There is a wide range of betting lines available when placing a wager on an online casino game, but what exactly do the numbers mean?
Placing a wager of just $1 at a betting line of -140 favors the player, as they would win $140 if their bet wins. The betting line of -130 favors the casino as they would win $130 on a $1 wager. In general, the lower the betting line, the better the payout for the casino and vice versa for the player.
Why Do Casinos Favor Smaller Payouts?
If you’re new to betting, it’s beneficial to learn more about why casinos prefer to offer smaller payouts when you lose. There are two reasons why this is the case.
- To reduce the amount of money left on the table. It’s well known that casinos don’t want to lose any money, so they will always try to ensure that as little as possible is left on the table. For instance, if a player wins a $1000 prize on a $100 wager, the casino will award them $1000, not the $2000 they originally offered. This is especially beneficial for new and returning players who are playing with limited funds.
- To encourage players to play longer. When a casino offers a bigger payout for a given prize, it generally means that there is less of a chance of that prize being awarded. The smaller the prize, the more likely you are to get it. This is another way of encouraging players to continue playing, as they have more chance of winning smaller prizes than larger ones.
How Do You Calculate The Odds Of Winning?
There are a number of ways to calculate the odds of winning at a given betting line, but for the purpose of this article, we will use the classic way.
You can use basic math to figure out the odds of getting a specific payout. For example, let’s say you are playing at a betting line of -130 and the payout for a royal flush is 10,000:1.
This means the odds of getting this payout are 1 in 13, which you can also written as 0.77%. You will win this prize 10% of the time if your math is correct.
The reason this method is considered accurate is because when you win, the chances are that you will get at least one of the five nine-card suits (i.e. Arts, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades). If you don’t get at least one of the five nine-card suits, your winnings will be reduced by around 66%.
On the other hand, if you get all five nine-card suits, your winnings will be around 150% of your original bet — which means the odds of getting all five nine-card suits are 1 in 13.66 (or 0.77%).
This method is also used when determining the expected value (i.e., the average amount of money you’re likely to win with a given bet) of the game.
This kind of precision is essential for calculating the true odds of winning. The last thing you want to do is bet on a game where the house edge is hiding in the odds and you risk losing more money than you’ve won. This is why you should only use online casinos that are fully licensed and regulated by the government. In the world of gaming, the best guarantee is a flat-fee refund if the game proves to be unplayable. There are instances where casinos have hidden catches or even charged clients for playing games on their site, which is why you should always play at a trusted source.