World Gaming software review

Last update: October 21, 2005

The following review is for what I call version 3 of World Gaming Software. I also have a review of version 2here.

Personally I liked version 2 better. Version 3 is played on a small window and the important stuff like the cards and chips have a small size. It is possible to maximize the window but then the high resolution is lost. For those of you who miss the fast speed of the old software the speed is configurable under options. Many of the rules are the same but they do now peek for blackjack all the time. An x-rated version of the casino is still available but I haven't seen it *ahem*. World Gaming casinos had a reputation in the past for bad customer service, which I can attest to, under their previous name of Starnet. Hopefully they are better now.

Baccarat

Four decks are used. The following table shows the possible outcomes in a 4-deck game.

Probabilities in 4-deck Baccarat
Bet	Combinations	Probability	House Edge
Bank	34,543,624,867,840	45.88%	1.05%
Player	33,608,344,225,792	44.63%	1.24%
Tie	7,145,601,996,928	9.49%	14.59%

Battle Royale

This is another name for the game of Casino War. Unlike the usual rules a tie after a tie pays 3 to 1 on initial bet and the raise pushes. One deck of cards are used. The house edge is 1.714% by going to war on ties and 2.766% by surrendering on ties.

Blackjack

World Gaming blackjack rules are as follows:

Six decks
Dealer stands on soft 17
Double on any first two cards
Double after a split
No resplitting
Dealer always peeks for blackjack
Player may not draw to split aces
Player may play up to three initial hands at once

The house edge under these rules is 0.46%.

The following table displays the basic strategy for World Gaming casinos. To use the basic strategy look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. In the body of the chart are color coded cells that indicate the best play: H=hit, S=stand, D=double, P=split.

There is also a "Super Sevens" blackjack available. The blackjack rules are the same as their regular game but the player can make a Super Sevens side bet, which is explained in my blackjack appendix 8. I don't know whether a third card is guaranteed if the dealer has blackjack, if not house edge is 12.60% and with the 3-card guarantee the house edge is 11.40%.

Bermuda Poker

This is the same game as Caribbean Stud Poker. The rules and the pay table are as usual.

A $1 progressive side bet is available. The side bet pays $100 for a flush, $150 for a full house, $250 for a four of a kind, 10% of the meter for a straight flush, and 100% of the meter for a royal flush. On October 8, 2003 the meter at the Aztec Casino was at $38941.90. The house edge on the side bet for a meter of this size is 42.55%. For the side bet have no house edge the meter would need to reach $184,442.11.

Craps

3 times odds are offered. The odds on the don't pass and don't pass are based on the amount bet, not the amount the player can win. The combined house edge on the pass and come with full odds is 0.47% and on the don't pass and don't come with full odds is 0.45%.

Free Ride

This is another name for Let it Ride. The usual rules and pay table are used. A $1 progressive side bet is available. The side bet pays $100 for a flush, $150 for a full house, $250 for a four of a kind, 10% of the meter for a straight flush, and 100% of the meter for a royal flush. On October 8, 2003 the meter at the Aztec Casino was at $30329.40. The house edge on the side bet for a meter of this size is 45.06%. For the side bet have no house edge the meter would need to reach $184,442.11.

Pai Gow Poker

The usual rules are followed, except the player may never bank. The house edge is 2.85% using the house way and 2.60% using optimal strategy. I do not know what house way World Gaming follows.

Red Dog

The usual rules are followed with a single deck of cards. The house edge is 3.16%.

Roulette

The usual American double-zero wheel is used. House edge is 5.26% on most bets.

Sic Bo

The following table shows the various bets available, the probability of winning, and house edge.

World Gaming 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%.

Slots

I have no information on the theoretical or actual return of World Gaming slots.

Video Poker

The followings games are available, with the corresponding statistics tables.

Jacks or Better

World Gaming Jacks or Better

Hand

Payoff

Number

Probability

Return

Royal flush

1000

553557120

0.000028

0.027771

Straight flush

50

2182888488

0.000110

0.005476

4 of a kind

25

46926826392

0.002354

0.058855

Full house

6

228885971688

0.011483

0.068896

Flush

5

220272599952

0.011051

0.055253

Straight

4

226192098552

0.011347

0.045390

3 of a kind

3

1477676746236

0.074131

0.222394

Two pair

2

2568945722436

0.128878

0.257755

Jacks or better

1

4252314431988

0.213328

0.213328

Nothing

0

10909279674348

0.547291

0.000000

Total

19933230517200

1.000000

0.955116

Deuces Wild

World Gaming Version 3 Deuces Wild

Hand Payoff Number Probability Return

Natural royal flush 800 459682608 0.000023 0.018449

4 deuces 100 3254160708 0.000163 0.016325

Wild royal flush 30 37836418680 0.001898 0.056945

5 of a kind 16 61047280392 0.003063 0.049001

Straight flush 13 122065327152 0.006124 0.079608

4 of a kind 4 1224435796488 0.061427 0.245707

Full house 3 417968773884 0.020968 0.062905

Flush 2 362576265288 0.018190 0.036379

Straight 2 1152125187360 0.057799 0.115598

3 of a kind 1 5562635775816 0.279063 0.279063

Nothing 0 10988825848824 0.551282 0.000000

Total 19933230517200 1.000000 0.959982

Joker Poker

World Gaming Version 3 Joker Wild

Hand Payoff Probability Return

Natural Royal Flush 1000 0.000023 0.022840

5 of a kind 100 0.000092 0.009168

Wild Royal Flush 50 0.000079 0.003941

Straight Flush 50 0.000604 0.030205

4 of a Kind 20 0.008231 0.164625

Full House 9 0.015116 0.136043

Flush 6 0.021711 0.130266

Straight 4 0.025759 0.103036

3 of a Kind 2 0.125339 0.250679

2 Pair 1 0.105478 0.105478

Kings or Better 0 0.697568 0.000000

Nothing 0 0.000000 0.000000

Total Return 1.000000 0.956281

See my casino index for a list of sites that use World Gaming software. World Gaming's address iswww.worldgaming.com/

The Wizard's other sites: Wizard of Vegas, Wizard of Macau, Math Problems The Wizard recommends: The Bear Growls, Casinomeister, Online Casino Suite