Let It Ride
CASINO POKER-DERIVATIVE (1993) invented by JOHN BREEDING for SHUFFLE MASTER. 1+ players, no dealer hand. Player makes 3 EQUAL BETS + gets 3 cards; sees 2 community cards revealed 1 at a time. After each reveal, player may PULL BACK a bet or LET IT RIDE. Final 5-card hand pays per bonus table (10s or better break-even). House edge ~3.5%. Slow, thoughtful casino game.
Quick facts
Category
Casino & Gambling
Type
Individual
Players
1–7
Duration
~30 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
1993 John Breeding / Shuffle Master; US casino rollout 1994
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Get a 10s-or-better 5-card poker hand at showdown.
Rules
Basic rules
Place 3 EQUAL bets ($1, $1, $1 style)
Total 3 units at risk.
Receive 3 cards; decide to pull first bet back or let ride
First decision.
Community card revealed; decide to pull second bet back or let ride
Second decision.
Final community card revealed; showdown vs paytable
No dealer hand.
Only bets NOT pulled back pay per bonus table
Payout on live bets.
Scoring
Bets left on table pay per bonus table; house edge ~3.5%.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1000:1 |
| Straight Flush | 200:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 50:1 |
| Full House | 11:1 |
| Flush | 8:1 |
| Straight | 5:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3:1 |
| Two Pair | 2:1 |
| 10s or Better Pair | 1:1 (breakeven) |
Win condition · 10s-or-better final 5-card hand.
Equipment
Standard 52-card deck
No jokers
Let It Ride table (3 bet spots + 2 community-card zones)
Signature layout
Chips
3 equal bets required per hand
Terminology
- Let it ride
- Keep bet on table for next reveal.
- Pull back
- Take a bet back before next community card.
- Bonus
- Payout table applied to remaining bets.
Where it is played
Frequently asked
Let It Ride basic strategy?+
LET FIRST BET RIDE ONLY if you have: (a) any winning hand made, (b) 4 to royal flush, (c) 4 to straight flush (with 3+ high cards), or (d) 3 of a kind. LET SECOND BET RIDE if you have any winning hand made, or 4 to any flush or straight flush. Otherwise pull back both. Simple discipline minimizes house edge.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Let It Ride— Wikipedia