One of a wave of new games that hit the casino scene in the 1990’s, Let It Ride Poker - or simply Let It Ride - is five-card stud poker with a couple of new twists. First off the player doesn’t need to worry about the dealer card, as all they have to concentrate on is their 5-card hand. Second is that the player has the chance to decrease their bet as cards are revealed. The result is a game that gives more control to the player, at least when their hand starts going south!
Do you enjoy a more strategic gambling experience? Then Let It Ride Poker might be the game for you when visiting the top poker sites. So keep reading if you want to learn how to play Let It Ride!
The Basics of Let It Ride Poker
Let It Ride was created by John Breeding, the creator of the Shuffle Master shuffling machine company. Breeding actually used to be a truck driver, but he quit his job in 1983 to focus on his invention, an automatic card shuffler. To promote the machine Breeding went ahead and created a game, Let It Ride, which he revealed to the world in 1992. By 1993 Breeding completed his card shuffler, and he took both machine and Let It Ride to casinos across the US.
The appeal of an automatic card shuffler for casinos is obvious - dealers could have the machine shuffle a deck while they are running a game. This way there would be no downtime between games, as a freshly shuffled deck would be ready as soon as they are done. Of course card shuffling is not an issue in the online age, where the RNG takes care of shuffling the virtual cards.
As for Let It Ride itself, the idea behind the game was to create a version of poker where the player focuses solely on getting the best hand. As such you don’t compete against other players, and the dealer is only responsible for handling the cards and running the game. It also has the player place three equal bets when they start a round. You can withdraw up to two of these bets if your hand is not too hot or “let them ride” if you’re confident in your chances.
How a Game of Let It Ride Poker Works
How a Game of Let It Ride Poker Works
This is how the typical round of Let It Ride plays out:
- Decide on the amount you want to bet, then place your 3 bets on the designated spots on the table. These are typically marked with 1, 2, and $. Note that if you decide to bet £5 then you have to place 3 bets of this amount for a total of £15.
- The dealer hands 3 cards face down to each player.
- Look at your cards and either withdraw one of your bets or “Let It Ride.”
- The dealer flips over one of their 2 community cards, which you can use to form a hand. You can also withdraw your second bet at this time unless you decide to “Let It Ride.”
- The dealer flips over their second community card.
- All players reveal the hand formed with their 3 cards and 2 community cards and are paid out according to the paytable.
Let It Ride Poker Hand Rankings
Let It Ride uses the same standard hand rankings as in regular poker. Not familiar with these? Don’t worry, we got you right here, starting from the weakest:
- One pair: Two cards of the same value.
- Two pair: Two pairs, with each pair containing two cards of the same value.
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value.
- Straight: All five cards in sequential order; the ace serves as the low or high end.
- Flush: All five cards of the same suit, though not necessarily in sequential order.
- Full house: Three cards of one value and two cards of another.
- Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value.
- Straight flush: All five cards are of the same suit and in sequential order, with an ace as the low or high end.
- Royal flush: The straight flush must contain an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten.
Let It Ride Poker Hand Payouts
Payouts for Let It Ride poker can vary between casinos and poker sites, but these are these are the standard:
|
Poker Hand |
Payout |
|
Pair (10s or better) |
1:1 |
|
Two Pair |
2:1 |
|
Three of a Kind |
3:1 |
|
Straight |
5:1 |
|
Flush |
8:1 |
|
Full House |
11:1 |
|
Four of a Kind |
50:1 |
|
Straight Flush |
200:1 |
|
Royal Flush |
1,000:1 |
Let It Ride Strategy
Let It Ride’s strategic options are all about when or when not to, well, Let It Ride. After all, as much as we enjoy winning a bet in full we also don’t like to lose it all. With this in mind here are our suggestions as to when to pull back or place all your three bets:
Strategy With 3 Cards (First Decision)
We recommend you let it ride when you have the following:
- Any winning hand already (pair of tens or better).
- Three cards towards a royal flush.
- Three consecutive cards to a straight flush (e.g., 5-6-7 of hearts).
- Three cards of the same suit.
- Three high consecutive cards (J-Q-K, 10-J-Q, etc.).
Otherwise you should pull back your first bet.
Strategy With 4 Cards (Second Decision)
These are our suggestions once it’s time for your second decision to withdraw a bet or let it ride:
- Any winning hand.
- Four cards to a flush.
- Four cards to an outside straight (e.g., 6-7-8-9).
- Four high cards (10 and above).
If it’s not the case then withdrawing your bet is a smart decision.
Go for a Ride with a New Poker Game!
Let It Ride is an interesting twist on the classic likes of Hold ‘em and Omaha! Here you’re just focused on building the best hand, and deciding whether or not to hold back with our bets. There’s no bluffing, just your luck and knowledge of poker hands. With this in mind, you should always play Let It Ride and any other casino card games responsibly. Set a bankroll and make small bets so that it lasts longer. Remember that this is ultimately a game of chance, so never chase your losses. Play to relax and have fun, and you’ll be all set to enjoy Let It Ride to the full.
