Casino Edge
  1. Rules guide
  2. Glossary
  3. Variance

Variance

Also: swings

Casino games term

The spread of results around the expectation.

Correct decisions still lose in the short run. In video poker (Jacks or Better 9/6), while no royal flush comes, the house edge is about 2.4%, and losing over several thousand hands is normal. Judge decisions by EV, not by results.

Related terms

  • Downswing / UpswingA stretch of continued losing, and a stretch of continued winning.
  • Results-orientedThe mistake of judging a decision by its outcome.
  • EVThe average profit or loss if you repeated the decision.

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This page is for learning. It is for people 18 or older, does not encourage betting real money, and does not guarantee any result.