editor, Author at LearnPlayWin

The Comparison of Odds between Online Pokies and Lottery Draws

August 7, 2017 By editor

Jackpot Pokies vs. Lottery Games Odds

Players who enjoy the action of playing progressive pokies games are naturally drawn to the excitement of lotteries too, since they both provide the player with the opportunity to award a life-changing win. This article examines which of the two offers you the best prospects, statistically, of a really large return, and we examine the pros and cons of each of the games as well.

The Odds of Winning the Lottery

The odds of winning the lottery, as it turns out, are not so good. When playing a lottery in which you are required to select 6 numbers from a pool of 49, your chances of winning the top prize by selecting the correct 6 numbers are estimated at just 1 in 13,983,816. That equals about 1 shot in about 14 million! These odds mean that if you were to buy 1 lotto ticket every week, you’d win once every 269,000 years.

Multi-state lotto’s or online lotteries that attract even larger numbers of players have even worse odds, and the popular Mega Millions multi-state lottery is a great example of this, offering odds of an estimated 1 in about 176 million. The odds may not be great, but someone has to win, and there’s always that chance it could be you.

Pokies Odds are Slightly More Complicated

The most vital odds when it comes to pokies are the machine’s hit-frequency and payback or RTP (return to player) percentage. Thanks to how complicated games are these days, it is no longer possible to ascertain the exact odds of winning, but the percentage of payback and hit frequency is easy info to find, and can help you decide which games to play. In days gone by you could work out your odds by dividing the number of symbols by 1, so if a slot had 3 reels and 10 symbols per reel; the odds of each symbol appearing would be 9:1. The odds of hitting 3 symbols to trigger a jackpot win would therefor be 1/1000, or 999:1. With modern slots with 5 reels, numerous paylines and Ways to Win formats this calculation doesn’t work out quite how it used to.

One manner in which you can gauge pokies’ hit frequency and thus get a handle on the odds is playing the game 100 times and tracking the results. Make a mark for every time during these 100 spins any win, big or small, is made. Avoid those that pay out less than 10% of the time.

If a pokie game’s RTP is 95%, this means that over an infinite amount of time the game will pay back 95 cents for each dollar put into it. This doesn’t mean however you’ll win 95% of the time, or that for every $100 bet you’ll claim back $95, and this is a common misconception!

In Support of the Lottery

You can play quite a few weeks in advance by using the same lottery numbers for consecutive weeks. Some lotteries will even let you play constantly, by means of a Direct Debit or similar.
The games are very easy to play and simple to understand. You don’t need any particular grasp of technology either, simply marking of the numbers virtually or with a pen if you are playing games through a real shop rather than one based online.
All winnings are automatically paid out to the winner, as soon as he or she produces the winning ticket –just remember to keep yours in a safe place!
Smaller wins can be collected at your lottery outlet, or paid into your account directly.

The Pros of Pokies Play

There is a far bigger choice of progressive pokies games to play, and these are all easy to access and very simple to play. When you play online pokies in NZ you can choose from dozens upon dozens of these accumulative jackpot games.
One spin on the reels of an online pokies game will cost you far less than the purchase of a single lottery ticket. Proof of this is the pokies player from Britain won a whopping £5.3 million on a single £0.3 bet during a game of Mega Moolah.
Pokies games can be played 24/7.
You can raise or lower the amount wagered and are not forced to play pokies games for a fixed price.
Progressive pokies games offer you a much bigger range of smaller prizes, which include both feature games and the base game itself.

Comparing the Biggest Wins for Each

The biggest win from an individual ticket on the Powerball lottery went to an American in May of 2013, when Gloria MacKenzie won $590.5 million. Europe’s largest win went home with £161.7 million in July of 2011. In comparison, John Heywood claimed the biggest-ever progressive jackpot win on October the 6th, 2015. Heywood scooped a €17,879,645 ($20,062,600/£13,209,300) prize payout.

Pick Your Games Wisely and You’ll Do Well

At the end of the day, it will depend on which lottery or progressive pokies game you play when it comes down to analysing your chances of winning. However, pokies do tend to provide players with better odds, especially when you consider how often they payout versus how many people win the lottery. The actual game play is far more enjoyable too, which is perhaps why they remain the most popular casino games online.

Online Lottery Games

July 28, 2017 By editor

Now by its very definition, a lottery is not a game of skill. The name ‘lottery’ comes from the drawing of lots, a way to make a decision at random by picking out pieces of straw or rolling dice. In other words, when you play the lottery online you are trying to match a series of random numbers, and your biggest accomplice in that regard will be good old-fashioned luck.

In other words, this article is not going to attempt to tell you how to win the lotto, or make any similarly rash promises. However, we will let you know how to play the lottery online and also – and very importantly – how to maximise your chances of success when you do play.

When it comes to online lotteries, there are two ways to go. The first of those is to enter an online lottery which people in your country are eligible to take part in. If this is not possible, or if you prefer to take a shot at winning jackpots advertised in international lotteries then a new option has become available. This effectively allows you to place bets on the outcome of a lottery, and allows you to win the same amount as you would if you were to buy a ticket for that lottery in its country. This second option has become increasingly popular in recent years as it allows players to choose lotteries from all over the world.

That leads on nicely to our first, and most important, piece of advice. All lotteries are not the same, and you will find much better odds of winning some than others. So while the US Powerball lottery certainly boasts an impressive jackpot, choosing a smaller lottery like the Irish Lotto will give you a far better statistical chance of winning. Also, it is important to take into account the percentage of the prize fund which is paid out in prizes. Even if you don’t scoop the jackpot you will stand a better chance of a smaller value win with a lottery which pays out a lot of smaller prizes. The El Gordo in Spain is a good example, as it adopts a very democratic approach when it comes to the large amount of money returned to players.

When it comes to the rules of the lottery, then it really couldn’t be much simpler. You pick a selection of numbers – often six – from the range on offer. Some lotteries require that you pick extra balls from a different set of numbers as well. There are no ‘magic numbers’ which will help you to win, no matter what you may read elsewhere. Picking numbers which haven’t appeared recently, or which appear a lot won’t help you, as each draw is completely random and separate from the last one. However, it is generally a good idea to avoid basing your numbers on things like birthdays, for the simple reason that the numbers on offer will go higher than 31. Also, if you pick a simple sequence and it does come up in the draw, be prepared to share your prize with the hundreds of other people who had the same idea.

If you ever take the time to notice who has won a recent lottery jackpot, more often than not a syndicate will have come up with the winning numbers. Joining a syndicate means that you can choose a greater selection of numbers for the same cost, which is probably worth a reduced share of the jackpot if your numbers come up. Most online lottery sites will allow you to choose a syndicate option where you can take advantage of those improved odds.

If you were looking for a magical way to predict winning lottery numbers then you will need to look elsewhere. A crystal ball, perhaps? However, we hope that our lottery playing advice will help you to maximise your chances of getting that elusive win. Good luck!

Blackjack Strategy: An Insight for Beginners

July 28, 2017 By editor

Blackjack has its roots dating back to the 1600s. Not only has the game been around for a long time, but, like many other games with proud histories, people have also had a long, long time to figure out the most successful blackjack strategies for a successful gaming session. Modern versions of blackjack differ somewhat from the original version that used that Spanish baraja deck, but the core simple ideas that made it so popular then have persisted to the present day.

blackjack table with dealer — “blackjack” by Erik (HASH) Hersman (CC BY 2.0)

To that effect, blackjack may be simple, but as with other card games like rummy and solitaire, the strategies for winning aren’t always quite so simple. This is because rather than relying on cards that give you blackjack, players need to learn a strategy that will help to turn the odds in your favour. After all, the odds on you getting blackjack when using one deck of cards are about 1 in 20.7 (thanks to some fairly complicated mathematics for helping us work that out!).

Developing a clear strategy and knowing your own playing style will increase your chances of winning, and will also show the dealer that they are up against someone who means business, whether in reality you are a high roller, just a casual player, or somewhere in between. We’ve outlined a few tips below to help you develop this strategy and, over time, hopefully that convincing winning persona as well.

Knowing When to Surrender

Fighting a losing battle or chasing a hand that just isn’t working for you might sound like it has an element of excitement to it, but this approach can turn out to be time-consuming and downright pointless. If you end up in a position where you have been dealt your first two cards and the dealer isn’t sitting on blackjack, you can offer to surrender. This does mean that you will be walking away from this hand with your tail between your legs, but what you get back in exchange for accepting defeat is only forfeiting half of your bet.

Knowing when to surrender is all about working out your chance of winning. The chances of you beating the dealer on any given hand (before the cards are dealt) is about 42%. If you end up with a starting hand of 16, arguably the worst in blackjack, this knowledge gives you an escape route before you end up committing to a game. This means that you can save your cash for far more winnable hands.

ace of spades card — “‘Ace of Spades'” by Geoff Parsons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Of course, should you end up being dealt two 8s when playing blackjack, you might want to consider splitting, but in other scenarios, showing that you are aware the odds have suddenly become very much stacked against you proves you are a player who knows what they’re doing.

Avoiding the Banana Skin by Knowing When to Split

One of the reasons why almost every casino offers the chance to play blackjack and also why it has such a mystique in the media is because of the fact that, despite the simple premise of this popular game, the range of variations and the chance to alter the game to increase the chances of winning make it hard to resist. In some casinos, these chances come in the form of insurance, where you can make a side bet in case the dealer happens to have blackjack, but more commonly it comes in the form of knowing when to split your cards when you’re dealt a potential banana. Knowing when to take insurance is one of the topics tackled in blackjack pro Edward O Thorp’s books, including Beat the Dealer.

In our previous example, we looked at the fact that players don’t want to be stuck when it comes to being dealt a hand with a value of 16. However, if you are dealt this, then you can at least take the option of splitting your cards, handing yourself a greater chance of success if you don’t want to surrender. Splitting is an option frequently – but not always – offered by casinos, in which you turn your hand into two separate hands to play against the dealer with. Each of these hands is played independently of each other. As we understand more about blackjack, some variants of the game allow for splitting equal hands more than once. The key is to be aware that splitting is certainly one way to play if you are keen to try out a few different strategies as the split hands are played independently of each other.

Practice Makes Perfect

Perhaps the most important tip to bear in mind when it comes to enjoying a game of blackjack is simply play, play, and play again. Take time to work out how best to use different strategies, balancing your desire to take on the dealer with the competing consideration of making sure you don’t double down on hands that will see you end up being beaten by the dealer. Practice really does make perfect, and it certainly helps that you’re bound to have a lot of fun along the way whilst you sharpen your strategic thinking

Understanding the Different Variants Of Blackjack

July 25, 2017 By editor

Source: Cynthia Carol Repsher via Facebook

While most people are familiar with standard blackjack (remember James Bond: License To Kill?), there are in fact other versions of the famous card game. If you do your gambling online, you’ll surely have seen some of the other variants of blackjack, but how do they work?

If you’re game to stick around for a hand or two, we’ll go over each blackjack variant and how they are fundamentally different from the original style. However, we’ll be sure to cover the basics first.

Blackjack Classic

Blackjack classic is played with one deck and pits you and other players against the dealer who will delegate two cards to each player and themselves. This will occur every round as a new deck comes into the mix each time a round ends. Now, surely some consider online casino a game of chance, but you still need strategy to increase your chances of winning – something you’ll be able to do once you fully understand the rules of the game and how each hand plays out.

One card will be face down and the other face up. One by one, the dealer will flip over the players’ cards. When the two cards in each pair are added together, the dealer will ask each player individually if they want to “hit” or “stay.” The goal is to get as close to 21 without going over (going above 21 makes you automatically lose the game), in order to beat the dealer.

Number cards are the number they show, Jack through King count as 10 and an Ace can either be one or 10 depending on how it best suits the hand. You are also allowed to double down once in the game, which means that you can wager twice the amount of the original bet but can only do so if your cards total up to 9, 10 or 11.

Lastly, if the card that is flipped over matches the card that was face up, you can then choose to separate those two cards and the dealer will pair them up with two more face-down cards. This means you will continue the game with two hands.

Of the many casino games out there, blackjack is fairly simple in comparison, but even a game as accessible as blackjack will create different play styles to remain competitive, because it’s based on wits and strategy and also because it’s so popular. For more advanced guides on standard blackjack, analyst website analyticsvidhya.com has published an article talking about how to develop “flawless” strategies based on data science. That’s pretty complex stuff for a game that only demands people be able to count to 21!

Source: Soboba Casino via Facebook

Blackjack Multi Hand

Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s move on to something slightly more complex – but only slightly. Blackjack multihand, as the name implies, has the player playing the game with the same rules except they now are dealt two hands at the beginning of the game. This variant is typically employed by players of a higher skill level as it allows them the opportunity to win more money in one round.

However, it’s in the player’s best interest to play classic blackjack as the house has less of an edge when the player only has one pair of cards. But sometimes you’re playing too well to pass up the opportunity to play two hands, so a smart player will know when to make that call.

European Blackjack Gold

Unlike classic blackjack, European blackjack gold is played with two decks. This variant also has a different rule when it comes to splitting aces. In classic blackjack, you are only allowed one extra card when you split your aces, but in European blackjack gold, you’re allowed multiple cards on your split Aces.

In this variant, the house has an even bigger advantage, so while you might be given more chances on a split ace, having two decks puts play in the favor of the dealer. Do keep in mind that if a split Ace pairs with a 10, you have a 21 rather than a blackjack. This means the dealer will win if he gets 21.

Source: Poker Silje via Facebook

European Blackjack

If we take what we know about the gold version and tweak just a few things, European blackjack is easy to understand. Firstly, this variant is played with six decks, which makes for more possibilities than European blackjack gold. Next, this goes back to the original rule that split aces are only given one card. And that’s it! Those aren’t major changes, but ones that make all the difference in the world to a seasoned player.

Single Deck Blackjack Pro

Again, this variation of blackjack is similar to the standard game, the only difference is that you are only allowed to double down when your two cards equal a 10 or 11. Much like classic blackjack, the house has a relatively small edge over the player due to the fact that only one deck is being used – which makes smart play easier to accomplish.

Blackjack

Lastly, we have blackjack. We see again that the variant in this blackjack style comes from the rules regarding doubling down. In blackjack, you are only able to double down when your two cards are equal to 10 or 11.

Overall, most of the differences in these games are miniscule but have huge effects on the amount of money you can win, the way you’ll make your bets and even the number of cards that are played in each game. It’s up to you to determine which game meshes with your playstyle the most and how you can best take advantage of the rules dictating each form of blackjack. For more advice on how to develop your own personal strategy and a more detailed breakdown of the odds, you can check out mathematics professor and author Edward O. Thorp’ s guide “Beat the Dealer.” Have fun developing your style and, most importantly, good luck!

Eyes Down for a Bingo Overview

July 24, 2017 By editor

“bingo” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by terrebonnegerald

Bingo was once regarded as a pastime for the elderly, with meetings held in town halls and community centers as a way to play a game and socialize at the same time. Until recently, the industry as a whole was seen to be in a state of decline, with bingo halls shutting down all across the UK as audiences fell away. Back in 2005, there had been around 600 bingo halls across the UK, but by 2014, that number had slumped to just 400. Pessimists were predicting the end of the industry, but they hadn’t taken the internet into account. By March 2016, according to figures from the UK Gambling Commission, this number had crept back up to 583, and online bingo has played a huge part in this revival.

When bingo followed slot machines and casino games to make the jump online, the game picked up a whole new generation of enthusiasts, the majority of whom (some 62%) are under 45. But what exactly are they playing? There are a number of variations on the game of bingo, and we’ve provided a helpful guide to the most popular variants below.

90 Ball Bingo

Based on the same grid composition as “Le Lotto”, a French lottery game that dates from 1778, 90 Ball Bingo is the standard game played in the United Kingdom, and is just as popular across continental Europe. This ruleset is used in the majority of bingo games available online, including such perennial favorites as Candy Room and Cash Cave, which feature prominently on the Sun Bingo iGaming hub.

Each bingo card plays a total of 3 horizontal lines in 9 separate columns, with 15 numbers on every card and 5 numbers per line. The first column lists numbers sequentially from 1 to 9, the second column consists of numbers 10 to 19, and so on, culminating in a final column detailing the numbers from 80 to 90. Gameplay falls into 3 sections; first off, a player tries for a full line, then the second round is a push for 2 lines, and in the third and final round the player attempts to complete the full card. Prizes are proportionate to the number of lines completed, with the largest prize reserved for the call of “Full House” – or every number on the card.

75 Ball Bingo

“Bingo!” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by LaBellaVida

75 Ball Bingo is the standard variant played in Canada and the United States. Here the bingo card is fundamentally different to its European cousin, consisting of a grid of 5 horizontal rows and 5 columns, with each column marked with a letter so all columns taken together make up the word BINGO. The first column, or column “B”, lists numbers from 1 to 15. By column “O”, the last column, the numbers listed run from 61 to 75. The middle of the card is customarily left as a blank and unfilled space. Working to a pattern is the focus of this particular variant. The pattern itself changes depending on the game, anything from simple shapes to complicated motifs, and the first player to clear their lines in accordance with the specified pattern is the winner. Glamour Room is one such 75 Ball game often played online.

30 Ball Bingo

Also known as “Bingo Quickly”, the bingo card for this game is on a 3×3 grid; 3 columns and 3 rows. The object of the exercise is to complete 9 numbers from the card, which takes much less time to throw up a winner than other bingo games. This is bingo on the hop, easy to grasp and quick to play through to resolution, the kind of bingo that finds its way onto scratchcards but is rarely simulated online due to its short gameplay.

80 Ball Bingo

A curious hybrid between two other game forms, mixing elements from 90 Ball Bingo and 75 Ball Bingo to arrive at a bingo style involving 80 balls, played on a grid of 4 horizontal rows and 4 columns, each of which is keyed to a different color. Hearts is a classic online example of this game form in action. Players compete to complete a specified pattern, as with 75 Ball Bingo, and common pattern forms to be found are hearts, 4 cornered shapes, a central cruciform X, 4 central squares or indeed any pattern mixing up these alternatives in any way. As one might expect, playing time is pitched somewhere between 75 and 90 Ball Bingo making for a medium-length game.

Bingoing Forward…

“RAVE” (CC BY 2.0) by truepanther

The future of bingo, both on and offline, looks considerably rosier than it did a decade past. UK bingo duty was cut in 2014 from 20% to 10% in order to stimulate new investment in the industry, and it looks like this move is already paying off. Live bingo is learning from its internet cousin, and seeking to innovate to attract new members. The rise of “alternative bingo” could breathe new life into the game, redefining the live experience in a way that makes it appealing to the hipster generation. “Bongo’s Bingo” events held in Manchester and Liverpool offer an exuberant participatory experience, blending elements of traditional bingo with vibes and music from the dance scene – even down to DJs calling out the numbers. Perhaps this is the update that bingo has been waiting for.