Minimum Wagering Limits in Table Games

4 Comments   Email   Print

In most online casinos games like roulette, blackjack and other card games are classified as table games. These games specify the minimum amount that has to be wagered in a single bet and the maximum amount that can be wagered in a single bet. This information is provided somewhere on the game layout. These limits are not arbitrarily chosen limits but have some rationale.

In land-based casinos one important reason for specifying the minimum wager is to segregate high rollers from low rollers. For example there are blackjack tables that have a minimum limit of $5 and other blackjack tables that have a minimum limit of $50. This ensures that players who want to wager $5 per bet do not sit at the same table as players who want to wager at least $50 per bet. This gives the high rollers a sense of exclusiveness, which is due to them. However this reasoning does not apply in online casinos because in online casinos every player plays alone.

But there still exists a valid reason for the specification of a minimum table limit. Online casinos, just like other business ventures, require a minimum turnover in order to meet their profit targets. If they allow players to place bets of extremely low amounts then they will not meet their targeted turnovers and profits and may not even cover the cost of maintaining a real money account for that player. Hence they have to specify a minimum wager limit for each game.

There is a practical side to the specification of minimum limits that new players should be aware of. What happens if a player places a wager that is less than the minimum limits specified for that game? Ideally the casino software should be so programmed as to refuse to accept that wager and prevent the game from proceeding. But what happens in many games is something totally different. The amount of the wager is automatically adjusted to the minimum specified amount and a text message is displayed on the screen. The game can then proceed normally.

The online casino has discharged its liability by pointing out to the player that his bet has been increased to the minimum limit. But what if the player fails to take cognizance of this text message in his eagerness to continue with the game or for any other reason? Let us assume that the minimum wager specified by the online casino is $5 in game of blackjack. The player places a wager of $1, which is automatically adjusted to $5. The player fails to read that text message, or notice that his balance has been reduced by a larger amount or notice that the chip denomination in the betting area is $5 and not $1. He plays the blackjack hand and loses. He is down by $5 instead of by $1. Now let us assume that the player still fails to notice the adjustment to the bet and clicks on the "Rebet and Deal" button. Again he wagers $5, while being in the impression that he is wagering $1. If the player loses five games he is down by $25 instead of being down by $5.

Very few players will perhaps not realize that they are wagering larger amounts than they intended to. However it is prudent to instill a practice of checking the minimum and maximum table limits before starting wagering.

Article Tools

 Email     Print     Digg     Del.icio.us    StumbleUpon

Comments

 Add Comment

Add Comment

More Articles