Let It Ride Poker

Let it Ride poker is a fun and popular casino table game in which the player has a lot of control over how much money they risk. Often branded as Let ‘Em Ride Poker for trademark reasons, players in the game start with a three card hand, and then can use two community cards to complete a standard five card poker hand. If the player makes a pair of tens or better, they win! With big hands meaning big payouts, Let it Ride poker offers some of the biggest prizes in casino table gaming.

How to Play

A hand of Let it Ride starts with the player putting three bets out on the table (in some online casinos, you’ll start with one bet, with options to raise later; this is only a cosmetic change). The player then receives three cards from the dealer, face down. The player may examine their cards.

At this point, the player may choose to let it ride, or take back one of their bets. After making this decision, the dealer reveals the first community card. The player again has the option of taking back a bet, or leaving all remaining bets on the table. Finally, the last community card is revealed. At this point, the player wins each bet on the table if they have made a pair of tens or better. If the player has a lower hand, all bets lose.

If the player has a winning hand, each bet pays off based on a pay table that can vary from casino to casino. Here is the most common pay table:

  • Royal Flush: 1000-1
  • 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 (Tens or Better): 1-1

Let it Ride Poker Tips

The most important decision you’ll make when playing Let it Ride is deciding when you want to let it ride and when to pull back a bet. Of course, you’ll want to leave more money on the table when you expect to win – thus maximizing your winnings – and limit the damage when you’re likely to lose. More specifically, you should use the following strategy if you want to get the best results in Let it Ride.

With three cards, let it ride only with the following hands:

  • Any hand that is already strong enough to win.
  • Any three cards to a royal flush.
  • Any three suited cards in a row of 3-4-5 or higher.
  • Three to a straight flush with one gap, with at least one card of ten or higher.
  • Three to a straight flush with two gaps, with at least two cards of ten or higher.

With four cards, let it ride with these hands:

  • Any hand that is already strong enough to win.
  • Any four cards to flush (including a straight flush or royal flush).
  • Any four cards to an open-ended straight draw.

In all other situations, it is better to pull a bet back.

Let it Ride sometimes comes with a three card bonus bet that is essentially the same as the PairPlus bet in Three Card Poker. However, it also includes a payout for a “Mini Royal”, or AKQ of the same suit. This side bet usually carries a much higher house edge than Let it Ride itself. Other casinos offer a $1 side bet that pays out additional bonuses for strong hands, up to $20,000 for a Royal Flush. This bet is a sucker bet with a house edge that’s usually well over 20%!