Let It Ride Poker debuted in 1993 and has become a staple in both land-based and online casinos. And while the game is a derivative of poker, you don’t play against other players, nor do you play against the dealer; your only opponent is the house. The game is easy to play and the optimal strategy is easy to learn. A “No-Brainer” on Bovada. Let It Ride Poker - Play Online. ORIGINAL DESIGN. Play Let It Ride online here with 3-card bonus bet. This is a free Let It Ride game. Learn the Let It Ride rules. We keep track of your game stats so you can see how well you will do in Las Vegas at the real casinos. Learn how to play Let It Ride free. Dec 16, 2020 Let it Ride is a classic table game that is spread at 35 Las Vegas casinos. It is most popular on the Las Vegas Strip. There are some installations in downtown Las Vegas and in the local market. The minimum bet is $5 at most casinos and $10 at higher end ones.

Let It Ride is a poker-based game where the value of the hand is the important thing – you don’t need to beat other players or the house in this game.

How to Play Let It Ride Poker

It is based mostly on a five-card stud which includes three player cards and two community cards (these are cards used by all players). The most important aspect of Let It Ride is that you are given two opportunities to remove exactly one-third of your bet.

You have one chance to do this after you look at your three cards. but before the first community card is revealed, and you receive another opportunity after the first community card is revealed, but before the second is revealed. You can reduce your bet at either of these times, on both, or neither. If you decide not to withdraw any of your bet, you effectively “let it ride.”

In order to understand this game, you need to know the different poker hands, which one’s are the best and what they contain. Details of the hands you can make can be found at our Poker Hands section.

We have also listed them below in the order of the best to worst with the average payout next to them. Please note that the hand winnings vary from casino to casino and aren’t therefore set in stone. Although some casinos may pay higher than the odds listed, some may also pay less so it is worth checking before you start to play to ensure you get the best possible returns.

As in all poker, your hand is made up of 5 cards. Unlike Texas Hold’em and other forms of poker, you only get 5 cards to choose from. In Let It Ride, not the 7 you are able to use in some types (For example, in Texas Hold ’em, you can use 5 cards from your own 2 hole cards and the 5 community cards).

Let it Ride Rules

Let it Ride Rules are fairly easy to remember.

1. You pay 3 bets of equal size to start the hand.
2. The Dealer deals each player in the hand 3 cards face down, so only the Player can see their cards.
3. You then have the choice of retrieving your first bet, leaving just two-thirds of your initial bet or Let It Ride – leave the bet down and stay in the hand with the full amount as opposed to a reduced amount.
4. The Dealer adds another card to the table, a Community card that can be used by all Players. Remember though, you are not betting against the others, just trying to make the best possible hand for yourself.
5. You now have the choice of retrieving your second bet or Let It Ride again and stay in with that bet still in play.
6. The Dealer now deals the second Community card which gives you the 5 cards that make up your final hand. You then receive payouts according to the table below:

Let It Ride Payouts & Odds

(Remember, the Let It Ride Payouts listed below can vary from casino to casino, so ensure you check a few different casinos first if this is the game you wish to play):

For more information on Poker Hands see our Poker Hand rankings guide

Let it Ride Poker Strategy

the best Let It Ride Strategy is the following: After your first 3 cards have been dealt, you should only Let It Ride (stay in the hand) if you have:

• Any paying hand, so a Pair of 10’s or better
• Any 3 cards that make up a Royal Flush
• Three suited cards in a row except for 2-3-4 or A-2-3
• Three cards that can make up a Straight Flush where the cards are only spread over 4 numbers* and at least 1 high card of 10 or higher
• Three cards that can make up a Straight Flush where the cards are spread over 5 numbers** and at least 2 are high cards of 10 or higher

After the first 4 cards have been dealt, you should only Let It Ride (stay in the hand) if you have:

• Any paying hand, so a Pair of 10’s or better, 3 of a kind or 2 pairs
• Any 4 cards of the same suit
• Any 4 cards to an Outside Straight*** with at least 1 high card of 10 or higher
• Any 4 cards to an Inside Straight****

* Spread over 4 numbers means the cards in question spread out over no more than 4 numbers, so 6, 7 and 9 for example.

** Spread over 5 numbers means the cards in question spread out over no more than 5 numbers, so 6, 7 and 10 for example.

*** Outside Straight is one where the number needed is on the outside of the hand (so you have 4, 5, 6 and 7 for example – you need either a 3 or an 8 to complete a straight in this instance).

**** Inside Straight is one where the number needed is on the inside of the hand (so you have 4, 5, 7 and 8 for example, this is not as good as an Outside Straight as the only number which will complete the hand in this instance is a 6)

Side Games

Some casinos will offer side games for Let It Ride based on the hand value after your own 3 cards have been dealt or after all 5 are known.

We strongly suggest you avoid these kinds of games as they are heavily favoured towards the casino and do not offer value for money.

They can add an extra fun element to the game, however, so if your primary goal is to relax and get maximum enjoyment out of playing, feel free to play any side games available. Just remember that the odds are more heavily stacked in favour of the casino as opposed to you.

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Featured Gambling Guides

Let It Ride is a casino card game based (loosely) on poker. Instead of having to beat someone else’s hand, you play against a pay table. Your payout is based on the strength of your final hand.

If you get a big hand, like a royal flush, you can win 1000 to 1, depending on the casino where you’re playing.

If you’re new to the concept of casino games in general, it’s probably appropriate to explain what differentiates a poker game from a casino game.

In a real poker game, you’re competing with the other players at the table. You win the pot—which consists of money bet by you and the other players at the table—by having the best hand at the table, or by getting all your opponents to fold.

In a casino game, you and the other players are playing against the casino.

In some casino games, like blackjack, for example, you compete with the dealer to see who has the better hand. The other players at the table are doing the same—as long as they beat the dealer, they win, regardless of how their hands stack up against yours or the other players’ at the table.

Let It Ride Poker For Free

Let It Ride falls firmly into the casino game, house-banked game category.

But like I mentioned, it doesn’t involve beating the dealer, because the dealer doesn’t even have a hand in Let It Ride.

How Do You Play Let It Ride Bonus Poker?

In some respects, Let It Ride resembles Texas holdem poker. You get 3 cards, and the dealer gets 2 cards. The 2 dealer cards are community cards that are shared by you and the other players at the table.

You get paid out based on the 5-card poker hand ranking from your 3 cards and the 2 dealer cards.

But if it were as simple as just dealing the cards and comparing them to the pay table, Let It Ride would be a boring game indeed.

Here’s what makes Let It Ride Bonus Poker interesting:

You start by placing 3 bets instead of just one. All 3 bets must be the same size. For the sake of this example, we’ll assume you’re betting $10, so you’d have to put $30 on the table before being dealt a hand.

Let It Ride Poker Payouts

The 3 cards are dealt face down, usually, but you get to look at them. The 2 dealer cards are also face down, but you don’t get to look at them yet.

After you look at your 3 face down cards, you have the option of taking back one of your 3 bets. After you’ve made this decision, the dealer exposes another of her cards, and you get the same opportunity—you can pull back one of your 3 bets, or you can leave it on the table.

This means that you have 3 possibilities once the dealer exposes her final card:

1. You might have all 3 of your original bets in front of you. (In our example, $30.)
2. You might only have 2 of your original bets in front of you. (In our example, $20.)
3. You might only have 1 of your original bets in front of you. (In our example, $10.)

Once the final card is exposed, you get paid off based on the poker hand ranking of the final 5-card hand. In this respect, Let It Ride resembles video poker.

Let It Ride Poker online, free Table

The Payouts for Let It Ride Poker

If you have anything less than a pair of 10s, you lose. The casino dealer collects your bet and moves on the next hand.

If you have a pair of 10s or better, you get paid off based on the strength of your hand, based on the following pay table:

• A pair of 10s, jacks, queens, or kings pays off at even money. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $30.)
• 2 pairs pay off at 2 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $60.)
• 3 of a kind pays off at 3 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $90.)
• A straight pays off at 5 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $150.)
• A flush pays off at 8 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $240.)
• A full house pays off at 11 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $330.)
• 4 of a kind pays off at 50 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $1500.)
• A straight flush pays off at 200 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $6000.)
• A royal flush pays off at 1000 to 1. (If you have $30 still on the table, you win $30,000.)

One of the reasons Let It Ride retains its popularity among the world of real money gambling is because of the possibility of getting those big payouts when you get a 4 of a kind or better.

How Does the Bonus Bet Work in Let It Ride?

I left something out of the original description of how to play Let It Ride poker. You have one other betting option besides the 3 bets that constitute the main game.

You can also place a bonus bet.

This is an optional bet—you can play without making the bonus bet.

In casinos which off the bonus bet on the final 5-card hand, the payouts vary from casino to casino. For example, in some casinos, the 5-card bonus bet doesn’t pay off for a pair of 10s or better, but in others, they pay off even money on the bonus bet.

On the other end of the pay table, the payoff for a royal flush might be as much as 25,000 to 1, but it might also be as low as 10,000 to 1.

The payouts for flushes and straights are consistent on the bonus bet, though—50 to 1 or 25 to 1, respectively.

The 5-card bonus bet is a sucker bet, because it has a huge house edge compared to other bets in the casino—including the main bets in Let It Ride. Most casinos offering this version of the bonus bet limit your action to $1 per hand on this bet.

The more common version pays off based on the poker hand ranking of your 3-card hand. The payouts for these casinos can also vary, but here’s the most common version of that pay table:

1. A pair pays off at even money.
2. A 3-card flush pays off at 3 to 1.
3. A 3-card straight pays off at 6 to 1.
4. 3 of a kind pays off at 30 to 1.
5. A 3-card straight flush pays off at 40 to 1.
6. A 3-card royal flush pays off at 50 to 1.

You’ll notice the lack of a payoff for 2 pairs. That’s because with 3 cards, it’s impossible to get 2 pairs. (You’d need at least 4 cards to have 2 pairs.)

Some casinos offer higher or lower payoffs for a 3-card flush or straight.

And a 3-card royal flush is strictly limited to a hand consisting of the queen, king, and ace of the same suit.

Is Let It Ride a Good Game to Play?

Yes, Let It Ride IS a good game to play, but only in certain respects. If you’re looking for the casino card game with the best house edge, Let It Ride isn’t it.

Let It Ride Poker Strategy

The house edge for the main action in Let It Ride is 3.5%.

But Let It Ride is still a better game than American roulette, which has a house edge of 5.26%.

And of course, the 3.5% house edge assumes that you make optimal decisions about pulling your bets back in and letting them ride.

Conclusion

The payouts on Let It Ride are easy enough to understand if you have some familiarity with poker and poker hand rankings.

It’s a good game if you avoid the bonus bet, which is a side bet with a relatively high house edge.