Let it Ride, Isle of Capri Rules

Last update: Feb. 19, 2007

At one time the Isle of Capri casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, had an unusual rule in Let it Ride, in which if the player made the $1 side bet, his required initial wager was $1 less than the two optional wagers. I have an unconfirmed report the side bet is no longer available, and thus equal bets are required. However I present the math of the old rules below, should they ever turn up again somewhere.

The strategy is coincidentally exactly the same as conventional Let it Ride. The house edge under these rules is slightly less at 3.43% and the element of risk is 2.78%, assuming the side bet is not made.

In October, 2001, a reader told me that the Isle of Capri recently added a $1 side bet as follows.

The house edge on this paytable is 27.70%.

To avoid breaking the rule of a maximum $5 base wager they allow the player to make three initial bets of $4, $5, and $5 if the player also makes the $1 side wager. The player may pull the two $5 bets but the $4 bet always stays in. This works strongly to the player's advantage. The player may leave in the higher $5 bets with good cards and is only stuck with a $4 bet with bad cards. The expected player gain per hand is 19.99 cents. However the player can expect to lose 27.70 cents on the side bet. Overall the player can expect to lose 7.71 cents per hand if he makes the side bet and 17.13 cents if he doesn't. The combined house edge on bets of $4,$5, and $5 with the side bet is only 1.54%!

This is a rare exception in which it is to the player's benefit to make a side bet.