Let It Ride is a simple casino game based on poker but played against the house rather than against other players. The object of the game is to get the best possible 5 card poker hand and win a payout. If your final hand consists of a pair of 10s or better, you win a payout. You do not have to beat the dealer or any other players; simply achieve a paying hand and you win.
Let It Ride Online Game
4 CARDS - 'LET IT RIDE' WHEN YOU HAVE:. A pair of 10s or better, two-pair, 3-of-a-kind, or 4-of-a-kind. Any four cards of the same suit. Any four to an outside straight with at least one high card. Any four to an outside straight with no high cards (zero house edge). Any four to an inside straight with 4 high cards (zero house edge). Let It Ride online is a popular casino game that uses similar gameplay from poker. The player receives three cards and must make a hand that is better than a pair of 10's in order to beat the house. It is a simple game, where you have two betting rounds that you can use to increase your profits when you have a good starting hand. Let it Ride can be found at most online casino sites. It is an easy to learn and quick game to play as there are not many decisions involved, so it is popular among gamblers who enjoy a.
Whether you're a seasoned veteran looking for a new Let It Ride casino site or are a complete newbie looking for guidance, you've come to the right place. My purpose here is to recommend a few of the best places to play Let It Ride online and explain the nuts and bolts of this popular game. By the time you finish this page, you'll have everything you need to get started.
I consider these the best Let It Ride casinos because each of these is well-known in the industry as a safe place to play. If you're lucky enough to win a bunch of cash, there's no question you'll be paid. Many people before you have already visited these sites and had no problem getting their winnings when they were done.
The true quality of any Let It Ride site is shown after you're done playing. Any halfway decent operator will treat you like royalty while you're active at the tables, but its true colors show when you indicate you're done and ready to make a withdrawal. Sites that truly care about their players make every effort to provide fast and hassle-free payouts.
When it comes to Let It Ride in particular, I always make it a point to check the payouts for winning hands. The house advantage is derived from the payout odds, so there's an incentive for operators to be stingy with how much wining hands are paid. The higher the payouts, the lower the house advantage.
It is especially important to note the payouts for smaller but more frequent winning hands. Anyone can promise bigger payouts for hands that are extremely rare, but it is the common, everyday hands that have the greatest impact on the house advantage. At a minimum, I like to see the following payouts for each hand:
- Pair of 10s or Better: 1 to 1
- Two Pairs: 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: 1,000 to 1
This pay table combined with smart play results in a house edge of a respectable 3.5%. This means that over the long term, you can expect to lose about $3.50 for every $100 wagered at the table. When casinos deviate from the above payouts, the house advantage can increase dramatically. Stick with the best Let It Ride websites to ensure your money lasts longer and you maximize the odds of walking away a winner.
Let It Ride Bonuses
One of the many advantages of playing Let It Ride online is that you can get deposit bonuses just for signing up and playing the game. Gambling sites are always giving out cash in an effort to lure new customers in away from the competition. The general agreement is that if you make a deposit, the casino site you choose will give you extra money to play the games.
A part of this agreement is that every bonus must be 'cleared' by playing in real money games. In return for giving you free cash, casino sites ask that you place a certain dollar amount worth of wagers before you may withdraw the bonus or any winnings derived from placing bets with the bonus money.
A typical wagering requirement for bonuses is something in the neighborhood of 20 times the bonus + deposit amount. For example, let's say you claim a 100% deposit bonus by depositing $50 and getting $50 in bonus cash. If the rollover was set at 20x, you would need to place a total sum of wagers equal to $2,000 ($50 + $50 times 20).
Let It Ride Online Gambling
One thing you need to be on the lookout for with Let It Ride bonuses is eligibility of the game in meeting the clearing requirements. Casino bonuses are generally geared towards slots, keno and scratch card players due to those games having a higher house advantage. Let It Ride doesn't make as much money for casinos, so not all bonuses can be cleared by playing Let It Ride.
In my experience, about half of all bonuses are compatible with Let It Ride. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. You should keep this in mind and always check the terms and conditions before you claim any bonus. Make sure Let It Ride works with any bonus you're considering getting. If not, it may be best to either pass on the bonus or choose a different casino site.
How to Play Let It Ride Online
Let It Ride is very accessible to newbies. No prior experience with poker or any other game is necessary. As long as you understand the hand rankings, you have everything you need to give this game an honest shot.
Each hand of Let It Ride begins with you placing three bets of equal size on the table in front of you. If you're playing at a $1 table, you'll start each hand with a total of $3 worth of wagers. You will later have opportunities to take back two of these wagers.
After the wagers have been placed, the dealer passes three cards to you (these are your 'hole cards') and deals two cards face-down in the middle of the table. These face-down cards are called 'community cards' because they are shared by all players at the table. Eventually, these two community cards will be used in conjunction with your three hole cards to form a five card poker hand.
After the cards have been dealt, you may now look at your three hole cards. Now, it's time to make your first decision. If you don't feel confident with what you see, you may take back one of your wagers. If you do like what you see, you may 'let it ride' and leave your wager on the table.
Next, one of the community cards is revealed. Now you are given the option to take back one more of your wagers. If you like the way your hand is shaping up, you may 'let it ride' to leave your wager on the table.
Next, the second community card is revealed. The two community cards plus your three hole cards are used to form your five card poker hand. If your hand consists of a pair of 10s or better, you receive a payout as indicated by the pay table. Most casino sites use the same pay table as shown above.
The defining feature of this game is the ability to take back up to two of your wagers. There are few casino games in which you get the option to take back parts of your original wagers. In Let It Ride, you may take back one, two or none of your three original bets.
Optional Progressive Jackpot Side Bet
Online Let It Ride sites offer an optional side bet that qualifies you for a progressive jackpot. If you want to participate, you can pay $1.00 by clicking on the progressive jackpot button on the table. This jackpot grows over time as every dollar paid goes directly to the current jackpot.
Paying to participate in the progressive jackpot qualifies you to additional payouts if you achieve a stronger-than-usual hand. These payouts are paid in addition to the normal payouts for winning hands. Most sites use the following pay table for the progressive jackpot:
- Flush: $75 payout
- Full House: $100 payout
- 4 of a Kind: $500 payout
- Straight Flush: Payout equal to 10% of the current jackpot
- Royal Flush: Payout equal to 100% of the current jackpot
Hand Rankings
Your final hand in Let It Ride is ranked according to traditional poker hand rankings. The following list ranks hands beginning with the lowest at the top and then working down to the highest ranked hand.
- Pair of 10s or Better: Two cards of the same rank, 10 or higher. Example: 2-3-5-Jack-Jack
- Two Pairs: Two different pairs in the same hand. Example: 2-2-7-Ace-Ace
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Example: 8-9-9-9-Queen
- Straight: Five cards in sequential order. Example: 5-6-7-8-9
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Example: 2-3-6-7-9 all of hearts
- Full House: Two cards of one rank and three cards of another rank. Example: 2-2-9-9-9
- Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank. Example: 4-Jack-Jack-Jack-Jack
- Straight Flush: Five sequential cards of the same suit. Example: 2-3-4-5-6 all of spades
- Royal Flush: The cards ten through ace all of the same suit. Example: 10-Jack-Queen-King-Ace all of diamonds
Let It Ride vs. Let Them Ride
I'd like to take a minute to explain the difference between 'Let It Ride and 'Let Them Ride.' Most online casinos call it by the latter name due to the former being a registered trademark of Shuffle Master (a manufacturer of casino products that originally devised Let it Ride). The only other difference between the two games is the order in which bets are placed.
In the online variant, you place only one bet at the beginning of each hand. After your look at your hole cards, you are given the option to stay or to place a second bet of equal value. After the first community card is revealed, you are once again given an option to stay or place another bet.
This difference is purely cosmetic. In the end, you still decide whether you have 1, 2 or 3 active bets at the end of each hand. This changes nothing in the strategy or house advantage of Let It Ride.
Optimal Strategy
The decisions you make in Let It Ride have an impact on how much money you win or lose over the long term. Make good decisions and you'll keep the house advantage limited to around 3.5%. Make poor decisions and the advantage quickly moves further in the casino's favor.
This strategy works for both the traditional version (Let It Ride) and the online version (Let Them Ride). I'm going to word it as though you're playing online, since that's the assumption. If you play this game in a brick-and-mortar casino, the same concepts apply.
Since there is no bluffing or competition against a dealer or other players, the entirety of Let It Ride strategy revolves around choosing when to place additional wagers.
First Decision: When to Add the Second Bet
Remember; the first bet is compulsory in Let Them Ride. The first time you have the option to add a bet is after you have seen your three hole cards. If you should add a second bet if you have any of the following 3-card hands:
- A pair of 10s or higher
- Three cards of the same rank
- Three cards to a royal flush
- Three sequential cards of the same suit ranked 3-4-5 or higher
Second Decision: When to Add the Third Bet
After you make the first decision, one of the community cards is revealed. Now, you have a total of four cards in your hand. You should add the third bet if you have any of the following 4-card poker hands:
- Pair of 10s or higher
- Two-pair
- Three or four cards of the same rank
- Four cards of the same suit
- Four cards in sequential order ranked 3-4-5-6 or higher
- Four cards all ranked 10 or higher
Let it Ride is a popular casino table game based on poker hand rankings which has different game play to many other games. The aim is to make the best poker hand possible with five cards. You start the game by placing three bets, you can ‘pull' (remove) up to two of these bets if the hand is not an immediate winner. You choose to either remove bets, or to ‘Let It Ride' and see more cards.
As well as the main game, there is a side-bet option where you are placing a straightforward wager on the strength of your original three cards. Let It Ride can be enjoyed at live casinos across Michigan and can also be found at new Michigan online casinos.
Other popular games
How Let It Ride Works
At the start of Let It Ride players place three bets of equal size on the table. The minimum and maximum amount you can bet will vary. Live, minimum bets vary between $5 (at the big Detroit resorts) and $2 (some smaller tribal casinos). Stakes are smaller online.
Each player is dealt three cards. At this point, you have the option to either Let It Ride (and keep all three bets in play) or you can ‘pull' your first bet back and return it to your bankroll. See the strategy section below for the best way to make this decision.
Next, the dealer will deal the first of the two community cards, which will join your initial three cards (and the initial three cards of all other players). You then choose once again whether to Let it Ride or ‘pull' your second bet back. The dealer will then deal the second and final community card. At this point, the hand is over. Players are paid for the following poker hands:
- Pair of Tens or Better – 1:1
- Two Pairs – 2:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
- Straight – 5:1
- Flush – 8:1
- Full House – 11:1
- Four of a Kind – 50:1
- Straight Flush – 200:1
- Royal Flush – 1000:1
As an example, if you were to Let it Ride through a hand where each of your three initial bets were $5 and you hit a flush, you'd receive a payout of $45 for each of those three bets (8 x $5, as well as your stake back). If you decided to pull one of the bets along the way, you would only receive the $45 payment twice.
Let It Ride Strategy
The strategy for Let It Ride comes in two parts – a decision of whether to remove your bets when you get your own cards and after the first community card is dealt.
With three cards, you should only let it ride if you have a winning hand or a strong drawing hand. Stand with 10-10 or better, three cards to a royal flush, three suited cards in a row (3-4-5 or higher), three to a straight flush spread across four numbers (with at least one card with the value 10 or more) or three to a straight flush spread across five numbers (with at least two cards valued 10 or higher).
With four cards, you should only Let it Ride if you have a paying hand already, four cards of the same suit, or any four to an outside straight (with at least one card 10 or higher).
Let It Ride: 3 Card Bonus Side Bet
At the start of any hand, you also have the chance to place a side bet which is based directly on the strength of your initial 3 cards. The pay table for the side bet is as follows:
- Pair – 1:1
- Flush – 3:1
- Straight – 6:1
- Three of a Kind – 30:1
- Straight Flush – 40:1
- Mini Royal – 200:1
A Mini Royal in this case being dealt Ace, King and Queen of the same suit. This side bet can only be placed if you have made the standard initial 3 bets.
Playing Let It Ride in Michigan: Live and Online
Let It Ride is a popular table game. It can be found at larger casinos in Detroit and some of the bigger tribal casinos in Northern Michigan. In the smaller tribal casinos with only a handful of tables, only the biggest games like blackjack and baccarat are available.
You can now also find Let It Ride online. Real money online casinos in Michigan feature both software based and live dealer table games. One of the more popular versions of Let It Ride was created by SG Digital. If you are going to enjoy table games online, remember to take advantage of the casino welcome bonuses. You will find no deposit bonus offers, and (bigger) bonus deals which match your first deposit.
Wrapping Up: Let It Ride in Michigan
Let It Ride has a big advantage over games like blackjack. While many table games let you win double your bet on a hand (or more if you split or ‘double'), Let It Ride gives you a shot at winning 1000x your bet.
Even better, you bet 3 units, though only have to risk 1 unit if your hand does not pan out as expected. Add in a side bet based on your own 3 cards, and you will see why this casino poker variant gives you great value for money.
You will find Let It Ride poker online in Michigan. This gives you a chance to learn the game, clear some casino bonuses – and hopefully walk away with a big win.
