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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.
But Bovada is different. They have no popup windows at all, and their practice games play right in your browser, with no download, and no registration required. You don’t even have to give up your email address. It couldn’t be simpler: just one click and you’re playing the game.
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.
IQ Ludorum casino software review
Last Update: October 20, 2001
The following information on IQ Ludorum's downloadable software was taken from the London Casino.
Baccarat
Blackjack
- Eight decks
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Double on any first two cards
- Doubling after splitting allowed
- No resplitting
- Player may not draw to split aces
- No surrender
- Dealer checks hole card for blackjack
- Betting limits: $5-$50, $100-$2000
These are the same rules as used by Cryptologic and so is the basic strategy.
The house edge under these rules is 0.49%.
Craps
The pass/come bettor may take 2 times odds on the 5,6,8, and 9; and 3 times odds on the 4 and 10. This results in a combined house edge of 0.57%. The don't pass/don't come bettor may lay 3 times the line bet on the 5,6,8, and 9; and 4 times odds on the 4 and 10. This results in a combined house edge of 0.43%.
For the player who likes to bet for or against the place numbers there are various ways to do it. The following table shows what the place, buy, don't place, and lay bets pay. The buy bets only charge the 5% commission on losing bets. The lay bets always charge the 5% commission relative to the amount won. The following odds are after deducting the commissions.
| Winning Odds on Place Number Bets | ||||
| Point | Place | Buy | Don't Place |
Lay |
| 4 | 9-5 | 40-21 | 2-5 | 19-41 |
| 5 | 7-5 | 30-21 | 4-7 | 19-31 |
| 6 | 7-6 | 24-21 | 4-5 | 19-25 |
| 8 | 7-6 | 24-21 | 4-5 | 19-25 |
| 9 | 7-5 | 30-21 | 4-7 | 19-31 |
| 10 | 9-5 | 40-21 | 2-5 | 19-41 |
The next table shows the house edge on all the various place number bets. A good rule of thumb is that the buy and lay bets are always better, except on the 6 and 8.
| House Edge on Place Number Bets | ||||
| Point | Place | Buy | Don't Place |
Lay |
| 4 | 6.67% | 3.17% | 6.67% | 2.44% |
| 5 | 4.00% | 2.86% | 5.71% | 3.23% |
| 6 | 1.52% | 2.60% | 1.82% | 4.00% |
| 8 | 1.52% | 2.60% | 1.82% | 4.00% |
| 9 | 4.00% | 2.86% | 5.71% | 3.23% |
| 10 | 6.67% | 3.17% | 6.67% | 2.44% |
The proposition bets pay the same odds as conventional craps.
Roulette
Video Poker
| IQ Ludorum Video Poker - Expected Returns | |
| Game | Return |
| Jacks or better | 0.995440 |
| Tens or better | 0.979598 |
| Joker wild | 0.979469 |
| Deuces wild | 0.979714 |
The following tables display the pertinent statistics for IQ Ludomum's video poker games.
| 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 | |
| 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 | ||
| Joker Wild | |||
| Hand | Payoff | Probability | Return |
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 0.000025 | 0.019773 |
| 5 of a kind | 200 | 0.000093 | 0.018583 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 100 | 0.000104 | 0.010395 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 0.000596 | 0.029788 |
| 4 of a Kind | 15 | 0.008505 | 0.127570 |
| Full House | 8 | 0.015625 | 0.125001 |
| Flush | 5 | 0.015852 | 0.079259 |
| Straight | 3 | 0.016871 | 0.050613 |
| 3 of a Kind | 2 | 0.133296 | 0.266592 |
| 2 Pair | 1 | 0.110667 | 0.110667 |
| Kings or Better | 1 | 0.141228 | 0.141228 |
| Nothing | 0 | 0.557139 | 0.000000 |
| Total Return | 1.000000 | 0.979469 | |
| Deuces Wild | ||||
| Hand | Payoff | Number | Probability | Return |
| Natural royal flush | 800 | 451963644 | 0.000023 | 0.018139 |
| 4 deuces | 200 | 3745487652 | 0.000188 | 0.037580 |
| Wild royal flush | 20 | 35864159688 | 0.001799 | 0.035984 |
| 5 of a kind | 15 | 62385447048 | 0.003130 | 0.046946 |
| Straight flush | 9 | 99367373148 | 0.004985 | 0.044865 |
| 4 of a kind | 4 | 1225731582828 | 0.061492 | 0.245967 |
| Full house | 4 | 522145872600 | 0.026195 | 0.104779 |
| Flush | 3 | 408462003072 | 0.020492 | 0.061475 |
| Straight | 2 | 1152851681184 | 0.057836 | 0.115671 |
| 3 of a kind | 1 | 5348224877136 | 0.268307 | 0.268307 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11074000069200 | 0.555555 | 0.000000 |
| Total | 19933230517200 | 1.000000 | 0.979714 | |
See my casino index for a list of sites that use IQ Ludorem software. The URL for IQ Ludorem is www.oddson.com.