Let It Ride - How to Play

Let It Ride is a fun, easy to learn variation of poker played in casinos. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the leisurely pace of the game. The dealer will help with your bets and also handles all cash and chip exchanges. The actual play of the game is quite simple with each player trying to make a five-card standard poker hand of at least a pair of tens so they can be paid. If they don't, the casino takes their bets. Payoffs vary by casino, but a standard payoff schedule is:

• One pair, 10's or Better 1 to 1
• Two pair 2 to 1
• Three of a kind 3 to 1
• Straight 5 to 1
• Flush 8 to 1
• Full House 11 to 1
• Four of a kind 50 to 1
• Straight Flush 200 to 1
• Royal Flush 1000 to 1

To start the game, a player makes a wager on each of the three betting spots and receives three cards. After looking at their cards, the player may pull back their first bet or let it ride. That's the fun of the game, having an option to keep the bets going or take them down.

The dealer then exposes one of their two cards and it becomes a part of every player's hand - their forth card. The player now has a chance to pull back their second bet or let it ride. The third bet must always remain in action.

When the players are through with their decisions, the dealer exposes the last community card and now each player has a five-card hand. Payoffs are based on each player's own five-card hand, the three they started with and the dealer's two cards.

The game also offers an optional $1 bet for a bonus payoff on the player's final hand. This bet has a minimum house edge of 13%, not a very good bet for the player. Some casinos also offer a "pair plus" bet on the player's starting three cards. The house edge starts at a minimum of 7%, depending on the pay-schedule used. You can skip both these bets and still enjoy yourself, plus, your money will go farther. Without the side bets, the house edge on Let It Ride is less than 4%, lower than American roulette if you follow some simple rules:

With three cards, leave up all your bets and Let It Ride if you have:

1. A paying hand - a pair of tens or better, or three of a kind
2. Three suited cards in a row starting with 3-4-5 or higher
3. Three suited cards that can make a straight flush with at least one card ten or higher
4. Three cards to a royal flush (suited A-K-Q-J-10)

With four cards, leave your bets up and Let It Ride if you have:

1. A paying hand - a pair of tens or better, two pair, or three of a kind
2. Four cards of the same suit
3. Four cards to an outside straight - such as 7-8-9-10
4. Four cards to any straight with four high cards (ten or higher)

That's all there is to the game, except the fun of hitting a big hand. Most casinos do have a maximum aggregate payout, so if you hit a royal flush you can only win up to the table maximum, often $75,000. Straight flush and royal flush jackpots are taxable.