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Online casinos have evolved very quickly over time, and many don’t resemble their early predecessors, with the rise in multiple game selections and the variety of different features including the inclusion of these betting sites not on gamstop rolled into the services, it can often be a very different experience for some players, particularly those first looking to explore these options. Questions are often raised around the fairness of these online platforms however, particularly when it comes to the games which are played most often. But which are the most fair for players, and which should be less prioritised if looking for the best experience?

Blackjack provides the best options for winning – When looking for the game that provides the best chance to pay-out, Blackjack tops out the list. It has a near 50% chance for players to win and by far the best odds, whilst also requiring little to no skill to learn how to play and can be enjoyed purely on chance alone. There are a wide variety of different play options from standard online options to newer live dealer choices too, so plenty for experienced and new players alike to enjoy.

Slots can be good, but with fewer winning opportunities – As the most popular game at online casinos, slots as a whole continue to thrive – some markets have recently underwent change as the UK has initiated some regulation on slots to make them more fair for players, but still amongst the lowest winning percentage for all casino games. That’s not to say the odds are poor or the games are unfair, but simply with the way the games work that make it more difficult to reliably win compared to other games of chance like the previously mentioned blackjack.

Poker is the game of skill for the competitive sorts – For those with a more competitive mindset and not down to leaving much to chance, Poker remains a great game of choice and one where fairness is mostly taken out of the equation. Players with enough skill can reliably win at poker and don’t need to rely on good luck and the odds of the game itself, and for many is still the best option away from the likes of Blackjack, slots, and other games of chance too.

Times have certainly changed and the regulation and commissions that take care of the online services have changed too leading to these sites being more secure and safer than ever before, now there is a large amount of focus delivering a change in fairness to these games and will be something that continues to on the horizon for services across many different markets.

Like most people, you might think that casino games are all down to luck – there is no strategy or skill to employ, just random placing of bets or spinning reels. Yet there is one extremely well-known game played in brick and mortar and online casinos where skill really does come in – blackjack.

But before we reveal why this is so, we need to clear up an important housekeeping matter. Even though you can use strategy and skill in blackjack, you are not expected to be a winner in the long term.

A casino, real or online, needs to make a profit to survive and provide us with entertainment. To ensure they make money, every game has a house edge. So yes, all games are skewed in the house’s (or casino’s) favour. It’s rare for a casino to close down.

Some games have a bigger house edge than others – for example, American roulette, the one with single and double zero segments, has a house edge of 5.25%. That means for every £100 you bet, you are expected to lose £5.25 – this is presuming you played 24/7 for years. Of course, you get short term swings, meaning you can still profit on any particular gaming session.

But roulette is one of those casino luck games – you cannot influence the results. You simply place a bet somewhere on the table and hope the white ball lands in the relevant pocket of the spinning reel.

In blackjack, however, everything changes. For example, the expected house edge for random play is around 2%. But if you employ just a bit of sensible strategy and skill, you can bring that down to just 0.5%.

A house edge that low is as close to break-even as you’re going to get in a casino. If you want to play for hours in a real Las Vegas casino like the Bellagio, get free drinks, and have fun, then this is probably the game for you. In other games, you might burn through your cash faster, unless you get lucky.

What Skill is there in Blackjack?

Although you will find many books out there with complicated-looking strategies and equations, all you need to accept in blackjack is that it is a game of probability. Once you recognise that the next card to be dealt is most likely to be a ten, you’re well ahead of most other players.

With tens, jacks, queens and kings all being valued at ten, there are 16 cards in every 52-card deck that will be that total. Now, you can assume a 16/52 probability – even less if you have seen other tens dealt from the current blackjack shoe. Card counting is frowned upon, not illegal, but you are not expected to be a mathematical wizard.

Why does knowing this help? There are two key scenarios to look at, and both centre around the dealer’s upcard. If you play online, this is easier to follow when you play with a live dealer because you get to think about your strategy while other players make their own decisions.

You must assume the dealer’s unknown downcard is a ten (the most likely card), so adding this to the visible upcard gives their likely total. Now you have a handle on the dealer’s total, you can play your hand more appropriately – and profitably.

Dealer has a poor upcard

If the dealer shows something like a 4, you assume their total is 14, and they must draw another card – likely going bust. In this case, you can stand on any two cards of your own over 11 – even 12 or 13. Why draw another card and risk busting over 21 when that’s the most likely scenario for the dealer?

Dealer shows a good upcard

On the flip side, if the dealer shows a strong upcard like a nine or a 10, you must assume that their total is 19 or 20. In this case, you must be more bold with your hand, taking another card if necessary to try and edge closer to 21. There may be no point in standing on 16 or 17.

Other blackjack skills to adopt

Using the dealer upcard strategy will stand you out at the table as a skilful player. Just observe others who take unnecessary risks when the dealer has a poor upcard, and see what happens.

Another skill you can adopt as part of a basic blackjack strategy is using the double-down option when you see the dealer is weak and you have a wide selection of hands totalling 11 or under. This way, you draw one more card and have the advantage of a double wager on the table.

Secondly, split wisely only when the dealer’s upcard is weak. And never split tens – why would you risk doubling your bet when you most likely have the winning hand already?

Sometimes online slot studios just get it right, developers create such a memorable character that they become part of a much larger entity than just one single game. NetEnt gave the world Gonzo, Play’n GO created Rich and Cat Wilde and Pragmatic Play invented John Hunter.

 

These wonderfully designed characters (and so many more) have struck such a chord with online slot enthusiasts and as a result, they’ve become brand ambassadors, eventually earning sequels, spawning a much-loved online slot series and growing even greater in popularity.

 

However, there are some online slot characters out there that are equally as impressive but haven’t yet earned themselves a sequel or series for whatever reason. Below is our list of slot stars that we genuinely believe deserve their own series in the not-so-distant future!

Dr Fortuno

Step right up, step right up! The first character in our list of slot stars that deserve their own series is eccentric circus ringmaster Dr Fortuno. This strange fellow runs a carnival of curiosities that features wild acts the Water Witch, the two-headed Night Twins and Fire head.

 

We know that there can’t just be three acts in Dr Fortuno’s troupe, there has to be so many more quirky characters yet to discover. The original Yggdrasil slot is genuinely a lot of fun to play and giving us a sequel (or even better an entire series) is the only way we’ll be satisfied!

Agent Destiny

Agent Destiny isn’t quite James Bond, but the suave Play’n GO spy is probably the closest we’re ever going to get to seeing 007 appear in an online slot game (despite the fact there are James Bond slot machines that have made people millionaires in casinos across America).

 

The 2020 slot introduces us to Agent Destiny and gives us an idea of who he is, as well as who his allies and enemies are… But we don’t really find out much more than that at all. What we’re really looking for is an action-packed spy-themed slot that takes us on an undercover mission with Agent Destiny, is that too much to ask for?

Alice Cooper

We appreciate Alice Cooper is a global rock star, and not an original slot character, but his appearance in new online slot Alice Cooper and the Tome of Madness is genuinely incredible! If you’ve not played this Play’n GO slot we highly recommend you give it a go ASAP!

 

Upon first loading up this slot, Alice Cooper appears chained up to the right of the game reels, but when players land 3 key symbols they’ll trigger the Alice Cooper Mega Wild. This sees Alice jump dramatically onto the game screen, marching along the reels spinning a cane and raising his fist in the air. Trust us when we say it looks seriously cool.

We’ve never seen a branded online slot game featuring a real-life celebrity receive a sequel, but maybe it’s time Play’n GO started with Alice Cooper because they’ve got a real hit on their hands with Alice Cooper and the Tome of Madness.

Sparky & Shortz

Who would’ve thought that a pile of metal and wires programmed by a whole host of 1s and 0s would be so likeable, other than Wall-E of course! Sparky & Shortz, a robotic little and large duo have truly captured our hearts, despite having only just been introduced to us.

 

This 2021 Play’n GO slot sees players team up with the two robots to help them save their doomed planet Alpha Labori from the brink of extinction! We desperately want to see them star in a sequel (or two) so that we can follow their planetary rescue mission further!

Dave Lame

Another new face in the online slot world, SG Digital’s Dave Lame is a quirky character we’d very much like to see return in their very own slot sequel.

 

In his first slot Dave Lame Bad Magician, this hapless chap shows off five dodgy magic tricks if players are lucky enough to trigger a bonus. You’ll get to see him pull a rabbit out of a hat, perform a card trick, take part in a blind knife-throwing act and even escape from a tank of water, much like the famous magician Harry Houdini who created and performed the trick from 1911 until his death fifteen years later.

 

There’s really not too many comedy characters that appear in online slots, Dave Lame is a breath of fresh air and we’d love to see more of him in the coming years… There’s lots more to come, we’ve not even seen him pull doves from his sleeves or float mid-air yet!