Let It Ride: Let It Ride Poker Rules and Strategy Tips

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The Let It Ride rules are fairly easy and the optimal strategy gives you a short list of plays to remember. Free games are available at most of the online casinos for practice. You might also print this page and clip out the strategy to take to a real casino game. Look for the full payouts that are shown below. These payouts along with optimal play will put the theoretical house advantage at about 3.6%. . . .Not too bad.

Let It Ride Poker

Let It Ride is a poker hand game played on a blackjack type table, with a standard 52 card deck. Players try to get a pair of tens or better with up to three bets "riding". The bet placement table layout, from the players view, is shown at the right.

As in Video Poker, players do not compete against other players or the dealer, but are rewarded for good poker hands received. . All the players combine their three dealt cards with two community dealer cards to make their final poker hands.

Play Procedure and Rules

Players make three equal bets in the three circles marked "1", "2" and "$" right to left (as illustrated above). The dealer deals three cards to each player and then two community cards, face down, to himself.

After the player looks at his three cards, he may cancel his bet in Circle 1 by signaling the dealer to push it back to him, or he can "let it ride" and stay in play. Once the player chooses to let a bet ride it must stay on the table until the end of the hand. Likewise when a bet is withdrawn, it stays out of play.

The dealer then turns one of his two cards face up. The player can now take his Circle 2 bet back or he can let it ride. His Circle 1 decision does not restrict his Circle 2 option in any way. After the player makes his Circle 2 choice the betting is over because the $ Circle bet always stays in play.

The dealer then completes all the players' hands by turning his second card face up.

At this final stage, if the combined five card hand does not give the player a pair of tens or better, the dealer collects the $ Circle bets and any others that the players let ride. If any of the players have a pair of tens or better, the dealer pays the $ Circle bet and any others left in play, in accordance with the payout table.

EXAMPLE GAME: Player has three $15 bets in the circles and is dealt 2 fives and a jack. He pulls his Circle 1 bet back. The first card the dealer turns up is a five. Now the player has three fives (a sure winner) so he lets his Circle 2 bet ride. The dealer's other card turns out to be a nine. Player didn't improve his hand but still has a winning "Three of a Kind". At the 3-1 payout for this hand, the dealer pays him $45 for his $ Circle bet and $45 for his Circle 2 bet. Player wins $90.

The Optional $1 Side Bet - (Where Offered)

Some regular and online casinos offer a side bet that you can play with each hand of Let It Ride, if you like. The cost is always $1 in the U.S. and you can receive from $6 to $20,000 for good hands from two pair to a royal flush. Golden Palace Online Casino offers the side bet at the payoffs shown in this graphic. Although these rates are as good as you will find, the house edge is still a little over 13%, which makes this a very bad bet that should be ignored. (Once in a while, I play it anyway). . . . BB

Other Gambling Sites of Interest
Poker Rules and Playing Strategies, Custom Poker Tables by Regal,

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