How to Play Let it Ride – Rules to Let It Ride

Let it Ride is a relatively new casino table game compared to some of the more traditional offerings. It was initially created in 1993 by Shuffle Mater Inc, who are more known for their precise auto-shuffle machines than inventing card games. Nowadays, while this game is not the most popular choice around, it can readily be played at premier online casinos [such as Cherry Red Casino, one of the top casino sites for Let it Ride. Cherry Red Casino Promotion Block Here]

Basic Game Play of Let It Ride

First and foremost, Let It Ride is a variation of Five Card Stud, which is a fairly popular game found in most online casino and poker portals. This game works not by pitting players against players or players against dealers. Instead, every player is up against the house and a set payout schedule which will be explained later.

The overall goal of the game is to complete a hand that is made up of at least a pair of 10’s or higher.

The game begins by placing bets. Every player must place three bets of equal value. Online casino sites operate a layout that is similar to a blackjack table. Three circles are visible on the table usually titled as circles 1, 2 and $, which are where your bets are placed.

With bets set in place, every player is dealt three cards face down. The dealer also affords himself three cards face down and then discards one of them. However, online casinos will simply skip this process and just show two cards. These two cards are the community cards that will be used to complete each player’s hand.

Letting Bets Ride

This card game gets its name from the process of letting the already placed bets ride as a player builds their hand. Once card dealing is complete, every player can look at their own three cards.

This commences the first round of Let It Ride, where every player is afforded the option of scraping the first bet on the table or letting it ride – which keeps the bet going and keeps the player in the game.

Some online casinos allow players to scrape the bet and walk out of the game while others only provide the option of either raising the original bet or letting it ride without a raise. [Bodog Casino is one of the best casino sites for raise-only Let It Ride. Bodog Casino Promotion Block Here] Be sure to check the rules within each online casino to verify exactly what version of Let It Ride is being played.

Community Cards

After the first Let It Ride round is done, the first community card is flipped over. Players are then allowed to evaluate their hand and are given the option to either let their second wager ride or scrape it. Even if a player originally dropped their first bet, they are still eligible to participate in this second wager round.

Finally, the second community card is overturned thus completing a 5 card hand for every player.

Payout Schedule

With the hand completed, Let It Ride rewards players in accordance to a standardized payout schedule. The most common schedule is as follows:

• Royal Flush – 1000 to 1 payout
• Straight Flush – 200 to 1
• Four of a Kind – 50 to 1
• Full House – 11 to 1
• Flush – 8 to 1 payout
• Straight – 5 to 1
• Three of a Kind – 3 to 1
• Two Pair – 2 to 1 payout
• Pair of 10’s or Better – 1 to 1
• Any Other Hand Combination – Loss

You may come across certain brick and mortar or online casinos that operate on a slightly different pay schedule. Furthermore, be sure to check whether or not the online casino service operates with a maximum payout limit as this will influence the maximum amount of your wager.

House Edge

The true house edge of Let It Ride will depend on the pay schedule used. As most common online casinos use the aforementioned payout schedule, the house edge is set at 3.51%. That’s a $0.702 house advantage on every hand if the three bets are set at $20 each.

Basic Strategy

Since its inception, Let It Ride players have fleshed out a general follow through guide on when you should ride on a bet relative to the hand. In general, at the first round of betting, it’s best to let it ride if you possess a three card straight flush, royal flush or a pair of tens or better. On the second round of betting, strongly considering letting it ride if you possess a four card open ended straight, four high cards, four card flush, royal flush, straight flush or a pair of tens or better.

Additionally, online casinos like to offer Let It Ride players an optional side bet. This is usually a $1 side bet that will pay out if your first three cards are part of a winning hand. It’s recommended that players not take advantage of this optional side bet as it has a 13% house edge.

Overall, Let It Ride is a relatively simple game to learn. Most players will have no problem getting the basics down after a few rounds. Those accustomed to standard card combinations will be able to quickly learn the payout schedule. Of course, other online gambling tips can vary from player to player, but for the most part recreational gamblers love utilizing these types of strategies into the game.Let It Ride can be found in nearly any premier online casino service such as