Let It Ride Poker
Let It Ride is a casino poker variant developed by Shuffle Master (now Scientific Games) in 1993, designed to be slow-paced and non-confrontational — players never compete against each other or the dealer. Players receive three cards and have two opportunities to withdraw a portion of their three-part bet before the final hand is revealed. The game rewards patience: the optimal strategy is to let bets ride on strong hands while pulling back on weak ones, creating a slower decision rhythm than most table games. The house edge on optimal play is approximately 3.51%.
Rules & Gameplay
Each player places three equal bets. Three cards are dealt face-down to each player; two community cards are dealt face-down to the dealer. Players look at their three cards. First decision: withdraw Bet 1 (slide it back) or let it ride. First community card is revealed. Second decision: withdraw Bet 2 or let it ride (Bet 3 can never be withdrawn). Second community card is revealed. The best five-card hand from three player cards plus two community cards is evaluated. Payout table (pays on Bet 3 always, and on any bets left riding): Pair of 10s 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: 50:1, Straight Flush: 200:1, Royal Flush: 1,000:1. Anything below a pair of tens loses all remaining bets.
Basic Strategy
Let Bet 1 ride when you hold: any paying hand (pair of 10s or better, three of a kind), three cards to a Royal Flush, three suited cards with no gaps, or three to a straight flush with certain configurations. Pull Bet 1 back on all other hands. Let Bet 2 ride when you hold: any paying hand, four cards to a Royal Flush, four cards to a flush, four to an open-ended straight. Pull Bet 2 back otherwise. The $1 side bet bonus (often available) carries a separate pay table with Royal Flush paying $20,000 — the house edge exceeds 13% and should be skipped.
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