Let it ride is a casino poker variant in which the gambler is betting solely on the quality of the five card poker hand they will make. In order to receive a pay-out, players must make a hand of a pair of 10s or better. The unique aspect of this relatively new game is that the player is given two opportunities to reduce their initial stake once the deal has begun.
The five card poker hand will be revealed in three stages, the first stage sees each player dealt three cards which will be unique to their hand, the second stage sees the revealing of a communal card in the centre if the table, then the third and final stage is the revealing of a second communal card. Play then proceeds as follows.
To take part in a hand the player is required to place three stakes of equal value in each of three boxes. The boxes are labelled “$”, “1” and “2”. The stake in the “$” must remain in play until the hand reaches its conclusion but the other two stakes can be reclaimed at set points during the hand.
Once all stakes have been placed the dealer will deal three cards to each player and two cards face down in the centre of the table. Having looked at their three cards the players are faced with their first decision of the hand. They must choose whether to leave the stake in box one in play, known as “letting it ride” (hence the name of the game!), or whether to reclaim the stake. The dealer will ask each player in turn how they wish to act and then returns stakes housed in box one to anyone who wishes. The desire to take back a stake is commonly indicated by making a scratching motion with the cards on the playing felt.
Once all players have acted on their hand the first communal card will be turned face up. This brings the second decision point of the hand: the player must now decide whether to withdraw the stake in box two or let it ride to the hand’s conclusion. A player may withdraw his box two stake regardless of the decision made about their box one stake, however once a stake is taken back it cannot be subsequently reinstated.
Now that all five cards have been dealt the players will be paid out according to the value of their hand. Note that all pay-outs are expressed as a multiple of the total stake the player has left in play. For example, a player who withdrew both his box one and box two stakes would only receive payment as a multiple of his “$” box stake, whereas a player who let it ride throughout would receive the multiple of the total of his stakes in boxes “$”, “1” and “2”. The pay-out table is as follows:
- One Pair (10s or better) - Evens
- Two Pair - 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
Side Bets
In addition to the standard game, two side bets are commonly offered in the game of let it ride. These are known as the five card side bet and the three card side bet.
The five card side bet is a straight bet on the quality of the final five card hand received by the player. The stake for the bet is a set amount, most commonly $/£1. Pay-outs for the five card bonus bet are as follows:
- Three Of A Kind - 5/1
- Straight - 25/1
- Flush - 50/1
- Full House - 200/1
- Four Of A Kind - 400/1
- Straight Flush - 2000/1
- Royal Flush - 20000/1
The three card side bet is very similar but, as the name implies, it is a straight bet on the quality of the three cards the player receives in their initial hand. Pay-outs for this bet are as follows:
- Pair - Evens
- Flush - 4/1
- Straight - 6/1
- Three Of A Kind - 30/1
- Straight Flush - 40/1
- Mini Royal (A-K-Q of the same suit) - 50/1