Let it Ride poker is a unique variation of traditional poker that first emerged in casinos in the late nineties. Rather than playing to beat the dealer, players instead aim to get the best hand. You can win some serious cash when playing, if you follow this Let it Ride Poker Single Hand Guide; the payouts in this type of online poker real money game are significantly higher than those of standard poker. In this American Casino Guide, you will learn what this kind of poker is, how to play, and which card combinations to look for. Then, we’ll dive into winning strategies and frequently asked questions that can help set you up for success.
Master Your Game: Let It Ride Poker Single Hand Guide
Sometimes known as “Let ‘Em Ride” poker, Let it Ride single hand poker is a casino card table game popular in the online casino community. The game is based upon a five-card hand and the objective of the game is to get the best hand possible. The thing that makes single hand poker special is that if you don’t like how your hand is panning out, you have the opportunity to reduce your bet mid-game.
How to Play Let It Ride Poker
At the beginning of each game, you place three minimum table bets: one on each circle, labeled “1”, “”, and “$”. For instance, if the minimum table wager is $1, you must place at least $1 on each of the three circles. Once all bets are placed, the dealer passes each player three cards face down on the table. Then, two more cards are placed face-down in front of the dealer – these are called “community cards”.
Once all the cards are laid, you can pick up your hand.
When you look at your cards, you have a choice to make: ask for your first bet, or “let it ride”, which leaves all three of your bets in action. Next, the dealer flips one of the two face-down cards over. If any card gives you a more favorable hand, you can choose to “let it ride”. If it doesn’t benefit your hand, you can take back your second bet. Lastly, the dealer’s second hand is flipped face-up, and everyone exposes their cards. Winners are paid out and losers forfeit their bets.
If you hold a winning hand, you win your bet back plus a multiplier that depends on which poker hand you completed. We will go into more detail about the type of winning poker hands in the next section.
Let It Ride Poker Rules
Understanding the Let It Ride Poker Single Hand game and its group of rules is essential to successful gameplay. The good news is there are only eight rules that you need to remember:
- Played with a standard 52-card deck
- A winning hand must be a combination of your hand and both community cards
- Pairs must contain numbers 10 or higher to win, any pairs of 9 or lower are considered losing hands
- Payouts are based only on active bets, no withdrawn bets are counted
- Card suits are ranked equally
- Wagers must be placed before the dealer announces “no more bets” – also, bets cannot be changed after this announcement
- Three wagers must be identical in size
- Payouts are distributed on each active bet on the table
Winning Poker Hands
According to our Let it Ride Single Hand Poker Guide, winning a big payout depends on the hand you are dealt, plus the dealer’s community cards. If you hope to score some winning hands, you should know all the possible card combinations that the game recognizes. In this game, there are nine of them.
Here is a rundown of all possible winning hands in online Let it Ride single hand poker, ranked from highest to lowest:
- Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10 (matching suits)
- Straight Flush: five sequential numbers, i.e. 6, 5, 4, 3, 1 (matching suits)
- Four of a Kind: four matching cards, i.e. 10, 10, 10, 10, 9
- House: three matching cards and a pair of matching cards, i.e. 3, 3, 3
- Flush: five cards in the same suit, no sequence, i.e. 5 spades or 5 clubs
- Straight: five cards in a sequence, i.e. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6
- Three of a Kind: three matching cards, i.e. 7, 7, 7, J, K
- Two Pair: two sets of matching cards, i.e., 3, 3, 4
- High Card: If you have none of the above in your hand, the highest card determines your hand’s worth.
Winning Hand Payouts
Each winning hand is designated a certain payout, which multiplies your active bet by a predetermined number.
Here is an overview of the winning payouts in let it ride single hand poker, ranked from highest to lowest:
- Royal Flush: 1000:1
- Straight Flush: 200:1
- Four of a Kind: 50:1
- House: 11:1
- Flush: 8:1
- Straight: 5:1
- Three of a Kind: 3:1
- Two Pair: :1
- High Card: 1:1
Let it Ride Single Hand Guide | Gameplay Strategies
Now that you know how to play, it’s time to apply some strategy to help you bring home the big bucks. Since you can’t predict which two community cards the dealer will place on the table, your decision-making skills must be sharp if you hope to win. One wrong move and you could lose your entire wager.
In general, you should choose to let it ride if you have one of four combinations in your hand:
- A pair of 10’s or better
- Three of a kind
- Three of the following in matching suits: A, K, Q, J, 10 (partial royal flush)
- Three sequential cards in the same suit
These combinations offer you the highest chance of scoring a winning hand. If you don’t have one of these firsthand, you should pull back your first bet.
When the dealer reveals the first community card, you could be in a more favorable spot. If any of the cards revealed completes one of the above sequences, you should let it ride.
Let it ride if one of these scenarios applies to you in the second round:
- Any winning hand
- Hands of 10’s or better
- Any 4 cards of matching suit
- Four of a kind
- Four of the following in matching suits: A, K, Q, J, 10 (partial royal flush)
- Four cards to an outside straight, including a 10 or higher
The final round consists of the dealer turning face-up on the last community card. Hopefully, you’ll be lucky enough to have one of the winning hands between your cards and the community cards and you can collect your winnings. If not, there’s always another round to play.
Side Bets
There are two side bets that you can play during a round of let-it-ride single-hand poker: the pair plus bet and the let-it-ride progressive bet.
Pair plus bets
These types of bets are based solely on the first three cards that you are dealt in a round of Let It Ride poker, so they are not affected by the community cards at all. The winning hands and payouts for pair plus bets are mini royal (50:1), straight flush (40:1), three of a kind (30:1), straight (6:1), flush (3:1), and any pair (1:1).
Let it ride progressive bets
Some casinos offer a progressive bet that pays out if you hit a royal flush in one round. The minimum bet generally ranges from $1-$5 and can pay out upwards of $1 million when they hit.
Let it Ride Single Hand Guide | Tips
No matter how careful you are in deciding what move to make next at the top of a round, much of what happens in Let it Ride poker is up to luck. So, what can you do to tip the scales in your favor?
Here are three easy tips you can use to help you be a more successful let it ride single hand poker player:
Tip #1: Be Conservative
Let it Ride Poker is one of the only casino games that allows you to pull back your bet mid-game, and you should use that to your advantage. If you find yourself pulling back your first bet most of the time, chances are, you’re playing the game right. It’s always wiser to pull back your bets and protect your money than to be over-confident and take a huge loss.
Tip #2: Be Aware of Maximum Payouts
Most casinos place a cap on payouts at the Let it Ride poker table. It’s important to be aware of what that maximum is since it can help you choose how much to bet. Pay attention to these aggregate payouts so that you can plan accordingly – there’s no reason to bet too much on a game and risk losing it all when you wouldn’t be eligible to get the whole payout a win might give you.
Tip #3: Take Your Time
Trust us, you don’t want to fall victim to pulling back a bet only to find out you have a royal flush on your hands in the end. Keep a slow pace and pay close attention to your cards to ensure you don’t miss anything. Remember, 99% of the game is decision-making, so you need to give yourself time to fully process your thoughts before making a move. Remember, if you want to know more about Vegas Aces, check our social media and be aware of every casino news.
Let It Ride Single Hand FAQs
What is a “suit” in let it ride single hand poker?
In a standard 52-card deck, there are three categories of cards: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. A “suit” refers to one of these four categories.
What are suited connectors in let it ride single hand poker?
Suited connectors in poker are sequential cards and of the same suit. For example, 10, 9, and 8 of clubs would be considered a suited connector.
What is the difference between an inside straight and an outside straight?
An outside straight consists of a hand that one of two cards could complete, such as 3, 4, 5, 6 ( or 7 could complete the hand). An inside straight, on the other hand, occurs when only one number can complete the hand, such as 3, 4, 6, 7 (only a 4 could complete the hand).
How much money can you win on a progressive side bet in single hand let it ride poker?
If you hit a royal flush and you bet on a progressive side bet, the payout could be over $1 million.
Is let it ride single hand poker hard?
Let it ride single hand poker has simple rules that anyone can learn and requires very little skill. Since you don’t play against other players or the dealer in this version of poker, it’s a great game for beginners, too.