Let It Ride Poker Lessons

Let It Ride poker is a cross between 5-card draw poker and video poker. You win a game based on the rank of your five-card poker hand, but you win money based on the kind of hand. What is unique to Let It Ride poker is that, as the name suggests, you let your bets "ride".

Popular poker games like Texas Hold'em, 7-card stud, Omaha hi/lo, and Caribbean stud poker do not have the same bet riding characteristic, so Let It Ride poker offers a refreshing way to boost your earnings from poker. With an estimated 50 million players in the United States alone, poker itself is regarded as America's most popular card game.

How to Play Let It Ride Poker

Let It Ride poker is a table card game similar to video poker. Using a standard deck of 52 cards, it is played on a table the size of a blackjack table, with three betting circles. From the right to the left of the table, the first circle is marked "1", the second is marked "2", and the third is marked "$". A player must place three bets that are equal in amount on the three betting circles, at the same time before a game begins.

A game of Let It Ride poker, thus, consists of three betting rounds, one with each betting circle. In the course of the game, each player will have the option to let the three bets ride one by one; hence, the game's monicker.

Let It Ride poker begins when the dealer deals three cards to each player, face down, and two community cards to himself, face down. A community card refers to a common card that all players can use to complete a hand. Thus, in let it ride poker, you have three player cards plus two community card to make a five-card hand. All other players add the same two community cards to their own three player cards to make their hand.

The first betting round pertains to bets made in Circle 1. As soon as you see your first three cards, you have the option to either scratch or let it ride. To "scratch" means to cancel your bet; in this case, to scratch is to cancel your bet in Circle 1. If you scratch, the bet will be withdrawn from the game, so you will not be paid back on this bet even if your hand wins. Scratching is not the same as folding. Your first bet is out of the game but you stay in the game to proceed playing the two remaining betting rounds. If you let a bet ride, it must stay on the table until the end of the game.

For example. you make three $15 wagers on the three betting circles. If you are first dealt two 7's and a King, you might be inclined to scratch because your hand is worse than a pair 10. One of your three $15 bets is returned to you, and you now have zero wager in Circle 1. If instead you are first dealt a pair of Kings and a 7, you might be inclined to let it ride. Your first $15 bet stays in effect until the end of the game, at which point it either earns or loses based on your final hand.

The second betting round pertains to bets made in Circle 2. It begins after all players have decided on their Circle 1 wagers. The dealer turns the first of his two community cards, face up, in effect dealing a fourth card to you. Like in the first round, you have the option to either scratch or let it ride, now that you've seen your four cards out of five. Each of your three bets is decided separately. Just because you scratched your Circle 1 bet does not mean you can not let your Circle 2 bet ride.

Using the earlier first example, you have K-7-7 and scratched your Circle 1 bet. The first community card is exposed, and turns out to be a 7. You have a winning hand at this point: 7-7-7 makes three of a kind. You would want to let your Circle 2 bet ride. Thus, you have zero money in Circle 1 and $15 in Circle 2.

The third betting round pertains to bets made in the $ Circle. It begins after all players have decided on their Circle 2 wagers. The dealer turns the second of his two community cards, face up, in effect dealing a fifth card to you. At this point, all five cards you need to complete your hand are revealed to you. This round is a no-contest because all $ Circle bets must always stay in play. You do not have the option to scratch this bet, after having seen all five cards.

Once all three betting rounds are done, the final step in a let it ride poker game is a showdown, in which each player reveals his final hand to the dealer. If your hand is worse than a pair 10, you lose your $ Circle wager and any other wager that you let ride. If your hand is a pair 10 or better, you win your $ Circle wager and any other wager that you let ride. How much you win is based on the casino's payout table, according to your type of hand.

Using the earlier example, you have K-7-7-7, scratched your Circle 1 bet, let your Circle 2 bet ride. The second community card is exposed, and turns out to be a 3. Your hand did not improve at this point but you still win by having three of a kind. Typically, this hand has a 3:1 payout. Thus, you are paid $45 for your Circle 2 bet and another $45 for your $ Circle bet, which means you win a total of $90.

Optimal Let It Ride Poker Strategy

Let It Ride poker has a house edge of 3.5%. Before anything, here is a typical payout table for Let It Ride poker, whether in land-based or online casinos.

Winning Poker Hand	Typical House Payout
Pair of 10 or Better	1 :1
Two Pair	2 :1
Three of a Kind	3 :1
Straight	5 :1
Flush	8 :1
Full House	11 :1
Four of a Kind / Quad	50 :1
Straight Flush	200 :1
Royal Flush	1000 :1

Circle 1 Bet. Optimal strategy dictates that the only times you should let this bet ride are if your first three cards are:

Pair of 10's or better
Three of a kind
Three cards to a Flush, with two high cards (10 or higher)
Three cards to a Straight Flush
Three cards to a Royal Flush
10, Jack, Queen

Circle 2 Bet. Optimal strategy dictates that the only times you should let this bet ride are if your first four cards are:

Pair of 10's or better
Two pair
Three of a kind
Four of a kind / Quad
Four cards to a Straight (open end)
Four cards to a Flush / Any four cards of the same suit
Four cards to a Straight Flush
Four cards to a Royal Flush
Four high cards (10 or higher)

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Let It Ride Poker Lessons

How to Play Let It Ride Poker

Optimal Let It Ride Poker Strategy