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Wild Viking

Introduction


Wild Viking can be understood as a unique take on roulette where instead of a spinning wheel, players use a card deck. The game involves dealing five cards from a specially designed 54-card deck that includes two jokers. Participants can place bets on the identity of the final card that will be revealed. Additionally, there are poker-related bets that provide payouts based on the combined poker value of all five cards drawn. This exciting game can be experienced at various online casinos. Playtech software.

Rules

The wagers that focus on predicting the last card will be referred to as 'roulette bets.' There are multiple options available for these types of bets.

Roulette Bets

Bet Pays
Red, black, odd, even2 for 1
Suit4 for 1
2-7, 8-K2 for 1
2-5, 6-9, 10-K3 for 1
Single card52 for 1
Two cards26 for 1
Four cards13 for 1

The wagers based on the poker value of all five cards will be known as 'Poker Bets.' These bets yield a win if the final hand's poker rank meets or exceeds the value of the bet placed. For instance, if someone bets on achieving two pairs, they would win if the final hand turns out to be three of a kind or stronger. Multiple variations of bets are available here.

Poker Bets

Bet Pays
Four of a kind280 to 1
Full house150 to 1
Flush90 to 1
Straight45 to 1
Three of a kind9 to 1
Two pair6 to 1
Pair -- sixes or better1 to 1

Lastly, there's a progressive jackpot wager linked to the Wild Viking game. This jackpot also hinges on the poker value of the last five-card hand. To actually claim the jackpot, players must achieve a 'Wild Viking,' which is essentially a royal flush where the first and last cards shown are jokers. Below is the pay table for this bet.

Wild Viking Bet

Event Pays
Wild VikingJackpot
Five of a kind1000 for 1
Royal flush250 for 1
Straight flush50 for 1
Four of a kind20 for 1
Full house10 for 1
Flush8 for 1
Straight5 for 1
Three of a kind3 for 1

Analysis

The table below illustrates my evaluation of the Roulette Bets. It's important to remember that the winnings are calculated on a 'for one' basis.

Roulette Bets — Analysis

Bet Pays Winning
Numbers
Probability Expected
Return
Red, black, odd, even 2 26 0.481481 -0.037037
Suit 4 13 0.240741 -0.037037
2-7, 8-K 2 24 0.444444 -0.111111
2-5, 6-9, 10-K 3 16 0.296296 -0.111111
Single card 52 1 0.018519 -0.037037
Two cards 26 2 0.037037 -0.037037
Four cards 13 4 0.074074 -0.037037

The table below provides my analysis of the Poker Bets. Keep in mind that the payouts for winning are calculated on a 'to one' basis.

Roulette Bets — Analysis

Bet Pays Combinations Probability Expected
Return
Four of a kind 280 10,062 0.003182 -0.105956
Full house 150 19,422 0.006141 -0.072660
Flush 90 30,810 0.009742 -0.113454
Straight 45 65,514 0.020716 -0.047072
Three of a kind 9 298,482 0.094381 -0.056186
Two pair 6 422,034 0.133449 -0.065857
Pair -- sixes or better 1 1,522,050 0.481279 -0.037442

The table below represents my review of the Wild Viking Bet. Note that the winnings from this bet are also determined on a 'for one' basis. Each individual wager amount is one $/£/€, based on the currency chosen by the player.

Wild Viking Bet — Analysis

Bet Pays Permutations Probability Expected
Return
Wild Viking ? 480 0.000001 ?
Five of a kind 1000 9,360 0.000025 0.024664
Royal flush 250 9,600 0.000025 0.006324
Straight flush 50 64,800 0.000171 0.008538
Four of a kind 20 1,123,200 0.002960 0.059193
Full house 10 1,123,200 0.002960 0.029597
Flush 8 1,366,560 0.003601 0.028807
Straight 5 4,164,480 0.010974 0.054868
Three of a kind 3 27,956,160 0.073666 0.220997
Total 35,817,840 0.094381 0.432988 + ?

As is typical with progressive bets, the expected payout relies heavily on the current size of the jackpot. As of July 16, 2014, I observed that the jackpot amount stood at 23,506, which translates to an expected return of 46.3%.

For any specific jackpot, the return averages out to 43.30%, along with an additional 1.2648% for every $10,000 accumulated in the jackpot pool. To achieve a break-even point, where the return equals 100%, the jackpot needs to rise to an impressive total of 448,295.50.