Let it Ride Strategy
Let It Ride has become popular partly because it’s easy to understand and start playing quickly. In some ways, the game is even simpler than blackjack. You’ve likely witnessed blackjack players staring at their strategy grid, trying to keep the combinations straight, knowing when to hit and when to stand, when to double and when to split.
Let It Ride poker strategy is far easier to remember.
If you can commit a few card combinations to memory, you’ll be able to enjoy playing the game knowing that you’re making the right decisions. Below, we’ll explain basic Let Em Ride poker strategy and reveal one of our favorite online casinos at which to play the game.
Basic Let It Ride Poker Optimal Strategy
We’ll break down the proper let it ride strategy based on each betting round. Each hand is comprised of two bets after the ante. Your decision to move forward with Bet #1 will depend on whether you have 1 of 3 different hands. Because a pair of tens pays 1:1, you should definitely bet if you have tens or higher, this is the minimum that gets you paid and is a ‘no brainer’. You should also bet if you’re holding a 3-card Royal Flush or a 3-card Straight Flush.
On the first round you should bet (raise) with the following.
- 10’s or better pays 1:1 so always raise when you have this
- Raise if you get 3 cards of the royal flush
- Raise if you have 3 cards of a straight flush
For Bet #2, you’ll need to remember six card combinations.
Aside from a pair of tens or better, you should bet on a 4-card flush (Royal, Straight, or otherwise), 4 high cards, or a 4-card open straight. By “open,” we mean the 4 cards are in sequence (for example, 6, 7, 8, and 9).
- Bet 10’s or better
- Bet 4-card flushes (including straight flushes obviously)
- Bet 4 high cards 10 or better
- Bet 4 card open ended straights
If you play according to this basic Let it Ride strategy, you’ll lower the house edge to 3.5%. That said, a lot of players are seduced into making the side bet offered on your first three cards, aka the let it ride 3 card bonus bet. Not all casinos offer it, which is strange because the edge is astronomical. It can spiral up to 36.52%!
Our advice? Never take the side bet on your first three cards. (this bet is different than the $1 jackpot bonus bet offered, the side bet is for your first three cards only and is not player friendly, the jackpot can be depending on it’s size.) Part of the thrill of playing let it ride is the possibility of hitting the jackpot, and the house edge on the jackpot depends on how big of a jackpot is offered.
Putting Let It Ride Strategy To The Test
We’ve played at a number of online casinos, including many of the most popular. Our favorite place to play Let It Ride is Bovada Casino.
The Bovada Let it ride game offers clear, crisp graphics, which have a huge influence on the playing experience. They offer attractive odds and their payout tables are tops online. We suggest that you visit Bovada Casino, register your account, and claim your free 10% deposit bonus. Take a few minutes to put Let It Ride strategy to the test.
Let it Ride Poker Strategy Articles
We’ve gone more in depth with our Let em ride strategy with a handful of different articles including a look at the official rules of let it ride, a list of the most common payout tables, a look at the let it ride poker odds, how the bets work in let it ride and a few more let it ride tips.
Additionally, you can practice let it ride for free at one of our many no download flash let it ride games or get signed up with the Bovada casino and you have the option of downloading a let it ride game or just playing through their flash, instant play casino that you can play in your browser, from a Macintosh or PC without downloading a casino software to your system.