Blackjack is one of the easiest casino games to get your head around, but once you go slightly beyond the basics, you’ll come across a few rules – and options – that are super important, but can be a little tricky to understand. One of those options is Surrender – and to make things more […]
You log in and lo and behold, the very game you wanted to play is at the top of the list the whole time. You are having a losing streak, but now you have the opportunity to win a bonus round. Coincidence? Luck? Don’t bet on it. Welcome to the world of artificial intelligence, the […]
When players talk about “fairness” in online casinos, they’re usually referring to one of two systems: either RNG certification or provably fair gaming . On the surface, both of these systems are designed to guarantee random outcomes, but if you look into the complexities of them – under the hood, so to speak – they […]
Online pokies are one of the most popular forms of online gambling in New Zealand, but they’re also associated with a lot of confusion, misconceptions, and, sometimes, outright myths! Some players, for example, assume all online pokies are rigged, while others automatically think they’re safer than land-based pokies, simply because they’re digital. The truth? As […]
If you’ve ever shuffled a deck of cards in your hand, you’ve wielded an element of technology unchanged in form for the last several hundred years. Most gamblers are only interested in what is in front of them. But to have any knowledge of the history of cards is to have knowledge of the history […]
If you’ve spent any time playing blackjack online or at a live casino, you’ve probably seen table rules mentioning whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. It’s one of those rules that looks pretty insignificant at first, but you’d be surprised at just how much impact it has on the house edge – […]
Each spin, each card deal, each roulette ball drop you watch online is a result that has been calculated in a rapid cycle running in the background. It looks like it’s all about luck, but it isn’t. Only by understanding how casino RNGs work can you distinguish what constitutes fair play and what constitutes superstition. […]
Trust is one of the biggest concerns for online casino players in New Zealand today. Whether you’re spinning the reels of your favourite pokie, or placing bets on your favourite casino table game, betting online means you can’t physically see the cards, dice, or pokie machine mechanics at work. Essentially, you’re relying entirely on software […]
Every gambler had such an experience. Red colors are coming out one after another on a roulette table. You have been getting ten dead spins in a row on a pokie machine. The conclusion you reach is inevitable: “It is high time black came out,” or “This pokie owes me a win.” Sounds reasonable, right? […]
Think of a slot tournament as taking the experience of playing a slot machine and turning it into something of a race. Instead of quietly playing slot after slot until you’ve had enough, you find yourself competing with not only the leaderboard, but also against time and the audience to squeeze as much as you […]
Sic Bo is one of those classic casino games that a majority of Kiwis know what it looks like but have never been tempted to try. The board is full of symbols, and there are payouts everywhere, with the dice being rolled at a speed so fast, it looks like utter chaos. Beneath the complex […]
Live dealer game shows occupy a weird middle space somewhere in between a traditional casino and a TV studio. They are much more akin to prime time viewing than they are to a blackjack table, but beneath the glamour and lighthearted chatter lurks the ever-present house advantage. They act as a stepping stone into the […]
New Zealand and Australia share a corner of the globe and a set of rugby codes and quarrel over pavlova origin. As for online gambling, however, they merely share a superficial resemblance at first sight. Beneath the surface is a world marked by substantially divergent behaviour and products. Both offer pokie machines and betting on […]
Access at gambling facilities is not often mentioned in the promotional literature, but it is what will determine whether people get to gamble at all. For the disabled gambler, the difference between “nice idea” and “real option” is often the difference between ramps, signs, lighting, and the level of listening. However, the problem also exists […]
A casino night is the perfect fundraiser: it’s fun, it’s social, it’s easy to theme, and it’s likely to be popular enough to generate decent ticket sales. The thing is, in New Zealand, the minute you add a bit of chance, some prizes, and some cash, you are in a regulated environment. “It’s only for […]
