Let it ride stud poker game is a fun, exciting, and player-friendly variation of the Five Card Stud Poker game. Compared to other card games, let it ride stud poker is quite easy and is played at a relaxed pace, making it perfect for beginners and individuals, who do not want to engage in pulse-pounding gambles. This casual version of poker is said to take more luck than skill.
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Let It Ride Stud Poker Rules
The Pack
As with most card games, a standard 52 card pack is used in this poker card game.
Objective
In Let it Ride Poker, you do not compete against the dealer or other players, the individual simply tries to get as many good poker hands as possible by using the three cards and two cards (dealer’s face-down cards) and bet on the assumption that they have the received the best hand.
Dealing
The dealer provides each player with exactly three cards, one card at a time, face down. After three cards have been distributed to all the players, two cards are placed, face down, in front of the dealer, who himself does not get the cards. The two cards placed in front of the dealer are called Community Cards.
How to play Let It Ride Stud Poker?
As mentioned earlier, players do not compete with other players or the dealer. The player may try to get a good enough poker hand by using the three cards given to them by the poker plus the two face-down community cards. Player gets their three cards to face down, and they should not show their cards until the end.
After the players have seen their first three cards, they must make a decision either to ask for their first bet back or choose to “Let it ride” to continue the game. After this decision by the player, the dealer reveals one of the two community cards. This community card will be seen as the player’s fourth card.
After seeing the revealed community card and how it affects the player’s poker hand, they are again given the choice to ask for their second bet back or “let it ride”. Now, the dealer will reveal the second and the final community card, which will change the player’s initial three-card hand into five cards. Unlike the first and the second bet, the third bet can not be taken back once placed. At this stage, the player may put down all their cards.
If the player fails to achieve at least a pair of 10s or better, he or she will have to forfeit whatever bet is still alive. And the dealer will collect all the losing hands and pays all the winning hands in the game.
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Let It Ride Stud Poker Winning Hands
Royal Flush – It is the poker consisting of all the three royal cards (King, Queen, and Jack) with Ace and the 10s, all from the same suit. Royal Flush is the best combo of cards, one can get in the Let it ride stud poker.
Straight flush – It is the poker hand, which includes five cards of the same suit in the consecutive ranking (in either ascending or descending). A set of King, Queen, Jack, 10, and 9 is the best ranking Straight flush, one can get, and on the other side, 5, 4, 3, 2 and Ace is the lowest-ranked Straight Flush, one can get.
Four of a kind – This hand is the next highest ranked in the line and it contains four cards of the same rank and one unmatched card. Four aces together are the best ranking Four of a kind hand and Four 2s are the lowest-ranked Four of a kind hand. One more thing to remember is that a four-of-a-kind hand can be converted into a five of a card hand with the introduction of at least one card which is wild such as Joker. Five of a card hand rank way higher than the four of a kind hand.
Full house – The hand consists of a three of a kind in addition to one pair. In simpler terms, a full house is a hand having three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. Example – a trio of 7s with a pair of tens.
Flush – A flush hand consists of five cards of the same suit but is not completely in the ranking sequence. Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 9 are the highest-ranked Flush, while 7, 5, 4, 3, and 2 are the lowest-ranked.
Straight – This is the hand consisting of five cards, which are in consecutive ranking, either in ascending or descending, but are not in the same suit.
Three of a Kind – The hand, which includes a set of three cards of the same rank with two different cards are considered a three-of-a-kind hand.
Two Pairs – A hand containing two pairs of two cards of the same rank with one unmatched card. The rank of both the pairs should be different on this hand. Two Aces and two Kings is the best hand in this section.
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Why do players like Let It Ride Stud Poker?
Let it Ride is the most liked among beginners and individuals, who do not want to engage in pulse-pounding gambles as it is very much simpler than many casino games and is not nerve-racking. It also gives the players much more control over their bets, with multiple opportunities to change them.
Why is it called Let It Ride?
The players are given an option to take back their bets twice in the game or continue with the game, once after seeing their first three cards and once when they see the first community card. Let it ride is called when the player decides not to take back their bets and continue the game.
