Let It Ride is a popular poker variant designed by Shuffle Master. The game borrows much from 5-card poker as the objective is to create the best possible 5-card hand. Players create their best 5-card hand from a combination of three player cards and two community cards.
One thing which differentiates Let It Ride poker from other standard poker variants is the ability of players to withdraw a third of their wager during gameplay. Those who choose not to withdraw a portion of their wager during gameplay and play as is until the end will have chosen to ‘let it ride’. This, therefore, is where the notion of ‘let it ride’ comes from.
To better understand all the Let It Ride poker rules, we are going to take time in explaining how the game works and how you can start playing it.
How to Play Let It Ride Poker
Once players grab their seats and place their bet, the dealer will deal each player one card starting from the left-hand side. Before the first community card is dealt, the player gets the first opportunity to withdraw a third of their bet if they so wish. After making their decision, the first community card is dealt.
Afterward, the dealer deals the second player card and soon after, players get a second chance at withdrawing a third of their initial wager. Once players make their decision regarding withdrawing or not withdrawing a portion of the wager, the second community card is dealt. The final player card is then dealt. During the game, players aren’t permitted to see other player’s cards or expose theirs.
To ensure that it’s easy to withdraw a third of the initial wager, casinos do require players to place their wagers over three betting spots each containing the exact number of chips and chip values. When playing at some casinos, the betting spots may be numbered as follows: 1, 2, and $. The 1 and 2 are spots with wagers that players can withdraw during the game and the $ spot is the wager which cannot be withdrawn at any time during gameplay.
Let It Ride Poker Payouts
When players choose to let it ride (not withdraw a third or two-thirds of their initial wager during gameplay), they stand a chance of winning the following payouts depending on their hand’s value.
| Let It Ride Poker Payout Schedule | |
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | 1,000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 11 to 1 |
| Flush | 8 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 2 to 1 |
| Pair of 10s or Better | 1 to 1 |
Players ought to note that there is a side bet that they can place which allow them to create the best possible 3-card hand from the player’s cards only.