Let it RideLet it Ride is one of the more recent and exciting games that is derived from poker. Let it Ride was started by Shuffle Master, Inc., a company that manufactures gambling devices, in 1993. This poker game was primarily created in order to promote the use of automatic shuffling devices in land-based casinos. This poker game can be played at a video poker machine, casino table or online casino. Learning and playing this poker game is easy, as it is based on poker hands which are already familiar to most people.
While this poker game is usually compared to Caribbean Stud Poker and Pai Gow Poker, Let it Ride is a single-player card game where you compete against a machine instead of the bank or other poker players.
Let it Ride OriginsLet it Ride was developed by Shuffle Master Company in 1993 primarily as a marketing tool for the promotion of their proprietary automatic card shuffler machine – BG-1. Let it Ride was introduced by the company and used as a marketing tool to gain a foothold of their target market. The BG-1 automatic shuffler machine was designed as an alternative to a human shuffler in poker games. The record-setting marketing triumph of BG-1 automatic shuffler is largely due to the popularity and success of Let it Ride.
The first ever Let-it-Ride game was played in Reno, Nevada. It eventually became a popular card game and slowly made its way to Las Vegas in just a few years. Today, Let-it-Ride is an extremely popular card game and is one of the main attractions of most casinos.
Let it Ride RulesLet-it-Ride can be played at the casino table, at a poker machine or at online casinos. This flexibility in the way it is played plus the added appeal that you don’t compete with other players in order to win make Let-it-Ride one of the top favorites of beginners and seasoned casino enthusiasts alike.
Just like with five card stud poker, the main objective of Let-it-Ride is to get the best possible hand from the five cards that are dealt to you. You will be initially dealt with three cards once you place your bet. You will then have to make the best possible hand out of those three cards in addition to the additional two cards that are dealt to you after you choose from the available betting options.
Another distinctive feature of this poker game is that you are given the option to withdraw your bet and back out after the turn of the cards. With the first card that is dealt immediately following the first three cards, you are given the option to withdraw your bet or continue, hence the name “Let-it-Ride.”
If you are playing the card game for the first time, it is important that you spend some time to learn the payout structure. Since Let-it-Ride is basically a solitary game, you are not playing for a pot, and the payout shall be determined by the hand that you are holding. Your main objective is to get at least a pair of tens in order to win. Your payout increases once you get a hand with a higher ranking.
Let it Ride Tips and StrategiesFamiliarize yourself with the combinations and their corresponding payouts. The standard payout for Let it Ride is 1 to 1 payout for a pair consisting of ones or higher, 2 to 1 payout for 2 pairs, 3 to 1 payout for 3 of a kind, 5 to 1 payout for a straight, 11 to 1 payout for a full house, 50 to 1 for a four of a kind, 200 to 1 payout for a flush, and 1000 to 1 payout for a royal flush. Some casinos adopt different payouts, but this is the standard pay table you can expect for most casinos.
As the game unfolds, you have to decide whether you will “let it ride” out or not. It is best to let your initial bet ride if you have the following combinations:
- pair of tens or greater
- three of a kind
- flush
- straight
- royal flush
You have to look at your 4-hand card when it is time to decide whether it is safe to let your second bet ride or not. You will let your bet ride if you have the following combinations:
- four of a kind
- couple of pairs
- three of a kind
- flush
- straight
- straight flush
