All To The Good

I begin the “Best Basic Strategies For Casino Games” series with Let It Ride, one of my favorite games in the casino (besides poker). The casino may have a bit more of an advantage in this game than craps or blackjack, but I have more fun playing Let It Ride. Cause’ even though you may only win one out of four hands (on average)… when you win, you usually win more than you bet. I’ll explain.

How To Play

    The Object: In Let It Ride, you aren’t playing against the dealer or the other players. You are simply trying to make the best poker hand using the three cards dealt to you and the two cards the dealer turns up.

    How It Works: You begin by placing equal-sized bets on each of the three circles on the table (see picture below). Don’t worry, you aren’t committed to betting all of them. After you are dealt three cards, you have the option of taking back your first bet (indicated by a sweeping back motion of the cards toward you). The dealer then turns over a card, and you have the option of taking back your second bet. You must then place your cards face down near the last bet, and the dealer proceeds to turn over the last card. Out of the five total cards (your three plus the two in front of the dealer), you must have at least a pair of 10s or better in order to win.

    Summary: You must place three initial bets, but you are actually only risking one of them (since you can take back the other two during the course of play). You have the option to let either of the other two bets “ride”, and you will want to sometimes, as I’ll explain in the strategy. The payout schedule is as follows: a single pair (of 10s or higher… Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces) pays 1-to-1, two pair pays 2 times your bet, Three of a kind 3x, and up from there. The rest of the payout schedule may vary based on casino, but the most standard one pays: a straight 5x, a flush 8x, a full house 11x, four of a kind 50x, a straight flush 200x, and a royal flush 1000 times your bet.

Strategy

    Basic: The basic strategy can be used on any table, regardless of the number of players at the table. It doesn’t matter whether there is a full table, or its just you and the dealer… your odds are the same (this, as we will see later, is not quite true if you are using the advanced strategy). But first, the basics. After you look at your first three cards, pull back your first bet, provided you don’t have a pair of tens or better, or three cards to a Royal Flush (meaning three cards above a 10, all of the same suit). If you have a pair of 10s or better initially, you can place your cards face down alongside your bets and sit tight waiting to collect on your winnings. Its such a nice feeling

After you see the fourth card, it gets a little trickier, but still isn’t too hard to remember. If you make a qualifying hand (two pair or three of a kind) on the fourth card, obviously “let it ride”. If not, pull back the second bet… unless… you have four cards to a flush (all four cards are the same suit) *or* an open-ended straight draw (meaning you have four cards in a row, one of which is NOT an ace).

That’s it. There’s no more decisions. Lay your cards face down and accept your victory or defeat.

    Reasons: All these decisions are based on probability. The first decision is too mathematical to get into, but the second decision (riding on a straight or a flush) is fairly simple to explain. The odds of catching a flush are about 1 in 5. A flush pays 8 to 1 by the casino, so your payoff is far bigger then your risk… meaning LET IT RIDE! An open-ended straight is similar. Your odds of making the straight are slightly less, but on the whole (including getting high pairs), it pays about even money. Your call here… if you don’t feel lucky, pull back any straight draw.

    Advanced: There are several other things that can increase your chance at winning, but they take a bit more concentration. These include:

• Looking at other players cards, and adjusting statistical decisions accordingly (especially play on the fourth card). For example, if you drawing to a flush and you notice that the other people at the table also have a few of the suit you are trying to get, it may be wiser to pull the second bet back.
• Table selection (finding a table where all the high cards are grouped together, and raising your bets when this occurs)
• Decisions on four cards to a straight flush

Details

    Odds: There are a few pages dedicated to showing odds for this game. For more details, check out: the wizard of odds

    Rules:

• You have to place your cards face down in front of you after your decision on the last bet
• Don’t take the cards off the table, and hold them with one hand
• Don’t be obvious about looking at other players cards

    Nuances:

• Play with your hand open / face-up (don’t hide your cards from anyone)
• The dealer will usually help guide you along
• If the casino asks you to not look at other players cards, leave the table. Tell them that the casino already has a large advantage on you, one that you couldn’t be made up by seeing other players cards. For this reason, they usually wont make a big deal about it, but technically it is against the “rules”.
• The $1 bonus bet is a side bet that should be avoided at all costs. the house has a minimum 15% advantage in the best paying casino. It is among the worst bets in the entire place.
• Same goes for the 3-card-poker side bet. The casino enjoys a 7% advantage on you there.

Comments

Playing the strategy above will give the casino about a 3.5% advantage. Playing the advanced strategy might reduce that by a percentage point. While it may not be your best odds in the casino, it is a fun game to play and gives an opportunity to hit a real jackpot that you can tell your grandkids about someday. Overall, its fun, simple, decent odds, and sometimes very exciting.