Microgaming Software

Microgaming Casino Software

In January 2003 Microgaming introduced a software update. As of this writing as far as I know only the Lucky Nugget casino uses the new software, all other Microgaming casinos still use the old version. One way to tell if a casino uses the old or the new software is the casino lobby. The new version has tabs for various kinds of games, like slots and table games, and the old version does not have the tabs. This section review shall address the new software, download version only. You are on your own for the Flash games but the rules are mostly the same I believe. I also have a review of the old software.

Baccarat

Single deck. House edge on banker is 1.012% and on player is 1.286%.

PLAY Craps GAMES AT THE FOLLOWING ONLINE CASINO

Blackjack

Microgaming offers three blacjack games: European blackjack, multi-hand blackjack, and progressive blacjack. The best game is the European blackjack with the following rules.

Two decks
Dealer stands on soft 17
Double on 9 to 11 only
No doubling after splitting
No resplitting
Player may draw to split aces
No surrender
Full no peek (player loses total amout bet against dealer blackjack)
Insurance not resolved until end of hand

The house edge under these rules is 0.39%.

Multi-Hand Blackjack has the same rules as European blackjack except five decks and player can play up to five hands at once. The house edge is 0.57%.

Progressive Blackjack has the same rules as multi-hand blackjack except only one hand may be played at a time and there is a mandatory $1 Triple Sevens side bet. I do not know what happens if the player splits two sevens. The following table shows the probability and return of each paying side bet hand.

Microgaming Triple Sevens Side Bet
Hand	Permutations	Probability	Pays	Return
1 seven	1238400	0.07128	5 for 1	0.3564
2 unsuited 7's	72000	0.004144	25 for 1	0.103605
2 suited 7's	19200	0.001105	50 for 1	0.055256
3 unsuited 7's	6600	0.00038	250 for 1	0.094971
3 suited 7's	180	0.00001	1000 for 1	0.01036
3 diamond 7's	60	0.000003	Progressive	0.142377
Non-paying hand	16037280	0.923077	0	0
Total	17373720	1		?

The house edge on the side bet is 37.94%, less 3.45% for every $10,000 in the meter. For the side bet to have no house edge the meter would need to reach $109,862.

Craps

Microgaming craps players may not bet more than their original wager either buying or laying the odds. The combined house edge on the pass side is 0.85% and on the don't pass side is 0.82%. Unlike the previous version winnings are rounded to the penny (previously winnings were rounded to the dollar).

A Place bet to win is called a "win bet" and a place bet to lose is called a "lose bet." The payoffs are the same on win bets as conventional place bets. The "lose bets" pay 2-5 on the 4 and 10, 4-7 on the 5 and 9, and 4-5 on the 6 and 8. The house edge on the "lose bets" are 6.67% on the 4 and 10, 5.71% on the 5 and 9, and 1.82% on the 6 and 8.

The proposition bets have the same high house edge as in conventional craps. The field bet pays 2 to 1 on both 2 and 12.

Cyberstud Poker

This is what Microgaming calls Caribbean Stud Poker. The pay table is the most generous I have seen online, paying as follows.

Hand	Pays
Royal flush	999 to 1
Straight flush	199 to 1
Four of a kind	99 to 1
Full house	14 to 1
Flush	9 to 1
Straight	5 to 1
Three of a kind	3 to 1
Two pair	1 to 1
Pair	1 to 1
Ace/king	1 to 1

The strategy is still the same as for the conventional pay table game. The house edge under these rules is 5.01%.

There is also a progressive version with a mandatory $1 side bet. The side bet pays $50 for a flush, $100 for a full house, $500 for a four of a kind, $20000 for a straight flush, and a progressive jackpot for a royal flush. The house edge on the side bet is 36.06% less 1.54% for each $10,000 in the jackpot meter. For the side bet to have a player advantage the meter would need to exceed $234,290.

Keno

Microgaming offers a competitive keno game. The best game is the pick 13 with a return of 96.54%. Following is the expected return according to the number of picks.

Pick	Return
1	75.00%
2	92.09%
3	93.04%
4	93.79%
5	93.87%
6	93.79%
7	96.35%
8	92.90%
9	92.86%
10	94.54%
11	93.10%
12	94.22%
13	96.54%
14	95.42%
15	95.19%

Poker Persuit

This is the same game commonly known as Let it Ride, except the three highest payoffs are a slightly less. Microgaming pays 49, 199, and 999 to 1 on the three highest hands, compared to the conventional 50, 200, and 1000. This increases the house edge from the usual 3.51% to 3.57%. There are no strategy deviations relative to the standard pay table. Following is the complete Microgaming pay table.

Hand	Pays
Nothing	-1 to 1
pair	1 to 1
two pair	2 to 1
three of a kind	3 to 1
straight	5 to 1
flush	8 to 1
full house	11 to 1
four of a kind	49 to 1
straight flush	199 to 1
royal flush	999 to 1

Red Dog

Standard rules are followed. I do not know the number of decks. The house edge is 3.15% to 2.75% depending on the number of decks, the fewer the decks the greater the house edge.

Roulette

A single zero wheel is used. The house edge is 2.70%.

There is also a progressive roulette game with a mandatory $1 side bet. The side bet wins if the same number occurs atleast twice in a row. The side bet pays $15 if the same number occurs two times consecutively, $200 for 3 times, $3000 for 4 times, and a progressive jackpot for 5 times. The sequence starts when the side bet is made. Winnings are cummulative as long as the player keeps making the bet on every spin. For the casino to have no advantage the meter would need to reach $781,626.03. In general the house edge is 40.58% less 0.52% for every $10,000 in the meter.

Scratch Card

I have no information about this game. House edge is unknown.

Sic Bo

Microgaming offers very competitive Sic Bo odds. See my Sic Bo online section for a comparison to other software brands. Of special note is that the single number bet pays 12-1 on a 3 of a kind, better than the usual 3-1 payoff, and the 6-1 payoff on a two number combination, better than the usual 5-1. Compared to their major competitors Microgaming offers equal or better odds on every bet except the 5 and 16 (Microgaming pays 31-1, Playtech pays 32-1). The following table shows the payoff and house edge for all bets.

Microgaming Sic Bo
Bet	Pays	Prob. Win	House Edge
Small, Big	1-1	48.61%	2.78%
4, 17	62-1	1.39%	12.5%
5, 16	31-1	2.78%	11.11%
6, 15	18-1	4.63%	12.04%
7, 14	12-1	6.94%	9.72%
8, 13	8-1	9.72%	12.5%
9, 12	7-1	11.57%	7.41%
10, 11	6-1	12.5%	12.5%
Triple	180-1	0.46%	16.2%
Any triple	31-1	2.78%	11.11%
Double	11-1	7.41%	11.11%
Two die combination	6-1	13.89%	2.78%
Any number	(1/2/12)-1	42.13%	3.70%

The lowest house edge bets are on big, small, and any two number combination bets, all at 2.78%.

Slots

I don't know exactly when return Microgaming slots are set to but according to the actual payout percentage reports of the River Belle casino the monthly average for all slots ranges from 95% to 95.5%. To view the reports yourself go to http://www.riverbelle.com/reports/index.asp.

Video Poker

The following table shows the expected return for all but two of Microgaming's video poker inventory. Supajax and Jackpot Deuces I do not have the software to evaluate. The best game is good on Jacks or Better, either 1 or 4 play.

Microgaming Video Poker - Expected Return
Game	Return
Jacks or better - 1 play	0.995440
Jacks or better - 4 play	0.995440
Aces and faces - 1 play	0.992556
Aces and faces - 4 play	0.992556
Tens or better - 1 play	0.991388
Deuces and joker wild - 1 play	0.990677
Deuces and joker wild - 4 play	0.990677
Joker poker - 1 play	0.985987
Double Joker - 4 play	0.981007
Deuces wild - 1 play	0.967641
Deuces wild - 4 play	0.993747
Supa Jax	?
Jackpot Deuces	?

The following tables display the pertinent statistics for Microgaming's video poker games.

Jacks or Better - Microgaming
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

Deuces Wild - 1 play

Hand

Payoff

Number

Probability

Return

Natural royal flush

800

452009940

0.000023

0.018141

4 deuces

200

3570521856

0.000179

0.035825

Wild royal flush

25

36624375216

0.001837

0.045934

5 of a kind

16

62398218024

0.003130

0.050086

Straight flush

13

114654402804

0.005752

0.074775

4 of a kind

4

1242075806484

0.062312

0.249247

Full house

3

418137265908

0.020977

0.062931

Flush

2

352258762272

0.017672

0.035344

Straight

2

1154033170176

0.057895

0.115790

3 of a kind

1

5572718074608

0.279569

0.279569

Nothing

0

10976307909912

0.550654

0.000000

Total

19933230517200

1.000000

0.967641

Deuces Wild - 4 play

Hand

Payoff

Number

Probability

Return

Natural royal flush

800

503503032

0.000025

0.020208

4 deuces

250

4089590508

0.000205

0.051291

Wild royal flush

45

41694005664

0.002092

0.094126

5 of a kind

15

61503350352

0.003085

0.046282

Straight flush

9

78486726540

0.003937

0.035437

4 of a kind

4

1268855662188

0.063655

0.254621

Full house

3

421025927112

0.021122

0.063365

Flush

2

350729336436

0.017595

0.035190

Straight

2

1107514630884

0.055561

0.111122

3 of a kind

1

5623233683520

0.282103

0.282103

Nothing

0

10975594100964

0.550618

0.000000

Total

19933230517200

1.000000

0.993747