A thrilling casino game, the rules of let it ride are basic and easy to learn, making it a popular choice among people initiating into casino games. Let it ride is a comparatively new game introduced in the casinos only in 1993. It was invented by Michael Parisi and Karen Elder at Shuffle Master, and they continue to hold the trademark to both the name and logo of the game. It was first seen playing in Reno, Nevada, but today it is a very popular game found across all casinos. The game can now be played online as well in your own house when you choose to host a casino party.

The game is a variation of a five-card stud, with two player cards and three community cards. The community cards are dealt face down at the beginning. The player gets only two chances to reclaim one-third portion of their original wager. The first time is when the player has already seen his card at hand, but before the first community card is revealed. The second chance is when the first community card has already been revealed, but the second one is yet to be revealed. The player may choose to reduce his wager on any of these two occasions or may stick to his original wager. If he retains his wager, he is called to let it ride. If there happens to be a winning hand after the second community card is revealed, the remaining player’s wager is paid out. The payout for a Royal Flush is 1000 to 1, for a straight flush it is 200 to 1, for four of a kind 50 to 1, for a full house 11 to 1, for flush 8 to 1, for straight 5 to 1, for three of a kind 3 to 1, for two pair 2 to 1 and for the lowest paying hand of pairs of 10′s or better it is 1 to 1. The pay off amount generally remains constant over most casinos with very minor variations here and there.

To ensure that the player’s initial wager is a multiple of three, each player distributes the wager over three betting spots containing the same chip amount. Once the players have made their bets, the dealer begins dealing a card with each player, starting from the player to his immediate left. This is followed by the revelation of the first community card. The dealer then deals for a second round with each player, followed by the revelation of the second community card. A third round follows with a final card dealt to every player. The players can neither display their own hands nor see those of other players till the deal comes to an end.

There are a few strategies that would put you in a favorable place in this game. Though it is tempting to deviate from them, sticking to these strategies would help you in the final deal. Once you have been given the first three cards, it is recommended that you let it ride only if you have three cards to a royal flush, or three consecutive suited ones, or three cards to a straight flush with at least 2 high ones or a spread of three cards to a straight flush of which at least 1 is high. Once the dealer has revealed his first card, you should let it ride only if you possess one of the following hands, a winning hand (10′s or better, two pair, 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind), four cards to a royal flush, four cards to a straight flush, four cards to a flush, four cards to an outside straight, or four to an inside straight with 4 high ones (10′s or higher). An outside straight is when you have four consecutive cards while an inside straight is when you have four cards that would make a straight, but with a gap in the middle.

Let it ride is also called let them ride, let ‘em ride, or Poker Grand Prix. Many casinos also have side bets, jackpot and bonanzas to go along with the game.