OBJECTIVE OF LET IT RIDE POKER: Earn the biggest payout by strategically removing bets or letting them ride.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Up to 7 players + 1 dealer
MATERIALS OF LET IT RIDE POKER: Standard 52-card deck
TYPE OF GAME: Casino
AUDIENCE: Adults
OVERVIEW OF LET IT RIDE POKER
Looking for a fun new poker or gambling game to get your gears turning? A fusion of Blackjack and Poker, Let It Ride is part of the new wave of casino games created in the 1990s. The game is like most traditional poker games, which rely on ranking five card hands. This poker variant on Five Card Stud has a twist though: If a player dislikes their cards, they may choose to reduce their bet. Yep – that’s right! The strategy of this game is based on knowing when to withdraw a bet and when to Let It Ride.
Before we begin going over the rules of Let It Ride, we recommend having a basic knowledge of poker. But once you’ve got the basics under your belt, you’re ready to learn the rules for Let It Ride Poker!
BETTING IN LET IT RIDE POKER
The interesting thing about Let It Ride Poker is that you place bets BEFORE you see your hand. Players must place 3 equal bets on the table. Players place these bets on the table by the symbols 1, 2, and $. Try not to risk too much since this is very much a gamble at the very beginning of the game! Unless you’re feeling lucky, of course!
At a casino, there may be a minimum bet for Let It Ride Poker, which is generally around $5.
Keep in mind that in this version of Poker, you can take back two of your bets (1 and 2) during gameplay, but you cannot withdraw the third bet – the one on the $ symbol.
THREE CARD BONUS
An optional bet you can make on top of your standard Let It Ride wager is the three card bonus. This bonus pays out if you have a pair or higher in your hand. However, keep in mind that the three card bonus may vary depending on what casino you play at.
If you’d like to learn more about betting in poker games, check out our article on poker betting basics!
HOW TO DEAL IN LET IT RIDE POKER
Of course, as with any other poker game, it’s important to start by dealing the cards properly. This poker game uses a standard 52-card deck.
After thoroughly shuffling, the dealer gives three cards to every player face-down. Then, place two cards face-down in front of the dealer, not three. These two cards are the community cards.
At this point in the game, after betting, all players may look at their own hands but must keep them secret from other players, much like Texas Hold’Em.
POKER HAND RANKINGS
Now that you’ve had a look at your hand, it’s time to refresh your memory on standard poker hand rankings. Note that in Let It Ride Poker, your bets only get paid out if you have a standard poker hand ranking combination between the 3 cards in your hand and the 2 community cards.
- Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10 – all the same suit
- Straight Flush: 5 cards in a sequence in the same suit
- Four of a Kind: 4 cards of the same face value
- Full House: 3 cards of the same value and a pair of 2 cards of the same value
- Flush: 5 cards in the same suit
- Straight: 5 cards in a sequence in any suit; A can be before 2 and after K
- Three of a Kind: 3 cards of the same face value
- Two Pairs: 2 sets of pairs
- One Pair: 2 cards with the same face value, 10s or higher
HOW TO PLAY LET IT RIDE POKER
Now that all players have had a look at the three cards in their hands, the game begins!
WITHDRAW OR LET IT RIDE
The player to the left of the dealer starts by withdrawing one of the bets if they don’t like their hand. To do this, take the stack of chips on the first bet back. On the other hand, if you are feeling fairly confident about your hand, you can “let it ride” instead!
In this poker variation, keep in mind that you are not competing against other players, nor are you playing against the dealer – you simply need to make sure you have a good hand.
FLIP OVER A CARD
Once all players have had a chance to withdraw a bet or let it ride, it’s time to flip over one of the community cards! The dealer flips over the card on their left and reveals it to all the players. This card now becomes a part of all the players’ hands
WITHDRAW OR LET IT RIDE AGAIN
After seeing the first community card, you can once again withdraw one of your bets (but you should always make sure you have your third bet at least!) or let it ride. Start with the player to the left of the dealer. You should take back one of your bets if you don’t feel confident about your hand, but let it ride if you are feeling confident!
Even if you let it ride in the first round, you can still withdraw one of your bets after flipping over one of the community cards.
END OF GAME
Flip over the second community card and reveal your hand on the table. This completes each player’s 5 card poker hand, made up of the 3 cards in their hand and the 2 community cards. Keep in mind the poker hand rankings above!
LET IT RIDE POKER PAYOUT
Now, let’s talk money! Players are paid out according to their hands: 3 cards in hand + 2 community cards. If you don’t have a winning hand, you lose all bets still on the table. However, if you do have a winning hand, the payout depends on the poker hand ranking. Here are the standard odds for Let It Ride Poker (note: the odds may differ depending on the casino):
- Pair (10s or better): 1:1
- Two Pairs: 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
THREE CARD BONUS PAYOUT
If you bet on the three card bonus and have a winning 3-card hand, you’ll get the three card bonus payout, which generally pays out as follows:
- Pair: 1:1
- Flush: 3:1
- Straight: 6:1
- Three of a Kind: 30:1
- Straight Flush: 40:1
- Mini Royal Flush: 50:1
However, as always, keep in mind that the payout amount depends on the casino and house rules!
LET IT RIDE POKER STRATEGY
While Let It Ride is a gambling game, there is still some strategy involved that can help you lose less money or win more money, depending on whether you have a losing or winning hand. Here are some of our top tips to keep in mind when playing Let It Ride Poker.
When you only have three cards:
- If you have a Three of a Kind in your hand, let it ride!
- If you have any three cards to a Royal Flush, let it ride!
- If you have any kind of hand that pays (such as a pair of 10s or better), let it ride!
- If you have three cards in a row, let it ride!
After the first flip, when you have four cards, you’ll need to know the difference between inside and outside straights. An inside straight is when an inside card is missing in a straight sequence (ex: 5, 6, 8, 9), and an outside straight is when an outside card is missing in the sequence (ex: 5, 6, 7, 8).
When you have four cards:
- If you have any paying hands, let it ride!
- If you have four cards in the same suit, let it ride!
- If you have four cards in an outside straight with at least one 10 or higher, let it ride!
- If you have four cards in an inside straight with cards 10 or higher.
Check out our guide to Poker strategy for some more top tips!
WHERE TO PLAY LET IT RIDE POKER ONLINE
Say you don’t have access to a casino nearby. No worries! Thanks to the Internet, there are plenty of places where you can play Let It Ride Poker online. With these online resources, you can play this game to your heart’s content or simply polish your skills for your next real game!
These are the sites you should check out where you can play for free or even for real money if you dare:
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