online casinos before playing for real money which is a great way to learn more about the game.

Free Card Games 3 Cards

There are many different varieties of blackjack. A few of them are covered below, like Spanish 21, but you will find 21 game variations in just about every casino. They are almost always based on the same basic concept of getting a higher total than the dealer without going over 21 but will have different rule variations beyond that.

For example, there are blackjack games where both dealer cards are played face up and games where you are dealt two hands and the second cards on each hand can be switched. The most important thing to do is make sure you understand the rules and content of the deck before playing. The reason I mention the content of the deck is because some forms remove certain cards from the deck.

For an example of one of these games see the Spanish 21 information below.

3 Card Poker

3 Card Poker, also called Tri Card Poker, is a game where you play a three card poker hand against the dealer’s three card hand. The dealer has to qualify with a queen high or better in order to pay off on the raise bet. To start play you place a bet on the ante circle. You also may place an optional wager on the pair+ circle. After you receive your three cards you either fold, which surrenders your ante bet, or you raise by placing a bet the same size as your ante bet in the raise circle.

If you raise and the dealer does not qualify you receive even money on your ante bet and the raise bet is a push. When you raise and the dealer qualifies and you have a better hand than the dealer your ante bet and the raise wager both receive even money. There are bonuses paid on your ante bet for certain hands.

A common pay table for ante bonuses is a straight pays 1 to 1, three of a kind pays 4 to 1 and a straight flush pays 5 to 1. The pair plus has different pay tables at different casinos, but a common one pays 1 to 1 for a pair, 4 to 1 for a flush, 6 to 1 for a straight, 25 to 1 for three of a kind and 35 to 1 for a straight flush.

4 Card Poker

4 Card Poker is played much like 3 Card Poker except the dealer always qualifies. The player receives five cards and the dealer receives six, with five down and one face up. Each forms his or her best four card poker hand.

The player antes to start play and must place another wager of one to three times the ante to remain in the hand after receiving his or her cards. Bonuses are paid for certain hands and there are side bets available.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a casino card game that is played for some of the highest stakes around the world. When you start playing Baccarat you must place a bet on the banker, the player or a tie. After placing your bet all of the rest of the action is completed based on very strict rules, making this one of the easiest casino card games to play.

The object is to have the hand you bet on score a higher total than the other hand, or for the two hands to tie in the event you bet on a tie. Scores only go up to 9, as any digits in the tens column are dropped.

For example, a hand with a 10 and an 8 will score as an 8, not an 18. A hand containing an ace and 6 scores a total of 7.

Winning bets on the player pay 1 to 1 and winning bets on the banker pay 1 to 1 minus a small house commission, usually 5%. The tie bet usually pays 9 to 1, but it can vary.

Pai Gow Poker

In Pai Gow Poker, the dealer and player each receive seven cards. These seven cards are divided into a five card poker hand and a two card hand. The five card hand has to be higher than the two card hand.

In order to win, the player’s five card hand has to be better than the dealer’s five card hand AND the player’s two card hand must be better than the dealer’s two card hand. When the player wins the casino collects a commission, usually 5%.

When both of the dealer’s hands are better than the players the player loses their wager. The outcome of the majority of hands is a push when the dealer has one better hand and the player has the other better hand.

Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is a popular casino card game that usually has a side progressive jackpot wager available. Players start by placing an ante wager and the optional progressive side bet if they want. The player and dealer each receive five cards with only one of the dealers turned face up.

The player then either folds or raises. A raise is twice the amount of the original ante. The dealer only qualifies with a hand of ace king or higher. If the dealer does not qualify all ante bets are paid even money and all raises are pushed.

When the dealer qualifies and the player has a better hand both the ante and raise bets win for the player. The ante bet pays 1 to 1 and the raise wager is paid from a chart.

A common pay out chart is 1 to 1 for a pair or less, 2 to 1 for two pair, 3 to 1 for three of a kind, 4 to 1 for a straight, 5 to 1 for a flush, 7 to 1 for a full house, 20 to 1 for four of a kind, 50 to 1 for a straight flush and 100 to 1 for a royal flush.

Let It Ride

Let It Ride Poker is a version of five card stud where each player receives three cards and two cards are turned face up on the table. The two face up cards are used in combination with each player’s three cards to form their best poker hand.

Players do not play against the dealer. They are paid based on a pay table starting with a pair of tens or better.

Each player starts by placing three equal sized wagers. After they receive their three cards they may pull one wager back or let it ride. After the first face up card is dealt they can pull a bet back or let it ride.

So the player will always have at least one wager on the table at the end and may have up to three. A common pay table pays 1 to 1 for a pair of tens or better, 2 to 1 for two pair, 3 to 1 for three of a kind, 5 to 1 for a straight, 8 to 1 for a flush, 11 to 1 for a full house, 50 to 1 for four of a kind, 200 to1 for a straight flush and 1,000 to 1 for a royal flush.

Spanish 21

Spanish 21 is played like regular blackjack but all of the 10s have been removed from the deck. So instead of a 52 card deck you use a 48 card deck. Almost all of the other rules are favorable to the player so if you learn correct strategy the house edge on Spanish 21 can actually be lower than on most blackjack games. Pontoon is the name of a game very similar to Spanish 21 that is popular is Australia.

Casino War

Casino War is one of the easiest games you will ever play. You place a bet and receive a card face up. The dealer then receives a card face up. The higher card wins.

If you win you get paid even money and if you lose you surrender your entire wager. In the event of a tie you can either fold and get back half your bet or double your bet and go to war.

The war round has the player and dealer each receive four down cards and then a face up card. The higher face up card wins. If the dealer wins you lose your entire wager. If you win then you receive even money on half your bet and the other half is a push.

Super Fun 21

Super Fun 21 is a variation of blackjack. It is played just like blackjack but only pays even money on a player’s blackjack. Other rules are more favorable to the player like the ability to double down at any time during the hand, being able to split up to four times and a player blackjack always wins even when the dealer also has a blackjack.

Vegas Three Card Rummy

In Vegas Three Card Rummy the goal is to get a lower score than the dealer. The player and the dealer each receive three cards and the total is calculated for each hand. The dealer must score 20 or lower to qualify.

The player must place an ante bet to start and place an additional wager to stay in the hand after they receive their cards. There is also a side bonus bet that can be wagered on. When the player stays in the hand and has less than the dealer he or she receives even money on their ante.

When the player stays in and the dealer qualifies and the player has a lower score than the dealer the player wins 4 to 1 on a score of 0, 2 to 1 on a score of 1 to 5 and 1 to 1 on a score of 6 to 19.

Card values for face cards and tens are 10, aces are 1 and all other cards are their face value. Pairs, triples, two card suited runs and three card suited runs count as 0.

Texas Holdem

Texas holdem, along with the next two games (Omaha and 7 Card Stud), are not always included in a list of casino card games even though they are often offered in the poker section of land based casinos. They usually aren’t offered in the same software package as online casinos, though many online casinos also have poker rooms offered on different software. So I decided to include the three main poker variations here at the end because they do fit the overall theme.

Texas holdem is the most popular version of poker and is often the game you see televised. Play starts with two players placing small forced bets called the blinds. Each player receives two hole cards face down and then there is a round of betting.

Three community cards are placed face up in the middle of the table followed by another betting round. Another community card is turned face up followed by another round of wagering and then the final community card is turned face up.

The final round of betting is completed and the remaining players make their best five card poker hand using any combination of their hole cards and the five community cards. You can play Texas holdem for limit, pot limit or no limit.

Omaha

Omaha is played almost exactly like Texas holdem except each player starts with four cards instead of two and at the end each remaining player must use exactly two of his or her four hole cards and exactly three cards from the board to make the best five card hand. Omaha can be played as limit or pot limit and can also be played for high and low.

7 Card Stud

7 Card Stud starts with each player placing an ante and receiving two cards face down and one card face up followed by a betting round. The fourth, fifth and sixth cards are dealt to each player face up followed by betting rounds and then the seventh and final card is dealt face down to each player followed by the final betting round. 7 Card Stud is played for limit or pot limit stakes and is usually just played for high, but can be played for high and low.

Let It Ride is a poker variation that’s based on five-card stud. Online casinos in regulated states now offer this table game.

Let It Ride sees you dealt three hole cards. The objective is to make the best five-card poker hand possible using your three hole cards and two community cards.

This game isn’t as famous as baccarat, blackjack and roulette; however, it still retains a prominent place on many casino gambling floors.

You don’t have to bet anything to play Let It Ride for free online; you can enjoy this game only by playing the demo version above. When you’re ready to move to real money, click on the “Play Now” button to lock in your bonus offer.

Basic rules for the poker game Let It Ride

Each round begins with you placing three wagers of equal size in three betting circles. For example, you might lay $1 in each of the three circles.

Following this initial betting round, the dealer delivers three hole cards to you. They also deal two face-down community cards.

You have two opportunities to withdraw one-third of your initial wager. The first chance comes after you look at your hole cards. At this time, you may or may not remove the wager in the first betting circle.

The second opportunity comes after the second community card is dealt. You can either remove your first wager, or the second if you’ve already removed the first bet.

You “let it ride“ when leaving all three wagers stand. At the end of the betting rounds, you’ll flip over your three hole cards and make the best five-card poker hand possible with the two community cards.

Potential payouts are based on the game’s pay table. You win so long as you hold a pair of 10s or higher. You lose, however, if you hold a pair of 9s or less.

How to play Let It Ride poker

The following steps summarize how to play Let It Ride hands:

1. You place three wagers of equal size in three betting circles.
2. The croupier deals you three face-down (“hole”) cards.
3. You can remove your first bet or let it ride.
4. The dealer deals the first community card.
5. You can remove your second bet or let it ride.
6. The croupier deals the second community card.
7. You flip over your cards.
8. Your five-card poker hand and the pay table determine if you win a prize.

You can also place optional side bets in Let It Ride. If you place one of these wagers, then you have a chance to win an extra payout based on your three- or five-card hand.

Let It Ride pay table

Standard Let It Ride payouts include the following:

• Royal flush: 1,000:1 payout
• Straight flush: 200:1
• Four-of-a-kind: 50:1
• Full house: 11:1
• Flush: 8:1
• Straight: 5:1
• Three-of-a-kind: 3:1
• Two pair: 2:1
• Pair of 10s or better: 1:1

As can be seen, you must hold a pair of 10s or higher to get paid. Anything below this cutoff point results in the loss of your bet.

This game offers intriguing prizes at the top of the pay table. You don’t even need to place a bonus bet to win large payouts for a royal flush (1,000:1), straight flush (200:1), and four-of-a-kind (50:1).

Let It Ride odds on 5 card hands

Let It Ride features a 52-card deck. Therefore, you can accurately determine the odds of being dealt any five-card hand.

Chances are, though, you don’t want to work out all of these calculations for yourself.

You can refer to the Let It Ride odds presented below:

• Royal flush: 1 in 649,704 odds of being dealt
• Straight flush: 1 in 72,193 odds
• Four-of-a-kind: 1 in 4,165 odds
• Full house: 1 in 694 odds
• Flush: 1 in 509 odds
• Straight: 1 in 255 odds
• Three-of-a-kind: 1 in 47 odds
• Two pair: 1 in 21 odds
• Pair of 10s or better: 1 in 4 odds
• Any pair (doesn’t pay): 1 in 2 odds

Most casinos offer the pay table featured above. Nevertheless, you should always check the pay table whenever you sit down to make sure.

Let It Ride odds on 3 card hands

One of the side bets in this game revolves around your three hold cards. This three-card bet deals with different odds.

Here are the chances of being dealt various three-card hands:

• Mini royal flush: 1 in 5,200 odds of being dealt
• Straight flush: 1 in 460 odds
• Three-of-a-kind: 1 in 425 odds
• Straight: 1 in 31 odds
• Flush: 1 in 20 odds
• Pair: 1 in 6 odds
• High card (doesn’t pay): 1 in 2 odds

This pay table represents another common pay schedule found at casinos. Again, though, you should check first before assuming that you’re dealing with standard three-card bonus payouts.

Side bets

You can place a side bet in Let It Ride by wagering $1. The side bet makes you eligible for bonus payouts.

Let It Ride offers two types of side wagers — not necessarily in the same game, including a three-card and five-card bonus bet. Below, you can see more information on both types of wagers.

Three card bonus payouts

The three-card bonus bet is similar to the “pair plus” wager in three-card poker. It delivers prizes based on your three hole cards.

Winnings are paid according to the following pay table:

• Mini royal flush: 50:1 payout
• Straight flush: 40:1
• Three-of-a-kind: 30:1
• Straight: 6:1
• Flush: 4:1
• Pair: 1:1

The top prizes for the three-card bonus aren’t as high as what you’ll see for the standard pay table or, especially, the five-card bet. However, you also carry stronger odds of earning a bonus with the three-card wager.

Five card bonus payouts

The five-card bonus bet is based on traditional five-card poker rankings. Here are the payouts for this wager:

• Royal flush: 20,000:1 payout
• Straight flush: 2,000:1
• 4 of a kind: 400:1
• Full house: 200:1
• Flush: 50:1
• Straight: 25:1
• 3 of a kind: 5:1

The 20,000:1 prize is especially impressive. This payout is similar to what many slots jackpots offer. You can also look forward to other big payouts for a straight flush (2,000:1), four-of-a-kind (400:1) and full house (200:1).

Let It Ride house edge

The Let It Ride house edge depends upon your skill level and strategy. Assuming you do use optimal strategy, then you can lower the house advantage to 3.51%.

This house edge ranks average when compared to other casino games. It doesn’t give you as strong of a chance to win as baccarat or blackjack, but this house advantage does rank better than most slots and certain table games.

Let It Ride strategy

Let It Ride strategy isn’t overly complicated. However, it does require you to make the right decisions based on your three hole cards and the first community card.

According to the optimal strategy, you should only “let it ride” when you hold:

Three cards

• Any paying hand (10s or better)
• Any three cards to a royal flush
• Three consecutive suited cards (except for 2-3-4 and A-2-3)
• Three cards to a straight flush, one gap, with one or more high cards
• Three cards to a straight flush, two gaps, with two or more high cards

Four cards – counts first community card

• Any paying hand
• Any four suited cards
• Any four cards to an outside straight, with at least one high card
• Any four cards to an outside straight, with no high card
• Any four cards to an inside straight, with four high cards

Definitions

• Inside straight: Straight draw where one card is missing in the middle (e.g., 5-6-8-9)
• Outside straight: Straight draw with four consecutive cards (e.g., 5-6-7-8)
• One gap: Three-card draw with one gap in between (e.g., 8-9-J)
• Two gaps: Three-card draw with two total gaps (e.g., 8-10-Q)
• High card: 10 or better

Land-based vs. online Let It Ride

The actual process of playing Let It Ride remains the same between brick-and-mortar and internet casinos. However, you will notice some nuances between the two versions.

1. Online casinos offer lower minimum bets: Online casinos let you play Let It Ride for as little as $1 per hand. Contrast this to land-based casinos, which require you to bet at least $5 or $10 to play.
2. The atmosphere in a brick-and-mortar casino: The problem with playing Let It Ride at online casinos is that you don’t get to enjoy as much social interaction. Brick-and-mortar casinos, on the other hand, allow you to chat with the dealers and other players.
3. You control the game speed online: You determine when hands are dealt in online Let It Ride. By comparison, the dealer, for the most part, controls the game speed in the land-based version.
4. Different comps: Internet casinos are limited in the comps that they can offer you through Let It Ride. Generally, you can only look forward to cashback, free slots spins and higher deposit/withdrawal limits at gaming sites. Brick-and-mortar casinos offer a wealth of rewards. For example, you can earn free drinks, hotel stays, limousine transportation, meals and more when playing Let It Ride live.

Can I cheat in Let It Ride?

You can’t cheat in Let It Ride online. Online casinos program their games to eliminate any potential cheating possibilities.

However, there have been people in the past who managed to cheat Let It Ride games in land-based casinos. In almost all cases, the cheaters were caught, arrested and jailed.

Colluding with the dealer

One of the simplest ways people have cheated involves colluding with a dealer. The dealer would stack the deck, and in return, they’d receive a cut of the profits.

Casinos have a tougher time catching cheaters who work with dealers. When they do, though, casinos will prosecute everybody involved—including their croupier.

Colluding with other players

A less-attractive way to cheat Let It Ride involves working with other gamblers. With this method, players would most likely swap cards with one another.

For example, you could slip another gambler an ace to help stack one hand for your team. The problem, though, is that the casino would have an easier time catching you in the act.

Marking cards

Marking cards with invisible ink is a popular cheating technique. It works in a number of card-based games, including Let It Ride.

3 Card Poker Casino Games

To pull this method off, the player would mark the cards and wear special contact lenses or glasses. The latter lets you see the invisible ink.

Meanwhile, the dealer and other players can’t see the ink with their naked eyes. Casinos do, however, run cards under a special scanner to check for such invisible markings.

FAQ

How big of a bankroll do I need for $1 tables?

Technically, you only need $1 to play real-money Let It Ride online in Pennsylvania. After all, gaming sites in the Keystone State let you play for just $1 per hand.

However, you should budget more money toward the game if you wish to last longer. Ideally, you’ll want to have at least $20 per session.

This amount gives you enough money to provide 20 units. Here’s the theoretical math on how long you can expect to last at this rate:

• You have a $20 bankroll.
• You wager $1 per hand.
• You play 100 hands per hour.
• 100 x 1 = $100 wagered per hour
• 100 x 0.0351 = $3.51 in hourly losses
• 20 / 3.51 = 5.7

You could expect to last for 5.7 hours, or five hours and 42 minutes, on average with your bankroll.

How do I win in Let It Ride?

You must use the proper strategy to reduce the house edge to its lowest point. Let It Ride features a 3.51% house advantage if you use a perfect strategy.

You can refer to the strategy section on this page to learn the optimal way to play. Our strategy covers what to do when you’re holding three- and four-card (counting first community card) hands.

Which game has better odds: Let It Ride or blackjack?

Blackjack gives you a stronger chance to win, especially at PA and NJ casinos. Some online casinos with blackjack return to player (RTP) that’s worth over 99.5%.

The catch, though, is that you must use a perfect strategy to achieve this lofty RTP. Blackjack strategy is more complex than Let It Ride’s because it covers far more situations.

Let It Ride doesn’t give you as strong of a chance to win with its 96.49% RTP. However, it’s an easier game with regard to strategy.

Online Casino 3 Card Poker

Can I count cards in Let It Ride?

Technically, you can count cards in Let It Ride. However, you won’t gain an advantage over the house with Let It Ride card counting.

Blackjack is the only game that gives you a true advantage when counting cards. Assuming you’re interested in advantage play, then you should try land-based blackjack.

Let It Ride is a strategic game. Therefore, you must use proper strategy to boost your odds of winning.

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You still won’t have as good of a chance to win with Let It Ride as you will with baccarat, blackjack or French roulette — the highest-paying table games. However, the 96.49% RTP that you achieve with perfect strategy ranks well in comparison to many other casino games.