Rules, real RTPs, common mistakes, basic strategy and bankroll tips for the main casino games. Written in plain British English by our editorial team — no jargon, no inflated win promises, just what you actually need to know before sitting down at a table or hitting spin.
Blackjack has the lowest house edge of any casino game when played with basic strategy — around 0.5% in standard rules. That's why we list it first.
Goal: beat the dealer's hand without exceeding 21. Cards 2-10 count their face value, face cards count 10, aces count 1 or 11. You're dealt two cards face up; the dealer gets one up and one down. Hit (take another card), Stand (keep what you have), Double (double your bet and take exactly one more card), Split (separate paired cards into two hands), Surrender (give up half your bet on bad starting totals).
RTP for Mr Punter blackjack tables sits in the 99.0-99.6% range depending on variant, deck count and rule set. The classic Single Deck Blackjack is the highest-RTP option in the catalogue.
The version you pick matters more than any betting system.
No betting system (Martingale, Fibonacci, D'Alembert, paroli) overcomes the house edge — every spin is independent. Bet sizing controls variance, not edge. If you want lower variance, stick to outside even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low). If you want bigger swings, place inside number bets.
Baccarat looks intimidating because of the squeeze ritual and the side scoresheet. The actual decision is one of three buttons.
Two hands are dealt — Player and Banker. You bet on which hand will be closer to 9 (or tie). Cards 2-9 are face value, 10s and faces count 0, aces count 1. Drawing rules are automatic. Banker bet has the lowest house edge (1.06%) but pays out at 0.95 to 1 because of commission. Player bet pays 1 to 1 with a 1.24% house edge. Tie bet pays 8 to 1 (or 9 to 1) but has a 14%+ house edge — never bet the tie.
The only baccarat advice that matters: bet Banker every hand, or Player every hand. Never the tie. Stop chasing patterns — every shoe is independent.
Slots have the highest house edge of mainstream casino games (4-5% on a typical 95-96% RTP slot) and the lowest skill component. The only player-side decisions are RTP, volatility, bet size and when to stop.
Megaways is a slot mechanic from Big Time Gaming, licensed to dozens of other studios.
Standard slots have a fixed number of paylines. Megaways slots change the number of symbols on each reel every spin (typically 2-7), so the number of ways to win varies dynamically — usually up to 117,649 ways per spin (7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 117,649). Most Megaways slots include cascading reels (winning symbols disappear, new ones drop in) and a free spins bonus with an unlimited multiplier.
The big Megaways slots at Mr Punter include Bonanza Megaways (the original BTG title), Extra Chilli, Buffalo King Megaways, Madame Destiny Megaways and Temple Tumble Megaways. RTPs cluster around 96%, volatility tends to be high.
No matter the game, the only real advantage you have is bet sizing and session control:
Blackjack, played with correct basic strategy, sits around 0.5% house edge on standard rules — the lowest of any mainstream casino game. French roulette (with La Partage) drops to 1.35% on even-money bets. Baccarat Banker bet is 1.06%. Slots and video poker vary but almost always sit higher (typically 3-5%). If you want to make your bankroll last, blackjack is the correct answer.
RTP (Return to Player) is the long-run theoretical percentage of stakes returned as wins over millions of spins/hands, published by the game provider and independently tested. A 96% RTP slot returns £96 for every £100 wagered on average over that huge sample. It says nothing about your next spin. Two hours at a 96% RTP slot can absolutely finish you 40% up or 60% down — RTP is a long-run baseline, not a session prediction.
No — not on any casino game. Every spin, hand or roulette wheel outcome is independent, and the house edge is baked into every wager. Martingale (doubling after a loss) works right up until you hit a losing streak that either bankrupts you or hits the table's max bet cap. Fibonacci, D'Alembert and Paroli are the same story dressed differently. Bet sizing controls variance; it does not create an edge.
Low volatility = frequent small wins, gentler bankroll drawdown, better for long sessions on a limited budget or clearing bonus wagering. High volatility = rare, larger wins, big bonus round potential, bigger swings — you can easily go 100+ spins without a hit, so it needs a bigger session bankroll (rule of thumb: 200x-500x your base bet). Match the volatility to your goal for the session, not the other way around.
Money you can afford to lose entirely without affecting bills, rent or savings. From that budget, base bets should be 1-2% per spin/hand: a £100 session runs on £1-£2 spins, not £10. Decide the stop-loss (where you walk away down) and the stop-win (where you cash out ahead) before you start the session and stick to them. Use the deposit and loss limits on the responsible gambling page if you know you struggle to stick to a self-imposed cap.
