Sun, Apr 10, 6:33pm by Ethan Anderson
Last Updated Wed, Jul 15, 2:48am
Most casino games have been around for a very long time. We’re talking centuries. But there are a few that are still quite new. Let it Ride is one such game.
Originally, Let It Ride was designed to help promote an automatic shuffling machine: The Shuffle Master. It was designed by Shuffle Entertainment Ltd and released to the market in 1992.
The problem? It was a single deck shuffle machine, which was quickly becoming obsolete as more and more casinos were opting toward multi-deck shufflers. Multi-deck shufflers were especially popular for blackjack, as it made it more difficult for players to count cards.
The solution? Invent a new single-deck game… And the rest, as they say, is history. The inventor of the game, Mr John Breeding, realized that although in recent years quite a few poker-like games had joined the typical land-based casino, there was nothing that truly resembled American five-card stud.
It may not sound like it by the name but Let it Ride is actually a special poker variant available as an online casino table game.
Up to seven players are sat around a semi-circular table, facing the dealer.
The first things players do is place their bets. The bet must be equally divisible by three and made over three different boxes (none of the boxes may remain empty).
Starting from the dealer’s left, players are each dealt a card. The dealer then places one community card face down in the centre of the table. Another card is dealt with each player, followed by a second facedown community card.
Finally, players are dealt a final pocket card. After receiving their cards, players have the opportunity to withdraw one-third of their initial wager.
After the first community card is revealed, customers can withdraw another third of their wager if they want to.
Players can choose to keep the initial wager, withdraw on one opportunity, or withdraw on both.
The term “Let it Ride” comes into play when a player chooses not to withdraw any of their initial wagers.
It’s important to point out that you don’t play against other players or the dealer. Rather, you are simply paid out on anything higher than a pair of tens.
The payout for a winning hand can vary between casinos. Generally, a Royal Flush will pay out 1,000 to one, a 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 and two pairs 2 to 1. You’ll be paid out even money for pairs of tens, or higher.
Unlike a lot of casino games, in Let it Ride you can actually alter your bet after your initial wager. This means that even though there is no fail-proof strategy to winning, there are a few things you can do to give yourself a better chance of winning.
Your strategy will differ based on where you are in the game, so we have broken it down as such:
After you have your first three cards, you can pull back a third of your bet. You can also choose to Let it Ride. So when should you choose to Let it Ride? Similar to regular online poker, you need to think about what cards you might still possibly get and what you already have in your hand.
You should Let it Ride in the following situations:
The next chance you have to pull back a third of your bet is after the first of the community cards is revealed. There is now just one more card left to be revealed, so you might want to cut your losses. However, there are a few situations where you should Let it Ride:
Any casino game you play online has the benefit of affording you extra casino bonuses. These can vary from welcome bonuses to regular reloads. No matter what the bonus, you can enjoy it anywhere in the casino (albeit with some weighted wagering).
Since Let it Ride has quite a high house edge, it’s normally a table game that counts more towards a bonus wagering. So probably a good game to play.
When playing online, you usually have the chance to play games for free before playing for real money. Sometimes you don’t even need to sign up before playing the game for free. Without the risk of playing for real money, you’ll get to see for yourself if you like the feel of the game. There’s nothing to lose with this option.
Although initially created in the 1990s as Let it Ride, a few casinos offer an almost identical game by a different name. For example, there is a variant known as Let em Ride. Although the name might vary, the game is the same.
The wagering boxes can appear differently in many variants of the game. In some variants, they appear as $, 1 and 2, with $ representing the part of the wager that can’t be withdrawn. And 1 and 2 representing the two opportunities you have to pull a third of the wager.
Other variants label the first box “Ante” keeping more in tune with traditional poker. In other variants, the boxes aren’t labelled.
In some variants of Let it Ride, you can place an optional side bet on a three-card bonus. Winnings are only based on the three cards initially dealt with the player. Community cards are not involved. The winning hands here in order of payout are a straight three-card flush, three of a kind, a three-card straight, a three-card flush and finally a pair.
The payout is as follows: straight flush 40 to 1, three-of-a-kind 30 to 1, straight 6 to 1, flush 3 to 1 and a pair 1 to 1.
During the game, you’ll have two opportunities to pull back a third of your initial bet. When players choose to keep their initial bet, they “Let it Ride”.
The house edge is actually quite high for a table game, clocking in at 3.51%. And even then, it is only if you use perfect strategy. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth playing as some of the payouts are quite something. But as always, it’s a good plan to set time and money limits.
Yes, plenty of casino offer Let it Ride under their table games portfolio. Unfortunately, there is still no option to play Let it Ride in Live Dealer. But who knows? That could change in the future.
Like any casino game, the best way to ensure that you are playing a legit version of a game is to play it at a casino that is regulated by a third party and complies to all relevant regulations.
