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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, even | 2 for 1 |
Suit | 4 for 1 |
2-7, 8-K | 2 for 1 |
2-5, 6-9, 10-K | 3 for 1 |
Single card | 52 for 1 |
Two cards | 26 for 1 |
Four cards | 13 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 kind | 280 to 1 |
Full house | 150 to 1 |
Flush | 90 to 1 |
Straight | 45 to 1 |
Three of a kind | 9 to 1 |
Two pair | 6 to 1 |
Pair -- sixes or better | 1 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 Viking | Jackpot |
Five of a kind | 1000 for 1 |
Royal flush | 250 for 1 |
Straight flush | 50 for 1 |
Four of a kind | 20 for 1 |
Full house | 10 for 1 |
Flush | 8 for 1 |
Straight | 5 for 1 |
Three of a kind | 3 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.