Reason #2 why the Wizard likes Bovada:

No-hassle practice games

Most online casinos spend more effort trying to separate you from your money than they do trying to give you a good experience. They have all kinds of popup windows, they usually make you download their software, and if they do offer play-in-browser games then you have to register an account before you can play. And if you register they start sending you emails trying to get you to deposit real money.

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I wish all online casinos showed this much respect for their players. Other casinos practically ask for your first born child to play for free. Meanwhile Bovada is patient and does not twist anybody’s arm to play for real money. You can play as long as you like for free with no obligation. The real-money games are available if that’s your preference, but if not, you can play the free practice games for as long as you like without hassle.

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Derby Horse Racing Game

Last Update: Jan 19, 2011

Introduction

Derby is an electronic horse racing game. One to 10 players sit around a racetrack as they watch 5 horses compete in race after race. With a bet as little as 25 cents and about 90 seconds between races this can definitely be a decent time killer -- if you can find one. The number of games out there is decreasing fast. It is only a matter of time before the game is completely extinct.

Picture courtesy of L.A. Slot Machine Company

Rules

The only betting option is the quinella, which is betting on the first and second place horses in either order. With 5 horses there are 10 possible combinations of the first 2, without regard to order.

At the close of one race the odds for the next race will be posted, which are on a "for one" basis. In other words the player doesn't get his original bet back. For example, the board may display the odds as follows, taken from a typical race at the Flamingo in Laughlin.

Typical Pay Table in Derby
Quinella	Pays
1,2	5
1,3	39
1,4	200
1,5	19
2,3	4
2,4	20
2,5	2
3,4	160
3,5	15
4,5	79

The player may bet from 1 to 20 quarters on each quinella. The smallest payoff is 2 for 1 and the largest is200 for 1, although not all races offer either of these. I have seen winnings both paid immediately and added to the player's credits.

House Edge

The following table shows the average house edge based on actual observations at various casinos. Unless otherwise noted each casino is in Las Vegas.

House Edge in Derby
Casino<	House Edge
Hilton	10.13%
Orleans	11.90%
MGM Grand	12.19%
New York New York	12.37%
Caesars Palace	14.90%
Imperial Palace	14.95%
Riviera	14.97%
Ballys	15.02%
Excalibur	15.09%
Luxor	15.32%
Frontier	20.14%

Note that the returns in the table above tend to fall in clusters. For example, Caesars Palace, Imperial Palace, Ballys, Excalibur, Flamingo Laughlin, and the Luxor are all in a tight range. I believe all these machines are set to the same long term return and race to race variation accounts for the small variation.

The house edge is calculated assuming each bet carries the same house edge. For more information on this method of calculation please see my futures in sports section.

Locations

MGM Grand, Las Vegas — Near the sports book.
MontBleu, South Lake Tahoe.