Site icon Good Casinos

Beginners Guide To Let It Ride Poker

Always Bets High
Play Online - Visit Bovada Online Casino

Play Online – Visit Bovada Online Casino

Editors note: I personally hit a royal flush of spades playing Let It Ride in Vegas in July of 2015 for a $97k jackpot! I have an affinity for playing this game. It is easy, fun and fast to play. The odds aren’t great compared to some other table games but you can win a fortune if you get lucky! I know!

Let It Ride started to show up in casinos in 1993. It doesn’t have the storied history of blackjack, craps, or Texas holdem. Instead, the game was created by Bally Technologies, a company known for its slot machines. It was placed under the umbrella of SHFL Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of Bally (and previously known as Shuffle Master).

Why did Bally invent Let It Ride Poker? For the same reason all companies invent products: to increase their revenues.

Having said that, the game’s commercial beginnings take nothing away from its appeal. Many gamblers like it because it progresses at an easy pace. They can sit at the table and not feel rushed. Others like it because it doesn’t pit them against the dealer. Players win or lose based solely on whether they can make certain hands – for example, a pair of 10s.

Below, you’ll find a complete tutorial for Let It Ride Poker. By the time you’ve finished reading this page, you’ll not only know how to play, but also basic strategy to maximize your chances of winning.

Let It Ride How To Play – My Dummies Guide

Here’s a rundown of the details we’ll cover in this Let It Ride Poker guide:

Let It Ride Poker Table Layout

Before your Let It Ride Hand Begins – Choose How Much To Bet – $25 for Example

The table you’ll see in land-based casinos is slightly different than the one you’ll find at online casinos like Bovada (pictured above) and Slots lv. We’ll get to those differences in a moment. First, let’s cover the highlights.

You’ll see a row of three circles in front of you. The circles may be labeled “$,” “2,” and “1” or “Ante,” Raise,” and “Raise.” The labels’ meanings will become clear when we discuss how to play Let It Ride Poker.

Below the three circles is an unoccupied space. This is where you’ll receive your cards. Above the circles, you’ll notice two rectangular outlines, each big enough to fit one playing card. Alternatively, there will be a single large outline big enough to fit two cards. This is where the dealer will place the community cards.

In land-based casinos, there’s an additional circle on the table. It’s used to place a bonus bet. Some online casinos also offer this feature. Bovada Casino and Slots.lv are not among them. That’s not a bad thing since the bonus bet is considered a sucker’s bet.

Another difference is that select gambling websites give you the option to bet $1 on a progressive jackpot. If you make this wager and your hand makes a Flush or Royal Flush, you’ll receive a portion of an ever-increasing pool of cash. The odds of making a Flush or Royal Flush are low, of course. But if you manage to do it, you stand to win a significant chunk of money.

How To Play Let It Ride Poker

The rules are simple. To win, you need to make a pair of 10s or better.

Place your wager amount on the far left circle. To raise you bet the same amount as your initial bet.

To start the hand, you must place an ante in the leftmost of the three circles.

You’re then dealt three cards. Two additional cards – called community cards – are dealt face down in front of the dealer. If you play in a live casino you put all three bets out to begin and then ‘pull them back’ if your hand does not improve on each turn of the cards.

Choose “continue” or “raise”. In this example we would just continue and hope for a Queen.

With your three cards in hand, you have a decision to make. You must do one of the following:

If you decide to raise, you do so by placing chips in the middle of the three circles. The amount of your raise must be the same as the amount of your ante.

If you decide to continue, that means you pass on the option of raising your bet.

No queen for us so we just continue again, still hoping to hit a Queen.

Once you make your decision, the dealer will turn over one of the community cards. At that point, with four cards showing, you must again decide to either “Raise” or “Continue.” Again, if you decide to raise, the amount must be the same as your ante.

Once you make this final decision, the second community card is turned over. You’ll win your ante and raises if you make a pair of 10s or better. Otherwise, you’ll lose.

We didn’t win this hand. We needed a Queen. We lose $25 total….. Rebet!

Standard Pay Table For Let It Ride Poker

The following pay table is used at most land-based and online casinos:

You’ll occasionally stumble upon other pay tables. They usually increase the house’s overall edge. Here’s an example:

Both Bovada Casino and Slots.lv, my two favorite online casinos, use the first table.

Easy Let It Ride Strategy With Three Cards

There’s no strategy with regard to the ante. You must place it in order to start the hand. Strategy becomes important when deciding whether to “Raise” or “Continue” with three cards showing and with four cards showing.

In this section, I’ll show you what to do with three cards showing. We’ll cover what you should do with four cards in the next section.

With three cards, raise your bet if any of the following are true:

  1. You have a pair of 10s or better.
  2. You have three, consecutive suited cards. There are two exceptions: Ace-2-3 and 2-3-4.
  3. You have three suited cards for a possible straight flush with a 4-card spread and at least one high card. For example, a 7-8-10 of diamonds.
  4. You have three suited cards for a possible straight flush with a 5-card spread and at least two high cards. For example, a 7-10-Jack of diamonds.
  5. You have three cards to a possible royal flush. Any three will do.

If none of the above circumstances are true, don’t raise your bet. Instead, “Continue.”

Let It Ride Strategy With Four Cards

How do you know whether to “Raise” or “Continue” with four cards showing? Raise your bet if any of the following are true:

  1. You have a pair of 10s or better.
  2. You have four suited cards for a possible flush.
  3. You have four suited cards for a possible straight flush.
  4. You have four suited cards for a possible royal flush
  5. You have four cards to an outside straight with at least one high card.

If none of the above are true, “Continue” rather than “Raise.”

Let It Ride Poker Odds And Probabilities

If you follow the basic strategy outlined above, the house’s edge will be 3.51%. That’s relatively high compared to craps, blackjack, Pai gow, baccarat, and single-zero roulette. But it’s lower than other games, such as Big Six, Caribbean stud poker, and many slots.

It’s worth familiarizing yourself with the odds of making certain hands in Let It Ride Poker. Below, you’ll find the hands that result a payout, along with the number of possible card combinations to make them and the odds of doing so.

You don’t need to memorize these numbers. Just be aware of them. When you play Let It Ride Poker, remember that, along with their respective payouts, these numbers fuel the Raise vs. Continue decision-making process. They are the foundation of the strategy outlined above.

How The Let It Ride Progressive Bet Works

Online casinos like Bovada and Slots.lv allow you to make side bets on a progressive jackpot. The chances of winning the jackpot are slim. But each bet is only $1, so the amount you can lose is minimal.

It’s worth noting that many Let It Ride Poker players have scored huge payouts by making this bet on a lark.

How much money can you win on the progressive side bet? It depends on the casino and how high the jackpot has climbed. As I’m writing this tutorial, the progressive jackpot for Let It Ride at Bovada Casino has reached $47,857 (and it continues to climb with each passing second).

Following is the progressive jackpot payout table used at Bovada and Slots.lv:

Remember, the odds of making a royal flush are 1 in 649,740. The odds of making a straight flush are 1 in 72,193. Both are obviously long shots. But for a $1, this is a fun, exciting, and low-risk wager.

Last Thoughts On Winning At Let It Ride Poker

One of the most common mistakes players make is thinking their cards hold more potential than they actually do. Consequently, they “Raise” when they should “Continue.” Rather than sticking to the strategy outlined above, they throw caution to the wind and unwisely put more of their money at risk.

For example, suppose you’re dealt the following cards:

According to basic strategy, you should “Continue.” But you might be tempted to “Raise” since there’s a solid chance at least one of the two community cards will help you to make a qualifying pair.

Intuitively, it might SEEM to make sense to “Raise.” But statistically, the right move is to “Continue.” That way, if one of the community cards turns out to be a Jack, King, or 10, you’ll double your ante and still make a profit. If neither community card gives you a pair, you’ll have avoided a loss.

Bottom line: stick to using the strategy above.

Where To Play The Game For Free Online

If you’re new to Let It Ride Poker, I recommend trying it out for free before putting your hard-earned cash at risk. You can do so at both Bovada Casino and Slots.lv. You’ll receive $1,000 in practice cash you can use while learning the ropes.

When you’re ready to play for real money, simply register your account and make a deposit. And be sure to lock in your Welcome bonuses to maximize your bankroll!

Play Let Em Ride Now

Exit mobile version