Play Let It Ride With 3 Card Bonus
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Introduction
Play some of the funnest, most popular casino card games. 1) Let'em Ride (first screen shot) - with 3 card & bonus bet 2) Blackjack with Side Bets - with side bets on first 2 dealt cards 3) Three. A free online version of Let It Ride Poker with 3-card bonus bet. Play Let It Ride online, free. Test out your Let It Ride strategy here. Practice for Vegas. A free online version of Let It Ride Poker with 3-card bonus bet. Play Let It Ride online, free. Test out your Let It Ride strategy here. Practice for Vegas.
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.
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- To begin a game of Let It Ride poker, you must place the minimum bet on all three circles. If the minimum bet is $5, then you must place chips worth $5 on each circle, for a total $15. In a land-based casino, the Shuffle Master machine will then deal out three cards at a time, and the dealer will place these cards in front of each player.
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
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
| 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
Play Let It Ride With 3 Card Bonus Rewards
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 Poker is a fun and popular casino table game in which the player has a lot of control over how much money they risk. Often branded as Let ‘Em Ride Poker, for trademark reasons, players start with a three-card hand and then can use two community cards to complete a standard five-card poker hand. If the player makes a pair of tens or better, they win! With big hands meaning big pay-outs Let it Ride poker offers some of the biggest prizes in casino table gaming.
Practise Let It Ride Poker below(may not work on Apple devices).
Let It Ride Poker
How to Play Let It Ride Poker
Play Let It Ride With 3 Card Bonus Balance
A hand of Let it Ride Poker starts with the player putting three bets out on the table (in some online casinos, you’ll start with one bet with options to raise later – this is only a cosmetic change). The player then receives three cards from the dealer, face down. The player may examine their cards. The player may choose to let it ride, or take back one of their bets. After making this decision the dealer reveals the first community card. The player again has the option of taking back a bet, or leaving all remaining bets on the table. Finally, the last community card is revealed. At this point the player wins each bet on the table if they have made a pair of tens or better. If the player has a lower hand, all bets lose.
Pay Chart
If the player has a winning hand, each bet pays off based on a pay table that can vary from casino to casino. Here is the most common pay table:
| Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1000 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 (Tens or Better) | 1 to 1 |
Let it Ride Poker Tips and Strategy
The most important decision you’ll make when playing Let it Ride Poker is deciding when you want to let it ride and when to pull back a bet. Of course, you’ll want to leave more money on the table when you expect to win – thus maximising your winnings – and limit the damage when you’re likely to lose. You should use the following strategy if you want to get the best results in Let it Ride Poker:
With three cards, let it ride only with the following hands:
- Any hand that is already strong enough to win.
- Any three cards to a royal flush.
- Any three suited cards in a row of 3-4-5 or higher.
- Three to a straight flush with one gap, with at least one card of ten or higher.
- Three to a straight flush with two gaps, with at least two cards of ten or higher.
With four cards, let it ride with these hands:
Free Let It Ride With 3 Card Bonus
- Any hand that is already strong enough to win.
- Any four cards to flush (including a straight flush or royal flush).
- Any four cards to an open-ended straight draw.
- In all other situations, it is better to pull a bet back.
Play Let It Ride With 3 Card Bonus Offers
Let it Ride Poker sometimes comes with a three-card bonus bet that is essentially the same as the PairPlus bet in 3 Card Poker. However, it also includes a pay-out for a Mini Royal or AKQ of the same suit. This side bet usually carries a much higher house edge than Let it Ride Poker itself. Other casinos offer a $1 side bet that pays out additional bonuses for strong hands, up to $20,000 for a Royal Flush. This bet is a sucker bet with a house edge that’s usually well over 20 per cent.