Let It Ride Poker Guide – How to Play Let It Ride

Let It Ride Poker has been a wildly popular game amongst casino players for many years. Casual bettors and newbies like it due to the simple and easy nature of learning how to play. Others are drawn to it because of its similarity to blackjack but in a poker format. Plenty of people enjoy the minimal player interaction and the fast pace of roughly 50 hands in an hour!

Our hope is to enrich your experience of playing this game. We will show you how Let It Ride Poker is played, reveal some strategies to increase your winnings, and direct you to the best places to play Let It Ride Poker online!

How to Play Let It Ride Poker

One of the greatest aspects of Let It Ride Poker, whether you’re playing in person or you’re playing online Let It Ride Poker, is the ease of picking up the game! The concept is fairly simple, and the game has proved to be popular among more casual gamblers and newcomers to the gaming table. Although there are a few strategies that players can employ to increase their odds of winning, this game is largely based around the luck of the draw.

This is not a game we would recommend to someone who is trying to make their living off of winnings at the table. But Let It Ride can be a leisurely diversion from other more serious table games, such as blackjack, craps, or baccarat.

The Basics of Let It Ride Poker

First, let’s understand the way the game is set up. Real money Let It Ride is a fusion of blackjack and poker, including elements of playing against the dealer and making hands with the use of three personal cards and two communal cards. The ultimate object is to have a five card hand with a pair of 10s or higher to be paid out.

Above is a Let It Ride table setup that may come in handy as we dive further into this page on how to play Let It Ride Poker. Learning what everything means on the table and how you can use it to your advantage is an important part in crafting a Let It Ride poker strategy.

Let’s use the example of playing at a $5 table. Each seat or spot on the gaming table has three circles in the middle, one being the initial ante ($) and the other two being the first (1) and second (2) bet spots. At a $5 table, players must place these three mandatory bets to engage in the game.

A player will place $5 on the initial ante spot ($) and $5 on each of the first (1) and second (2) bet spots. There will need to be a total of $15 out on the table for the player to get into the game.

The Money Is Out on the Table, What Next?

This is closed hand game, meaning that players’ cards are not to be shown or shared. The dealer, having shuffled the 52-card deck, will then deal three cards, face down, for each player. The dealer will then burn one card and place two cards, face down, in front of themselves. These two act as community cards that each player will then use to build their hands.

What Kind of Hands Do I Need to Build?

As mentioned earlier, the object of online Let It Ride Poker is to have at least a pair of 10s or higher in a five-card poker hand in order to get some sort of payout.

Let’s use an example to illustrate this. First, let’s assume that your three cards have been dealt. The dealer has not flipped over his two cards yet. This is what you have:

The object is to have at least a pair of 10s or higher in a five-card hand to get paid. This hand, thus far, does not look promising. A pair of eights doesn’t really do you any good for now.

Here is where you, as the player, have to make your first decision. You can withdraw your first bet on circle 1 or, if you’re feeling lucky, you can “let it ride.” To improve your chances of winning and to lose as little money as possible, the smartest move to make would be to withdraw the first bet from circle 1.

Now, it is the dealer’s turn and they flip over their first card:

This is great news for the player. You now have a pair of 10s, exactly what you need to win some money! Not only does you have two 10s, but you also have two pair (the eights and 10s), which pays 2 to 1! The best thing to do here would be to let the second bet ride and stay in the game.

The dealer then flips the next card:

This last card does nothing for you, but the great news is that you have already made two pair with your five-card poker hand! Two pair pays 2 to 1. In our example, the player withdrew the first bet, so this does not count, but they let the second bet and their initial ante ride. They get paid 2 to 1 on both the second bet and the ante. The player will go from having those two chips to having six, getting two chips for each of the remaining chips that were left! Each chip in this example was worth $5 so $10 in chips just got multiplied to $30!

And that is how the game is played!

Let It Ride Poker Pay Tables

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the pay table when playing online Let It Ride Poker or when you’re playing in a casino. More often than not, it is posted on the table felt. If not, you may have to ask the dealer.

Let It Ride Bonus Bets

This is another layer to the game. Above the initial ante, second, and first bet circles where players must place their three mandatory bets, there will be a lone spot to place the bonus bet. Players must have a three of a kind in a five-card hand or better in order to win these special bets.

By placing this bonus bet, players have the potential to earn extra money:

Betting $5 on the ante circle, $5 on the 2 circle and $5 on the 1 circle, you may be betting $15. But the most you are actually at risk of losing is $5.

You are not betting $15 in actuality when playing online Let It Ride Poker.

You can withdraw the bet placed on the 2 and 1 circle, but that initial bet circle chip must stay out. It cannot be withdrawn. You will lose that chip if you have nothing.

Let It Ride Poker Strategy

Let It Ride Poker is largely a game based on the luck of the draw. However, there are a few strategies players can use to increase their chances of winning more often!

Play the Cards Right

There are two key points in the game where the player has to make a big decision. These are the moments of when the dealer’s first and second cards are flipped over. The strategies to employ during both of these moments in the game are by no means complicated.

Players will want to “Let It Ride” on their first bet only if they have these hands:

• A pair of 10s or better
• Three of kind
• Three cards to a royal flush
• Three cards to a straight flush with two high cards
• Three cards to a straight flush with at least one high card (10 or more)
• Three suited cards in a row except 2 3 4 or A 2 3

Players will want to “Let It Ride” on their second bet only if you have these hands:

• Tens or better, two pair, or three of a kind
• Any four cards of the same suit
• Any four for an outside straight with at least on high card (7 8 9 10 or 10 J Q K)
• Any four for an outside straight with no high cards (3 4 5 6 or 6 7 8 9)
• Any four to an inside straight with four high cards (10 J K A)

Following these simple guidelines will lead to what is known as optimal playing and doing so can drive the house edge to 3.51%. This house edge is still higher than most other table games, but this is ideal for the game of Let It Ride Poker.

Slow Down to Affect the Pace of Play

Let It Ride has a higher house edge when compared to other table games. Here is what we are talking about:

As you can see, Let It Ride Poker is straight down the middle when it comes to the number of hands played per hour. This means that each hand is eating up a little less than one minute of time. Experienced players and professionals have found that slowing down the pace to create fewer hands per hour can statistically decrease their hourly loss rate.

Many avid bettors and experienced table game players swear by this method. Some claim that driving the number of hands played within the hour from 52 down to 40 can significantly decrease the loss rate. It is a mathematical fact that higher house edge games will produce more losses than wins if it is played over a long enough duration.

Players can take their time checking their cards and subtly dawdle as they are deciding if they want to withdraw their bet or let it ride.

Slowing down the pace of the game will lead to fewer hands played per hour and, eventually, a possibly decreased loss rate.

Avoid the Bonus Bet

This concept is tied in with bankroll management and the player making prudent, common-sense decisions. The bonus bet can be a great way to bring big increases to your account, but they are difficult to hit. The house edge for these side bets are around 13.77%.

Your best bet is to ignore the bonus bet because you will most likely lose a lot of money trying to play it.

Where Can I Play Let It Ride Poker?

We are so glad you asked! Below, you’ll find the best places to play real money Let It Ride Poker online and in person.

Online Poker Sites

We’ve done all the research about the best online poker sites on the internet. And here, we’ve done the legwork of narrowing down the best sites with Let It Ride. You can trust our recommendations to be safe, reliable, and trustworthy. We wouldn’t recommend poker sites that we wouldn’t use ourselves.

Rank	Gambling Site	Deposit Bonus	Get Started
#1	BetOnline Poker	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site
#2	Bovada Poker	100% Up To $500	Visit Site
#3	SB Poker	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site
#4	Ignition Poker	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site

Land-Based Casinos

There are also some great brick-and-mortar casinos if you’re looking for somewhere to play Let It Ride Poker. Gambling in person has its perks, and we understand that some of you might prefer to gamble “old school.” Check out the best land-based casinos for Let It Ride poker.

Let It Ride Poker FAQ