Wizard Of Odds Blackjack Game
- Appendices
- Strategies
- Jacks or Better
- Deuces Wild
- Quick Quads
- Ultimate X
- Miscellaneous
Introduction
Most of these tables pay 6 to 5, but some even money and 7 to 5 tables are known to exist. I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Feb 19, 2021 Free Roulette casino game by the Wizard of Odds. A winning Straight-Up bet on Zero is a push when it should pay 35 to 1.
Mystery bonus is a video poker by Realtime Gaming. It is based on conventional video poker. The twist is that the game will add a 'Mystery Bonus' to the win for a randomly chosen hand. Which hand gets the Mystery Bonus is determined at the time of the deal. The following table shows the usual win for each hand (based on the total bet amount), the Mystery Bonus for that hand, and the total win after the Mystery Bonus.
Mystery Bonus Pay Table
| Win | Base Pay | Mystery Bonus | Win with Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 400 | 1,200 |
| Straight flush | 45 | 35 | 80 |
| Four of a kind | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| Full house | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Flush | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Straight | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Two pair | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Analysis
To analyze this game, it was necessary to know the probability of the Mystery Bonus being applied to each hand. It is not hard to see playing that the probabilities are not equal.
A reader wrote a bot to play the game and collect data on which hand received the Mystery Bonus on over 12,000 games. The game played was at iNetBet. Following are the results.
Mystery Bonus Sampling
| Win | Count | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 1572 | 12.42% |
| Straight flush | 2201 | 17.39% |
| Four of a kind | 1993 | 15.74% |
| Full house | 1171 | 9.25% |
| Flush | 2122 | 16.76% |
| Straight | 2046 | 16.16% |
| Three of a Kind | 945 | 7.47% |
| Two pair | 392 | 3.10% |
| Jacks or better | 216 | 1.71% |
| Total | 12658 | 100.00% |
The next return table shows the overall return of the game. It shows the probability of each hand getting the Mystery Bonus, the expected value with the bonus, and the product of those two columns. The lower right cell shows an overall return of 98.88%.
Mystery Bonus Return Table
| Mystery Bonus | Probability Bonus | Average Return | Expected Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 0.124190 | 0.971559 | 0.120658 |
| Straight flush | 0.173882 | 0.964482 | 0.167706 |
| Four of a kind | 0.157450 | 0.972452 | 0.153112 |
| Full house | 0.092511 | 0.983667 | 0.091000 |
| Flush | 0.167641 | 1.000601 | 0.167742 |
| Straight | 0.161637 | 0.973946 | 0.157426 |
| Three of a Kind | 0.074656 | 1.035140 | 0.077280 |
| Two pair | 0.030969 | 1.090072 | 0.033758 |
| Jacks or better | 0.017064 | 1.181382 | 0.020159 |
| Total | 1.000000 | 0.988841 |
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Gary Koehler for sharing with me his data and analysis of the Mystery Bonus.
Written by: Michael Shackleford
Wizard of Odds has gained a reputation as one of the biggest watchdogs on the online gambling platform. The site was established back in 2000, a total of eighteen years ago, by renowned gambler Michael Shackelford, who is a famous gambler and game analyst. The website Wizard of Odds started out as Mike’s Gambling Page and later changed its name along the way. The site has grown to become among the most trusted when it comes to providing honest reviews on casinos, online gaming software developers, games, playing methods such as the Wizard of Odds blackjack strategy.
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games which goes to tell why it makes an appearance in the Wizard of Odds website. The game has been around since the eighteenth century and the test of time has done little to make it any less popular in the gambling scene. Blackjack has managed to remain popular over such a long period because of its strategy application during play. Seasoned gamblers find it especially engaging considering that they can influence the odds to their favor.
Wizard of Odds Blackjack Options
The various Wizard of Odds blackjack strategies provided can be used to play in the various blackjack variations that are listed on the site. Many years of its existence has prompted the release of numerous variations of the original to keep things exciting, most of which have been featured in the Wizard’s website. Some of these variants include:
Standard Blackjack
This is the most engaged option in Wizard of Odds as well as numerous other gaming destinations. It follows the classic rules of the game and uses four decks of cards. The maximum limit of dealt cards in this option is seventeen, and the dealer only gets one face up. Depending on the game developer, players can be allowed to double after a split, and in most cases, it is allowed only once. This variant works as the best application for the provided Wizard of Odds blackjack strategies.
Elimination Blackjack
This option deviates from the basic rule of the game which states that gamblers play against the dealer and not themselves. It is mostly found in brick and mortar casinos, and its popularity has transferred to live dealer casinos. Gameplay entails that once the results of each hand are given, the player with the lowest card value is eliminated until only one man standing is left, and they cash the prize. The game is especially enjoyed by experienced gamblers who want to showcase their skills.
Double exposure
The popularity of this variation matches that of the original. As suggested by the variant’s title, the dealer’s cards are dealt face up. This exposure gives players a higher chance of winning. However, players are stripped of the upper hand in the event of ties since a win cannot be declared. Additionally, doubling is only allowed for gamblers with card values between nine and eleven. The game uses six decks of cards.
Pontoon
Pontoon is also as popular as Double Exposure even though it is among the newest variations of the game. The game follows the basic rules of blackjack but allows a card value of five to beat those that lie between two and four. Like Double Exposure, players are stripped of the chance to win in case of a tie.
Blackjack Switch
Wizard Of Odds Blackjack Chart
Blackjack Switch entered the online market in 2009 and earned a huge fan base in a short time. In the game, gamblers get to enjoy a fusion of video poker and blackjack. The popularity of this table game is owed to the fact that it carries one of the lowest house edges among all variations of blackjack.
Wizard Of Odds Blackjack Game
Playing Tactics
Once the gambler has found a variation in settling on, they can move on to the application of the various Wizard of Odds blackjack strategies provided by the Wizard. Before one can proceed, they should understand the meaning of a soft and a hard hand since most strategies revolve around the two. A hard hand is one that does not carry an ace; if it does, then it is counted as a point resulting in a hand bust. A soft hand, however, carries an ace that can either present a card value of one or eleven.
The basic strategies listed on the site include:
- The Wizard advice that one should double if they have a hard ten or eleven and their card value is higher than that of the dealer; this will result in the dealer’s ace being treated as eleven points
- If the game allows a double but the gambler has three or more cards with them, then it is best to hit; this also applies if the game does not allow soft eighteen
- Perform a split on eights and aces
- Always treat a hand as a hard eight, ten, or twenty of the strategy on play does not allow a split; the value to consider is dependent on the pair one has.
The Wizard of Odds blackjack strategies listed above does not assure gamblers of a win or a loss. However, it does improve players’ chances at winning and limiting losses.