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Nucleus Gaming Software & 21 Online Casinos Reviewed | ![]() |
Introduction
Nucleus Gaming is a casino game developer that broke onto the scene with an assortment of interesting looking 3D games. The games are relatively straightforward in terms of feature set, but the presentation is the real game changer. The intuitive 3D look and feel to the games is fantastic, making Nucleus’ titles look like something you’d find from Betsoft.
The games from Nucleus are a full of different themes, running from simplistic (Fruit Serenity) to cute (Kitty Cutie) to action-packed (Blades of the Abyss). No matter the game you play, you can rest assured that Nucleus has done a good job of making their library of games interesting to punters.
In addition to slots, there are table games and video poker games also designed by Nucleus. While these lack some of the “wow factor” that the slots have, they are still worthy of your time.
Nucleus Gaming Casinos
Table Games
The table games have the same look and rules as those of Betsoft. The main difference seems to be that Betsoft tables have green felt and Nucleus uses a light brown.
Baccarat
Nucleus offers a simple baccarat game with the three main bets — Player, Banker, and Tie.
21 Burn Blackjack
21 Burn Blackjack is a blackjack variant where the player can burn his second card. However, the player has to make a very negative side bet, equal to half his original wager, on the replacement card to do so. All things considered, I get a house edge of 0.54%.
For more information, please see my page on 21 Burn Blackjack.
Blackjack
The following table shows the Blackjack games available in alphabetical order.
Here is the same list in returns range, choose your game wisely.
Casino War
Nucleus refers to Casino War as Top Card Trumps. They use six decks and follow the stingy "no bonus" rule for a tie after a tie. This results in a house edge of 2.88%.
Craps
Nucleus is one of the few providers to offer a craps game, which are not easy to make. They offer 3x odds, always based on the bet amount. Buy and Lay bets charge a 5% commission, nicely payable on wins only. The commission is based on the bet amount on Buy bets and on the win on Lay bets. The also offer the standard odds on place and place to lose bets.
Wins are rounded down to the nearest $0.25. The smallest chip you can bet is $1.
The following table compares the buy and place bets. As you can see, the house edge is lower on the buy bets for every number except the 6 and 8.
Buy and Place Bets
Point | Buy Pays |
Place Pays |
Buy House Edge |
Place House Edge |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 or 10 | 1.950000 | 1.800000 | 0.016667 | 0.066667 |
5 or 9 | 1.450000 | 1.400000 | 0.020000 | 0.040000 |
6 or 8 | 1.150000 | 1.166667 | 0.022727 | 0.015152 |
The following table compares the lay and place to lose bets. Much like the buy and place bets, the house edge is lower on the lay bets for every number except the 6 and 8.
Lay and Place to Lose Bets
Point | Buy Pays |
Place Pays |
Buy House Edge |
Place House Edge |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 or 10 | 0.475000 | 0.454545 | 0.016667 | 0.030303 |
5 or 9 | 0.633333 | 0.625000 | 0.020000 | 0.025000 |
6 or 8 | 0.791667 | 0.800000 | 0.022727 | 0.018182 |
Here are the increments you should make place, buy, don't place, and lay bets, to avoid getting rounded down.
- Place: $5 on 4, 5, 9, and 10, $6 on 6 and 8.
- Buy: $5 on all points.
- Don't place: $11 on 4 and 10, $8 on 5 and 9, $5 on 6 and 8
- Lay: $10 on 4 and 10, $15 on 5 and 9, $6 on 6 and 8.
The field has the liberal rules of paying 3 to 1 on the 12.
Beware the Big 6 and 8 bets, that pay even money only.
Draw Hi-Lo
This is a simple game of card prediction. As far as I know, it is available only to Betsoft and Nucleus. Rather than explain it all here, please see my page Draw Hi Lo for more information. The bottom line is a house edge of 3.93%.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Standard Caribbean Stud Poker rules are followed, except a royal flush pays 200 instead of 100. This lowers the house edge from the usual 5.22% by 0.01% to 5.21%.
Pai Gow Poker
Standard pai gow poker rules are followed. I always like it when online casinos have a house way button, or at least sort the cards, but Nucleus does neither. At least it is impossible to foul your hand.
The dealer is always the banker. Assuming the player follows a house way strategy, the house edge is 2.72%.
Three Card Poker
Nucleus refers to their Three Card Poker game as Triple Edge Poker. The Ante Bonus follows the 1-4-5 pay table for a house edge of 3.37% on the Ante bet. The Pairplus pay table goes 1-4-6-30-40 for a house edge of 2.32%.
Pontoon
Pontoon was created by Real Time Gaming and in the usual tradition of keeping up with the competition, it has been adopted by other competitors, including Nucleus. This is not to be confused with Australian pontoon, which is the same thing as Spanish 21 in the US.
Nucleus follows the usual rules of allowing drawing to split aces and the dealer hitting a soft 17. Eight decks are used. This results in a house edge of 0.38%. The Sweet 16 side bet has a house edge of 2.52%.
For more information, please see my page on Pontoon (RTG version).
Red Dog
The usual red dog rules are followed. Eight decks are used for a house edge of 2.75%.
Roulette
Nucleus offers three versions of roulette, two single-zero and one double-zero. I recommend playing the single-zero wheels only.
Slots
![]() Ruby Jade |
![]() Blades of the Abyss |
![]() High Noon |
![]() Mermaid's Treasure |
![]() Moguls |
![]() Moon Bitten |
![]() Savanna Safari |
![]() Sleight of Hand |
![]() There's Gold Yonder |
![]() Vegas Road Trip |
![]() Sands of Egypt |
Nucleus slots are very nicely done in all ways -- graphics, sound, and game play. Most games convey a good sense of humor and are fun to play.
Spanish 21
Nucleus calls their Spanish 21 game (or what is called Pontoon in Australia) "Pirate 21 Blackjack."
The rules are the same as what you would find in the U.S. In particular, they use six decks, hit a soft 17, and do not allow re-doubling. This results in a house edge of 0.76%.
They also offer the Match the Dealer side bet, with the usual pays of 4 and 9, resulting in a house edge of 3.06%.
Three Card Rummy
Three Card Rummy has a similar structure to Three Card Poker, but the hand scoring is much different. It is hard to describe briefly, so please see my page on Vegas Three Card Poker for more information.
Video Poker
The following table shows the Video Poker games available in alphabetical order.
Nucleus Gaming Video Poker Alphabetic Order
Game | Power Poker | Multi-Play | Pay Table | Return | Live Game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All American (multi-play) | No | - | 1-1-3-8-8-8-30-200-800 | 98.49% | No |
All American (progressive) | Yes | - | 1-1-3-8-8-8-25-100-? | ? | No |
Bonus | No | - | 1-1-3-4-4-8-18-25-40-80-200-400-1000 | 98.15% | No |
Bonus Deluxe (multi-play) | Yes | Yes | 1-1-3-4-5-10-80-50-800 | 99.70% | No |
Bonus Deuces | No | - | 1-1-3-4-4-8-18-25-40-80-200-400-1000 | 98.15% | No |
Bonus Poker | No | - | 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-40-80-50-800 | 99.17% | No |
Bonus Poker (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-1-3-5-8-10-25-40-80-50-800 | 94.18% | No |
Deuces Wild | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-4-9-15-25-200-800 | 98.91% | No |
Deuces Wild (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-4-8-15-25-200-800 | 98.45% | No |
Deuces and Joker Poker | Yes | - | 1-2-3-3-3-6-9-12-25-800-2000 | 99.07% | No |
Double Bonus (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-1-3-4-5-8-50-80-160-50-800 | 94.19% | No |
Double Jackpot (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-5-8-20-40-80-50-800 | 98.35% | No |
Double Joker Poker | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-50-100-800 | 98.90% | No |
Five Draw Poker (jacks or better 5-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-6-9-20-40-800 | 98.25% | No |
Jacks or Better | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-6-9-20-40-800 | 98.25% | No |
Jacks or Better (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-6-9-20-40-800 | 98.25% | No |
Joker Poker | Yes | - | 1-1-2-3-5-7-17-50-100-200-800 | 98.09% | No |
Joker Poker (multi-play) | Yes | Yes | 1-1-2-3-5-7-17-50-100-200-800 | 98.09% | No |
Pyramid Poker -- Bonus Poker | No | - | See Pyramid Poker page | 83.62% | No |
Split Way Royale | No | - | 1-2-3-4-5-6-40-50-800-800 | 99.80% | No |
Tens or Better | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-5-6-25-50-800 | 99.14% | No |
Here is the same list in returns range, choose your game wisely.
Nucleus Gaming Video Poker Return Order
Game | Power Poker | Multi-Play | Pay Table | Return | Live Game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All American (progressive) | Yes | - | 1-1-3-8-8-8-25-100-? | ? | No |
Split Way Royale | No | - | 1-2-3-4-5-6-40-50-800-800 | 99.80% | No |
Bonus Deluxe (multi-play) | Yes | Yes | 1-1-3-4-5-10-80-50-800 | 99.70% | No |
Bonus Poker | No | - | 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-40-80-50-800 | 99.17% | No |
Tens or Better | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-5-6-25-50-800 | 99.14% | No |
Deuces and Joker Poker | Yes | - | 1-2-3-3-3-6-9-12-25-800-2000 | 99.07% | No |
Deuces Wild | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-4-9-15-25-200-800 | 98.91% | No |
Double Joker Poker | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-50-100-800 | 98.90% | No |
All American (multi-play) | No | - | 1-1-3-8-8-8-30-200-800 | 98.49% | No |
Deuces Wild (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-4-8-15-25-200-800 | 98.45% | No |
Double Jackpot (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-5-8-20-40-80-50-800 | 98.35% | No |
Jacks or Better | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-6-9-20-40-800 | 98.25% | No |
Jacks or Better (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-6-9-20-40-800 | 98.25% | No |
Five Draw Poker (jacks or better 5-play) | Yes | - | 1-2-3-4-6-9-20-40-800 | 98.25% | No |
Bonus Deuces | No | - | 1-1-3-4-4-8-18-25-40-80-200-400-1000 | 98.15% | No |
Bonus | No | - | 1-1-3-4-4-8-18-25-40-80-200-400-1000 | 98.15% | No |
Joker Poker | Yes | - | 1-1-2-3-5-7-17-50-100-200-800 | 98.09% | No |
Joker Poker (multi-play) | Yes | Yes | 1-1-2-3-5-7-17-50-100-200-800 | 98.09% | No |
Double Bonus (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-1-3-4-5-8-50-80-160-50-800 | 94.19% | No |
Bonus Poker (multi-play) | Yes | - | 1-1-3-5-8-10-25-40-80-50-800 | 94.18% | No |
Pyramid Poker -- Bonus Poker | No | - | See Pyramid Poker page | 83.62% | No |