The leading software providers to Australian online casinos are Microgaming and Playtech. They provide additional features in their online pokies in order to make the games more interesting. Some of these features are independent of the online pokie game play. The Gamble Game is one of them. The essence of the Gamble Game is as follows. You stake the payouts from the online pokie spin in a game of chance that will multiply the payout if you win. However, if you lose in the Gamble Game, then your payouts from the pokies spin will be forfeited. The Gamble Game is played differently in the Microgaming and the Playtech online pokies.
In the Microgaming Gamble Game you have to wager the total payout from the spin. You can choose one from two options. You can try to guess the color of the next card dealt. If you succeed then the payout will be doubled. Or you can try to guess the suit of the next card dealt. If you succeed then the payout will be quadrupled.
The Playtech Gamble Game lets you either stake either your entire payout from the pokies spin or stake half the payout and collect the remaining half. The second option is a good middle path. You are assured of retaining at least some portion of your winnings, even if you lose the Gamble Game. And you can use half the payout to try and make extra cash. In the Playtech Gamble Game you will be dealt one card face up and four cards face down. You have to pick one of the face down cards. If it is higher ranked than the face up card then you win and the staked amount is doubled.
There are some important facts about the Gamble Game that are common to both software providers. The Gamble Game is optional. You do not have to play it. You can collect your payout and move to the next spin. The Gamble Game offers mathematically correct odds. There is no house edge for the online casinos in this feature. The winnings from the Gamble Game can again be staked. You can repeat this process till the limit specified in the online pokie is reached. Whether or not you should activate the Gamble Game depends on your risk taking propensity and your expected return. But if you have recovered more your wager in the online pokie spin, it does not make sense to activate the Gamble Game.