Playtech Casino Software Review and WildCasino.ag Review

Disclaimer: Let it be known that I have served as a consultant to Playtech. While this review was originally written before they engaged my services I do update it from time to time. This review attempts to be unbiased and mostly sticks to the game rules, odds, and strategy. While I feel comfortable there is no conflict of interest I think it is appropriate to disclose the relationship.

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 WildCasino.ag Review 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