Classic Hi Lo is a simple wagering game offered at online casinos like Virgin Casino. It consists of 49 bingo type balls numbered from 1 to 49. Balls are drawn randomly and players have to predict whether the next ball will be of a higher number or of a lower number. The payouts are not uniform. If the existing number is say 44. Then the chance of drawing a higher number is low and therefore the payout is high. The chance of drawing a lower number is high and therefore the payout is low.
The game is played as follows. The first number is generated to start the game. The software also declares the payout for calling a higher number and succeeding and also the payout for calling a lower number and succeeding. Based on the last number and the two payouts the player has to decide his wager. If the player guesses wrong he loses the wager. If the player guesses right the payout gets added to his wagered amount. With the new number as the base the software declares the two payouts and again the player has to decide which way he wants to wager. This time he has the choice to collect the accumulated amount and end the game.
It needs to be spelt out up front that the two payouts are so determined that the mathematical expectation of the two wagers are equal. Lower probabilities of occurrence are compensated by higher payouts and hence the product is equalized. The question before new players is what kind of strategy to adopt in the case of the Classic Hi Lo game. This article describes two conservative strategies that new players can use.
The first strategy is to set a target as a multiple of the initial bet amount and then wager on the outcome with the higher probability of occurring. A target of double the initial wager is reasonable. For a starting wager of $10 the target would be $20. There are 49 numbers in the game and therefore 25 is the central number. There are 24 numbers below 25 and 24 numbers above 25. If the last number is less than 25 then wager on the next number being higher and if the last number is greater than 25 then wager on the next number being lower. Unless you lose the wager, collect when the accumulated amount first crosses $20.
This is not the most conservative strategy. The greatest risk arises when the last number is 25 or close to it. Say the last number is 27. The above strategy says to wager on the next number being lower. The probability of the next number being lower is 26/49, which is 53%. The probability of the next number being higher is 22/49, which is 45%. The difference between these probabilities is not significant. A more conservative approach is to collect when the last number is a central number. For example players may define numbers between 16 and 34 as central numbers. Then the strategy would be as follows. If the last number is 15 or less then wager on the next number being higher. If the last number is between 16 and 34 then collect the accumulated amount, no matter how small. If the last number is 35 or more then wager on the next number being higher.
No strategy in Classic Hi Lo can guarantee a win. However, the conservative strategies outlined above will ensure that players do not lose their bankroll in a jiffy.
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