Playtech Software
Playtech offers downloadable casino software. The graphics are very good and the interface is easy to understand.
Both multi-player and single player are supported. Separate accounts are available for both real and play money.
The multi-play feature is available in fun money mode. Following are the games available with specific rules and
comments.
Baccarat
The standard rules are followed. I do not know the number of decks.
Blackjack
The blackjack rules are as follows:
- 6 decks
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Player may double on any first two cards
- Player may double after splitting
- Player may only split once
- Player only loses original bet if dealer has blackjack with ten showing. If dealer has ace showing and gets
blackjack then the player will lose the total amount bet, including additional money bet by doubling or
spliting.
- No surrender
- Otherwise standard rules
The house edge under these rules is 0.47%. Following is the correct basic strategy under these rules.
Caribbean Poker
The standard rules and pay table are used for a house edge of 5.22%. When I checked on May 12, 2002 at Casino
Mapau, the progressive meter for the side bet was at $10,286 for a house edge of 60.75%. For the side bet to have
no house edge the meter would need to reach $218,047.37. For any given meter the house edge on the side bet is
63.76% less 2.92% for each $10,000 in the meter.
Casino War
The correct rules are followed with six decks. The player should always go to war, as opposed to surrender. The
house edge is 2.88%.
Craps
The player may take 3 times odds on the pass and come bets. The multiple allowed on the don't pass and don't come
is also 3 times and relative to the amount bet, not the amount the player can win. The combined house edge is 0.47%
on the pass and come and 0.46% on the don't pass and don't come. Buy and lay bets are allowed and the 5% commission
is charged on the winnings. The house edge on the buy and lay bets are as follows.
| House edge on buy and lay bets |
| Point |
Buy |
Lay |
| 4,10 |
3.33% |
1.67% |
| 5,9 |
3.00% |
2.00% |
| 6,8 |
2.73% |
2.27% |
Keno
The following table shows the expected return and hit frequency according to the number of picks. The highest
return is the pick-8 at 92.75%.
| Keno |
| Pick |
Expected
Return |
Hit
Frequency |
| 2 |
92.09% |
43.99% |
| 3 |
92.96% |
15.26% |
| 4 |
92.03% |
25.89% |
| 5 |
92.58% |
9.67% |
| 6 |
92.67% |
16.16% |
| 7 |
92.44% |
23.66% |
| 8 |
92.75% |
10.23% |
| 9 |
92.00% |
15.31% |
| 10 |
92.55% |
6.47% |
Pai Gow Poker
The dealer is always the banker, resulting in a house edge of 2.85%. There is a house way button but if the player
clicks it the hand will immediately be scored, not giving the player the option to accept or reject the house
way.
Red Dog
The conventional rules are followed. I do not know the number of decks
Roulette
The wheel is single zero for a house edge of 2.70% on all bets.
Sic Bo
Sic Bo payoffs are better than some and worse than others. See my Sic Bo online section for a
comparison to other software brands. Of special note is that the single number bet pays 12-1 on a 3 of a kind,
better than the usual 3-1 payoff. The following table shows the payoff and house edge for all bets.
| Playtech Sic Bo |
| Bet |
Pays |
Prob. Win |
House Edge |
| Small, Big |
1-1 |
48.61% |
2.78% |
| 4, 17 |
60-1 |
1.39% |
15.28% |
| 5, 16 |
30-1 |
2.78% |
13.89% |
| 6, 15 |
17-1 |
4.63% |
16.67% |
| 7, 14 |
12-1 |
6.94% |
9.72% |
| 8, 13 |
8-1 |
9.72% |
12.5% |
| 9, 12 |
6-1 |
11.57% |
18.98% |
| 10, 11 |
6-1 |
12.5% |
12.5% |
| Triple |
180-1 |
0.46% |
16.2% |
| Any triple |
30-1 |
2.78% |
13.89% |
| Double |
10-1 |
7.41% |
18.52% |
| Two die combination |
5-1 |
13.89% |
16.67% |
| Any number |
(1/2/3)-1 |
42.13% |
7.87% |
The lowest house edge bets are on big and small bets at 2.78%.
Slot machines
There is a wide variety of slot machines to choose from.
Video poker
The following table displays the expected return of each game, assuming optimal player strategy.
| Playtech Video Poker - Expected Return |
| Game |
Return |
| Jacks or better |
0.995439 |
| Aces and faces |
0.992554 |
| Tens or better |
0.979598 |
| Joker poker |
0.985987 |
| Deuces wild |
0.989130 |
Following are the expected return tables for Playtech video poker.
| Jacks or Better |
| Hand |
Payoff |
Number |
Probability |
Return |
| Royal flush |
800 |
493512264 |
0.000025 |
0.019807 |
| Straight flush |
50 |
2178883296 |
0.000109 |
0.005465 |
| 4 of a kind |
25 |
47093167764 |
0.002363 |
0.059064 |
| Full house |
9 |
229475482596 |
0.011512 |
0.103610 |
| Flush |
6 |
219554786160 |
0.011015 |
0.066087 |
| Straight |
4 |
223837565784 |
0.011229 |
0.044917 |
| 3 of a kind |
3 |
1484003070324 |
0.074449 |
0.223346 |
| Two pair |
2 |
2576946164148 |
0.129279 |
0.258558 |
| Jacks or better |
1 |
4277372890968 |
0.214585 |
0.214585 |
| Nothing |
0 |
10872274993896 |
0.545435 |
0.000000 |
| Total |
|
19933230517200 |
1.000000 |
0.995439 |
In addition there is a 25 cent progressive "9/6" video poker game called Megajacks. On May 12, 2002, the meter at
Casino Mapau was at $592.71. The meter needs to pass $1000 for the progressive game to be a better bet than the
non-progressive jacks or better game. If the meter passes $1230.30 for the odds to switch to the player's
advantage, assuming optimal 9/6 strategy with no adjustments for the higher pay on the royal flush (which video
poker experts do make).
| Deuces Wild |
| Hand |
Payoff |
Number |
Probability |
Return |
| Natural royal flush |
800 |
459064368 |
0.000023 |
0.018424 |
| 4 deuces |
200 |
3727565940 |
0.000187 |
0.037401 |
| Wild royal flush |
25 |
38119473696 |
0.001912 |
0.047809 |
| 5 of a kind |
15 |
62203767960 |
0.003121 |
0.046809 |
| Straight flush |
9 |
98317296840 |
0.004932 |
0.044391 |
| 4 of a kind |
4 |
1222017689652 |
0.061306 |
0.245222 |
| Full house |
4 |
522042221472 |
0.026190 |
0.104758 |
| Flush |
3 |
407440287408 |
0.020440 |
0.061321 |
| Straight |
2 |
1145680543080 |
0.057476 |
0.114952 |
| 3 of a kind |
1 |
5342962086012 |
0.268043 |
0.268043 |
| Nothing |
0 |
11090260520772 |
0.556370 |
0.000000 |
| Total |
|
19933230517200 |
1.000000 |
0.989130 |
| Tens or Better |
| Hand |
Payoff |
Probability |
Return |
| Royal flush |
800 |
0.000026 |
0.020530 |
| Straight flush |
50 |
0.000104 |
0.005180 |
| Four of a Kind |
20 |
0.002357 |
0.047145 |
| Full house |
6 |
0.011493 |
0.068955 |
| Flush |
5 |
0.010670 |
0.053350 |
| Straight |
4 |
0.012386 |
0.049544 |
| Three of a Kind |
3 |
0.074218 |
0.222653 |
| Two Pair |
2 |
0.128936 |
0.257872 |
| Tens or Better |
1 |
0.254368 |
0.254368 |
| Nothing |
0 |
0.505443 |
0.000000 |
| Total |
|
1.000000 |
0.979598 |
| Aces and Faces |
| Hand |
Payoff |
Probability |
Return |
| Royal Flush |
4000 |
0.000025 |
0.019876 |
| Straight Flush |
250 |
0.000106 |
0.005300 |
| Four aces |
400 |
0.000196 |
0.015668 |
| Four J-K |
200 |
0.000587 |
0.023479 |
| Four 2-10 |
125 |
0.001580 |
0.039507 |
| Full House |
40 |
0.011515 |
0.092120 |
| Flush |
25 |
0.010860 |
0.054301 |
| Straight |
20 |
0.011212 |
0.044847 |
| 3 of a Kind |
15 |
0.074474 |
0.223422 |
| Two Pair |
10 |
0.129318 |
0.258636 |
| Jacks or Better |
5 |
0.215399 |
0.215399 |
| Nothing |
0 |
0.544728 |
0.000000 |
| Total Return |
|
1.000000 |
0.992554 |
| Joker Poker |
| Hand |
Payoff |
Probability |
Return |
| Natural Royal Flush |
1000 |
0.000026 |
0.026063 |
| 5 of a kind |
200 |
0.000093 |
0.018572 |
| Wild Royal Flush |
100 |
0.000107 |
0.010733 |
| Straight Flush |
50 |
0.000594 |
0.029694 |
| 4 of a Kind |
17 |
0.008497 |
0.144445 |
| Full House |
7 |
0.015604 |
0.109228 |
| Flush |
5 |
0.015975 |
0.079873 |
| Straight |
3 |
0.016877 |
0.050630 |
| 3 of a Kind |
2 |
0.133124 |
0.266249 |
| 2 Pair |
1 |
0.110483 |
0.110483 |
| Kings or Better |
1 |
0.140017 |
0.140017 |
| Nothing |
0 |
0.558604 |
0.000000 |
| Total Return |
|
1.000000 |
0.985987 |
| 