Odds Of Let It Ride
Posted By admin On 18/07/22Let it Ride is one of the oldest Las Vegas table games. There are 43 Let It Ride tables across 31 Las Vegas casinos. All have either a $5 or $10 minimum bet. Most Let it Ride tables are on the Strip or in downtown Las Vegas. A handful of tables are spread among some of the larger locals casinos. Read more about Let it Ride Poker in Las Vegas below. Let It Ride Poker Odds and the House Edge. The house edge for Let It Ride Poker is based on the pay table and the decisions that you make. A common pay table looks like this: Royal flush – 1000 to 1. Straight flush – 200 to 1. Four of a kind – 50 to 1. Full house – 11 to 1.
On This Page
Introduction
Let it Ride is among the first of the wave of new casino games, starting in the late nineties. It is a simple poker-based game where the player is paid based on his five card hand only. No dealer hand to worry about. The twist is that as the cards are revealed the player has the opportunity to decrease his bet if he doesn't like his cards. As of 2013 Let it Ride is still out there, but its numbers are decreasing.
Rules
- Player makes three bets of equal size.
- Dealer gives player three cards.
- Player may pull his first bet back or 'let it ride.'
- Dealer deals the first community card, to be used by all players.
- Player may pull his second back or 'let it ride.'
- Dealer deals the second community card, to be used by all players.
- Player is paid according to the poker value of his five cards, remaining bets, and the posted pay table.
- Side bets are usually available, which are explained below.
The following is the standard pay table most casinos follow. All wins are on a 'to one' basis.
Let it Ride — Standard Pay Table
| Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1000 |
| Straight Flush | 200 |
| Four of a kind | 50 |
| Full House | 11 |
| Flush | 8 |
| Straight | 5 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Tens or better | 1 |
| Loser | Loss |
The pay table for this and 15 other known Let it Ride pay tables can be found in my Let it Ride appendix 3.
Strategy
Odds Of Getting A Royal Flush In Let It Ride
The following strategy is for the standard pay table.
With three cards you should only 'let it ride' if you have:
- Any paying hand (tens or better, three of a kind)
- Any three to a royal flush
- Three suited cards in a row except 2-3-4, and ace-2-3
- Three to a straight flush, spread 4, with at least one high card (ten or greater)
- Three to a straight flush, spread 5, with at least two high cards
With four cards you should only 'let it ride' if you have:
- Any paying hand (tens or better, two pair, three of a kind)
- Any four cards of the same suit
- Any four to an outside straight with at least one high card
- Any four to an outside straight with no high cards (zero house edge)
- Any four to an inside straight with 4 high cards (zero house edge)
A lot of people have asked me what I mean by 'inside straight', 'outside straight', 'spread 4', and 'spread 5.'An inside straight is one in which an 'inside' card is missing, such as (4,5,7,8). An outside straight is one in which an outside card is missing, such as (4,5,6,7). Outside straights are much better because there are 8 cards that can complete them as opposed to 4 for an inside straight. Spread4 means that the cards in question span 4 ranks in a row,for example a (5,6,8). Spread 5 means the cards in question span 5 ranks, for example a (5,7,9).
Play Let It Ride for free while learning the strategy.
Aggregate Payout Warning:
The table will probably have a maximum payout. At Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls the maximum aggregate payout is $75,000 per round. As a result the player should not bet more than the maximum payout divided by 3000. Any bet above this quotient will not pay the full odds on a royal flush, thus increasing the house edge.
Analysis
The following table shows the number of combinations, probability, and contribution to the return of all possible outcomes under optimal strategy. The lower right cell shows an expected loss of 3.51% of the minimum bet size. By the end of the hand, the player will have pulled back 1.768 bets, leaving 1.232 on the table. This makes the element of risk, defined as the ratio of expected loss to total amount bet 3.51%/1.232 = 2.85%.
The standard deviation, relative to a single bet, is 5.17.
Let it Ride — Standard Pay Table
| Hand | Pays | Bet | Win | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1000 | 3 | 3,000 | 80 | 0.000002 | 0.004617 |
| Royal Flush | 1000 | 2 | 2,000 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Royal Flush | 1000 | 1 | 1,000 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Straight Flush | 200 | 3 | 600 | 352 | 0.000007 | 0.004063 |
| Straight Flush | 200 | 2 | 400 | 368 | 0.000007 | 0.002832 |
| Straight Flush | 200 | 1 | 200 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Four of a kind | 50 | 3 | 150 | 7,872 | 0.000151 | 0.022717 |
| Four of a kind | 50 | 2 | 100 | 4,608 | 0.000089 | 0.008865 |
| Four of a kind | 50 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Full House | 11 | 3 | 33 | 33,408 | 0.000643 | 0.021210 |
| Full House | 11 | 2 | 22 | 41,472 | 0.000798 | 0.017553 |
| Full House | 11 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Flush | 8 | 3 | 24 | 10,008 | 0.000193 | 0.004621 |
| Flush | 8 | 2 | 16 | 92,152 | 0.001773 | 0.028366 |
| Flush | 8 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0.000000 | 0.000000 |
| Straight | 5 | 3 | 15 | 4,464 | 0.000086 | 0.001288 |
| Straight | 5 | 2 | 10 | 88,656 | 0.001706 | 0.017056 |
| Straight | 5 | 1 | 5 | 110,880 | 0.002133 | 0.010666 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 3 | 9 | 364,560 | 0.007014 | 0.063122 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 2 | 6 | 328,968 | 0.006329 | 0.037973 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 1 | 3 | 404,712 | 0.007786 | 0.023358 |
| Two pair | 2 | 3 | 6 | 574,128 | 0.011045 | 0.066272 |
| Two pair | 2 | 2 | 4 | 682,776 | 0.013136 | 0.052542 |
| Two pair | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1,214,136 | 0.023358 | 0.046716 |
| Tens or better | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2,571,636 | 0.049474 | 0.148423 |
| Tens or better | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2,647,560 | 0.050935 | 0.101870 |
| Tens or better | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3,228,804 | 0.062117 | 0.062117 |
| Loser | -1 | 3 | -3 | 53,076 | 0.001021 | -0.003063 |
| Loser | -1 | 2 | -2 | 937,824 | 0.018042 | -0.036085 |
| Loser | -1 | 1 | -1 | 38,576,700 | 0.742156 | -0.742156 |
| Total | 51,979,200 | 1.000000 | -0.035057 |
5-Card Bonus Bet
I don't know if this bet even has a name, so I am titling it the '5-Card Bonus Bet.' It is a $1 side bet, which pays based on the poker value of the final five-card hand. This is a sucker bet, that should be avoided. Based on a small sampling of casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin, the house edge varies from 13.77% (Lady Luck) to 36.52% (New York, New York). Below are some casinos, their payoff table, and their house edge, in order from best to worst. Wins are on a 'for one' basis, meaning the player does not get his original bet back, even on a win.
Let it Ride Side Bet Pay Tables
| Hand | Table 1 | Table 2 | Table 3 | Table 4 | Table 5 | Table 6 | Table 7 | Table 8 | Table 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 20000 | 20000 | 20000 | 20000 | 20000 | 10000 | 20000 | 20000 | 25000 |
| Straight flush | 2000 | 1000 | 2000 | 2000 | 1000 | 2000 | 2000 | 1000 | 2500 |
| Four of a kind | 100 | 100 | 100 | 400 | 400 | 100 | 300 | 300 | 400 |
| Full house | 75 | 75 | 75 | 200 | 200 | 75 | 150 | 150 | 200 |
| Flush | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Straight | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Three of a kind | 9 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Two pair | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tens or better | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| House edge | 13.77% | 23.73% | 25.39% | 25.53% | 26.92% | 26.93% | 35.14% | 36.52% | 24.07% |
The following is a list of which casinos have which pay tables based on my small sampling. Unless otherwise stated all casinos are in Las Vegas:
- Table 1: Lady Luck
- Table 2: Las Vegas Club, Freemont, Californian,Plaza, Main Street Station, Ballys, Circus Circus,Hilton, Grand (Biloxi), Beau Rivage (Biloxi), Horseshoe(Tunica), Grand (Tunica)
- Table 3: Golden Gate
- Table 4: Bellagio, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, Harrah's,Imperial Palace, Paris, Venetian
- Table 5: MGM Grand, Golden Nugget
- Table 6: Colorado Belle (Laughlin), Sky City (New Mexico)
- Table 7: Four Queens, Flamingo Hilton
- Table 8: New York New York
- Table 9: Rivers casino in Pittsburgh, PA
The next table shows the probability and return for every hand under pay table 2 above. The return of 76.27% reflects a house edge of 100.00% - 76.27% = 23.73%. Again, all pays are on a 'for one' basis.
5-Card Bonus
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 20,000 | 4 | 0.000002 | 0.030782 |
| Straight flush | 1,000 | 36 | 0.000014 | 0.013852 |
| Four of a kind | 100 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.024010 |
| Full house | 75 | 3,744 | 0.001441 | 0.108043 |
| Flush | 50 | 5,108 | 0.001965 | 0.098270 |
| Straight | 25 | 10,200 | 0.003925 | 0.098116 |
| Three of a kind | 4 | 54,912 | 0.021128 | 0.084514 |
| Two pair | 3 | 123,552 | 0.047539 | 0.142617 |
| Tens or better | 1 | 422,400 | 0.162527 | 0.162527 |
| Loser | 0 | 1,978,380 | 0.761220 | 0.000000 |
| Total | 2,598,960 | 1.000000 | 0.762730 |
3-Card Bonus Bet
Some casinos offer a side bet based on the value of the player's three cards, similar to the Pair plus bet in Three Card Poker. The main difference is in Let It Ride the bet has a separate win for a 'Mini Royal', defined as a suited ace, king, and queen. The following table table shows the most common pay table for this bet.
3-Card Bonus
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Royal | 50 | 4 | 0.000181 | 0.00905 |
| Straight flush | 40 | 44 | 0.001991 | 0.079638 |
| Three of a kind | 30 | 52 | 0.002353 | 0.070588 |
| Straight | 6 | 720 | 0.032579 | 0.195475 |
| Flush | 3 | 1096 | 0.049593 | 0.148778 |
| Pair | 1 | 3744 | 0.169412 | 0.169412 |
| Nothing | -1 | 16440 | 0.743891 | -0.743891 |
| House Edge | 22100 | 1 | -0.070950 |
The next pay table shows other possible variants of the Three Card Bonus bet.
3-Card Bonus
Let It Ride Strategy
| Hand | Table 1 | Table 2 | Table 3 | Table 4 | Table 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Royal | 50 | 50 | 200 | 100 | 50 |
| Straight flush | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 40 |
| Three of a kind | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Straight | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Flush | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nothing | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| House edge | 7.10% | 5.39% | 4.38% | 4.20% | 2.14% |
The only casino I am aware of that offers pay table 5 is the Borgata in Atlantic City (source).
6-Card Bonus
Some casinos add on a side bet known as the 6-Card Bonus. This side bet is found on multiple poker-derivative games, so I created a special page for it. For more information, please see my page on the 6-Card Bonus.
Millionaire Progressive
This is a $5 'red light' progressive side bet that pays $1,000,000 for a royal flush in spades, using the player's five-card hand. For all the rules and analysis, please see my page on the Millionaire Progressive.
Seeing Extra Cards
Although players are not supposed to share information, you can often accidentally see other player cards, or this rule is ignored and players voluntarily show each other their cards. Seeing other cards can make the difference in borderline plays, namely the zero house edge straights listed under the 4-card strategy above. In his book Mastering the Game of Let It Ride, author Stanley Ko offers a strategy for these situations. He doesn't state how much it lowers the house edge, but James Grosjean does in his book Beyond Counting (Exhibit CAA). According to Grosjean, if you can see every player card in a 7-player game, and made perfect use of the information, it would lower the house advantage from 3.51% to 2.34% only.
Inside Links
- Appendix 1: Details on how the strategy and expected return were determined.
- Appendix 2: Details on the Isle of Capri (Black Hawk, Colorado) rules.
- Appendix 3: Analysis of 16 different Let it Ride pay tables.
Outside Links
German translation of this page.
Written by:Michael Shackleford
Let It Ride is a poker-based game where the value of the hand is the important thing – you don’t need to beat other players or the house in this game.
How to Play Let It Ride Poker
It is based mostly on a five-card stud which includes three player cards and two community cards (these are cards used by all players). The most important aspect of Let It Ride is that you are given two opportunities to remove exactly one-third of your bet.
You have one chance to do this after you look at your three cards. but before the first community card is revealed, and you receive another opportunity after the first community card is revealed, but before the second is revealed. You can reduce your bet at either of these times, on both, or neither. If you decide not to withdraw any of your bet, you effectively “let it ride.”
In order to understand this game, you need to know the different poker hands, which one’s are the best and what they contain. Details of the hands you can make can be found at our Poker Hands section.
We have also listed them below in the order of the best to worst with the average payout next to them. Please note that the hand winnings vary from casino to casino and aren’t therefore set in stone. Although some casinos may pay higher than the odds listed, some may also pay less so it is worth checking before you start to play to ensure you get the best possible returns.
As in all poker, your hand is made up of 5 cards. Unlike Texas Hold’em and other forms of poker, you only get 5 cards to choose from. In Let It Ride, not the 7 you are able to use in some types (For example, in Texas Hold ’em, you can use 5 cards from your own 2 hole cards and the 5 community cards).
Let it Ride Rules
Let it Ride Rules are fairly easy to remember.
- You pay 3 bets of equal size to start the hand.
- The Dealer deals each player in the hand 3 cards face down, so only the Player can see their cards.
- You then have the choice of retrieving your first bet, leaving just two-thirds of your initial bet or Let It Ride – leave the bet down and stay in the hand with the full amount as opposed to a reduced amount.
- The Dealer adds another card to the table, a Community card that can be used by all Players. Remember though, you are not betting against the others, just trying to make the best possible hand for yourself.
- You now have the choice of retrieving your second bet or Let It Ride again and stay in with that bet still in play.
- The Dealer now deals the second Community card which gives you the 5 cards that make up your final hand. You then receive payouts according to the table below:
Let It Ride Payouts & Odds
(Remember, the Let It Ride Payouts listed below can vary from casino to casino, so ensure you check a few different casinos first if this is the game you wish to play):
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1,000 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 200 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 11 to 1 |
| Flush | 8 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two pair | 2 to 1 |
| Pair of Tens or better | 1 to 1 |
| Anything else | Lose |
For more information on Poker Hands see our Poker Hand rankings guide
Let it Ride Poker Strategy
the best Let It Ride Strategy is the following: After your first 3 cards have been dealt, you should only Let It Ride (stay in the hand) if you have:
- Any paying hand, so a Pair of 10’s or better
- Any 3 cards that make up a Royal Flush
- Three suited cards in a row except for 2-3-4 or A-2-3
- Three cards that can make up a Straight Flush where the cards are only spread over 4 numbers* and at least 1 high card of 10 or higher
- Three cards that can make up a Straight Flush where the cards are spread over 5 numbers** and at least 2 are high cards of 10 or higher
After the first 4 cards have been dealt, you should only Let It Ride (stay in the hand) if you have:
- Any paying hand, so a Pair of 10’s or better, 3 of a kind or 2 pairs
- Any 4 cards of the same suit
- Any 4 cards to an Outside Straight*** with at least 1 high card of 10 or higher
- Any 4 cards to an Inside Straight****
* Spread over 4 numbers means the cards in question spread out over no more than 4 numbers, so 6, 7 and 9 for example.
** Spread over 5 numbers means the cards in question spread out over no more than 5 numbers, so 6, 7 and 10 for example.
*** Outside Straight is one where the number needed is on the outside of the hand (so you have 4, 5, 6 and 7 for example – you need either a 3 or an 8 to complete a straight in this instance).
**** Inside Straight is one where the number needed is on the inside of the hand (so you have 4, 5, 7 and 8 for example, this is not as good as an Outside Straight as the only number which will complete the hand in this instance is a 6)
Side Games
Some casinos will offer side games for Let It Ride based on the hand value after your own 3 cards have been dealt or after all 5 are known.
We strongly suggest you avoid these kinds of games as they are heavily favoured towards the casino and do not offer value for money.
They can add an extra fun element to the game, however, so if your primary goal is to relax and get maximum enjoyment out of playing, feel free to play any side games available. Just remember that the odds are more heavily stacked in favour of the casino as opposed to you.
Related Poker Articles:
Pai Gow Strategy
Chinese Poker Tips
How To Play Crazy Pineapple
Play Poker Online for Real