Casino Game Math
Live dealer or software table? The difference is pace, and pace is price
The same blackjack rules cost very different amounts depending on which version you open, and the reason has nothing to do with the cards.
Guides
How to play each game well, which tables and paytables are worth looking for, and what the numbers behind them actually mean.
Casino Game Math
Bonus buys: what paying for the feature round actually costs
Buying straight into the free spins round skips the wait and usually changes the RTP. Sometimes upward, sometimes down. Here is how to read the number before you press it.
Casino Game Math
Splitting pairs in blackjack: the four rules that cover almost everything
Splitting is where basic strategy departs most sharply from instinct. Four rules handle nearly every pair you will be dealt, and two of them are absolute.
Casino Game Math
Why the Martingale system fails, explained with actual numbers
Doubling after every loss seems like it has to work eventually. Here is the exact arithmetic of why it does not, and what it is actually doing to your session.
Casino Game Math
La partage: the roulette rule that halves the house edge
French roulette is European roulette with one extra rule, and that rule makes the even-money bets twice as cheap. It is the same wheel, the same numbers and half the cost.
Casino Game Math
Craps: the two bets worth making and the ones that are quietly expensive
A craps table has around forty bets on it. Two of them are among the best in the casino, one is the only bet anywhere with no house edge at all, and most of the rest are terrible.
Casino Game Math
How to spot a 9/6 Jacks or Better machine (and why it matters)
Two numbers on the video poker paytable decide whether you are playing a 99.5% game or a 95% one. They are printed on the screen and they take three seconds to read.
Casino Game Math
The baccarat tie bet: why the 8:1 payout is a trap
Baccarat has one of the cheapest bets in the casino and one of the most expensive, sitting on the same layout. The difference between them is about fourteen percentage points.
Casino Game Math
The same slot can pay differently at two casinos. Here is how to check.
Many popular slots ship with several RTP settings, and the operator picks one. It is displayed in the game, most people never look, and the gap is worth real money.
Casino Game Math
High volatility or low: which slots actually suit how you play?
Two slots can have identical RTP and feel like completely different games. Volatility is the reason, and picking the right one changes your session more than chasing RTP does.
Casino Game Math
6:5 blackjack: what one line on the felt costs you
The same game, the same rules, the same strategy — and roughly four times the house edge. Here is how to spot it and what it does to a bankroll.
Casino Game Math
Should you ever take insurance in blackjack?
The dealer shows an ace and offers you insurance. Here is what you are actually being asked, and the one situation where the answer changes.