Playtech is starting out the new year on a strong foot by releasing 8 new games to Playtech powered casinos. Of these,there are 2 that we’re really excited about. The first is is a new multiplayer slot game called Fishing Buddies. Up to 5 users can play the slot simultaneously. As a player, you start off by choosing an animated 3D bear for your avatar. You wager on your own but the spins and payouts for the other players are visible to you. When a player gets to a casino bonus level, the rate of their main game play determines the size of the prizes. The faster the game, the bigger the prizes. The players all get to compete against each other in the first round of the bonus game, and the progress of each of the players is displayed via a fishing line from the bear avatar that goes deeper and deeper the faster the player is going. If they go too slow, the player runs the risk of having their bear fall asleep, at which point the bonus game is played through without them. Up to 3 players get to continue into the second level of the bonus game. Here the rules operate the same way, but the players are going after extra prizes and rewards not offered in the first round. We find the idea of a multiplayer slot game very intriguing. However, it’s the new roulette style game that’s really the winner out of the 8 new games being offered (in our humble opinion). It’s called Wheel of Light and the betting options work exactly like traditional roulette, except that you have slightly different betting options in some cases; i.e. the spreads offered are different, and there are more than 2 colors to choose from. You place your bets directly on the wheel and your roulette ‘ball’ is a light that circles the betting wheel. It’s attractive, fun, and very easy to figure out even if you’ve never played online roulette before. Sadly, I could find no reputable online casinos offering this game to US players for real money. However, I played it for free and found that it exceeded my expectations. The thing that distinguishes roulette most from other online casino games is the reliance on simple luck. Unlike something like football betting, where knowing the stats of different teams and players may change your odds of winning, every time the roulette wheel spins, every pocket has the same chance of having that little ball land in it. Every pocket has exactly the same odds. Since it doesn’t matter what the ball landed on before, there is no ‘strategy’ that can really be employed to change your chances of winning. Believe it or not, it doesn’t even matter if it has landed on black 17 times in a row, there’s still no way of knowing if it will land on red or black the next spin. At least, that’s the way it is in land-based casinos and that’s the way it should be in online casinos as well. So what determines this and how do you know the game you’re playing is fair and as completely random as it would be in real life? The secret is a chip in the casino software called a Random Number Generator. It uses complex mathematics to cycle through probabilities and give you results with never a pattern emerging. The likelihood of you winning is set by a parameter within the RNG. This changes the way it cycles through possibilities. In less reputable casinos this can be set rather low, and what would amount to negative results for the player will show up more often, though still in a random appearing fashion. In order to avoid online casinos that may have the odds set more to their favor this way, make sure that the online casino you visit is powered by a reputable software company that has been tested and certified by an independent testing facility. Technical Systems Testing is one of the larger companies, but there are others out there. It goes without saying that if a site claims their software is certified, you should investigate who did the testing. This is a simple rule that everyone should know before starting a bankroll with a company. Of course, one of the easiest ways to find out if your chosen casino is known for being fair and reputable is to read reviews from honest sources. Always take caution when visiting any online casino that has not been listed or reviewed by a reputable source first. Www.casinomeister.com has a list of rogue casinos to watch out for. Remember, it pays to do your research beforehand- especially when dealing with real money!
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