If you have taken so many bad beats while playing poker online, it is only natural to find yourself asking if online poker is rigged. But the answer is simple; online poker is not rigged.
However, you may be experiencing too many beats because of the volatility of poker and the unpredictability of the game.
Continue reading as we expand on how and why we say poker is not rigged and what may be the reasons behind your lost bets.
Is Online Poker Rigged?
Believing online poker is rigged would be easier than considering the obvious; you are just losing because you had a band hand or hands. But the fact remains. Poker is not rigged.
The casinos and slot sites would not benefit from rigging poker; they are subject to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) regulations, which prohibits fixing casino games in any way. The outcome must be random, fair and unpredictable. If a casino, brick-and-mortar or online, were found to be rigging casino games, they would lose their license.
The house edge is the amount of money the casino expects to receive from the games it offers. It allows casinos to make profits from providing casino games by taking minimal percentages from said games. For poker, this can be around 0.46%.
Besides, all the casino games are created with a Random Number Generator (RNG), which keeps everything fair and random across boards.
Why Are There So Many Bad Beats In Online Poker?
Taking a bad beat from playing poker is one of the reasons why players tend to think online poker is rigged. A bad beat is when you have a really good hand and believe you will win but lose to an even higher hand. You can see how that can be very frustrating and raise questions about the fairness of the game.
Although there are reasons why you may think you are seeing bad beats more frequently in online poker, we want to stress that the odds are still the same as in physical casino poker.
Perhaps the social aspect of a physical casino may distract you from noticing the bad beats, whereas online, it is just you and the computer. But, the odds of winning or losing are the same, regardless of where you are playing the game.
Another reason would be the speed at which online poker is played. As a result, you may see more hands in a shorter amount of time compared to a land-based casino. That may increase the chance of getting a bad beat because you play more hands and have more opportunities of getting a bad beat.
Is Online Poker Truly Random?
The short answer is yes. You have nothing to worry about if you are playing your poker game from a fully-license and reputable online casino such as Wizard Slots. These sites use trustworthy RNG software to ensure that their poker games and all other casino games on the site remain fair and truly random.
RNGs are computer chips designed to generate vast quantities of random number sequences every second that cannot be predicted by anyone, including the casino. That then leads to the outcome of each hand being truly random.
However, you might think, "But, what if the RNGs are also rigged to favour the casino?"
Well, all online casinos or poker rooms also have third-party auditing companies that review their RNG software to ensure that it is functioning correctly and meeting a stipulated threshold of unpredictability. These companies are independent and can be found on the casino's website.
If the online casino website does not mention regulating bodies and certifications, then they are likely not a legit casino, and it may be unsafe to use them.
Another reason why online casinos would not rig their online poker rooms is that they stand to gain by ensuring their games are fair. They need to be trustworthy in order to keep attracting players. As a player, you are much more likely to keep playing your poker games at a casino you trust than the one you suspect of rigging your games.
How Do Casinos Make Money From Poker?
Since poker is a game where players are wagering against each other, it's only fair to wonder how casinos make money from poker if they are not rigging the games. The answer is they do this through something called a rake.
A rake is a fee that the casino takes for hosting the game. Think of it as a small tax percentage that is deducted from each pot or poker table. Online, this is done automatically from your bets, while brick-and-mortar casinos have various ways in which they take a rake. The rake amounts vary from casino to casino.
So, it does not matter how often you lose or less frequently you win; the house still makes a profit via the rake. Hence, they do not need to rig online poker.
While the rake may just be a small percentage, it can add up quickly with each poker table or game played in the casino. However, the rake is only legal in casino sites or poker rooms licensed to host poker games; otherwise, taking a rake would be illegal.
Conclusion
So, if you want to try your hand at poker but have been worried about trying online poker because you think it might be rigged, you can rest assured that the games are fair as long as you play from fully-licensed and regulated online casinos such as Wizard Slots.
Casinos have other ways of incentivising poker games, so they do not need to rig the games.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins, etc.) mentioned in relation to this game are subject to change at any time.