Why You Should Try Mines, the Stake Originals Casino Game

If you are interested in online casino games, you will find an ever-growing number of options to choose from, including games that vary significantly from conventional casino staples like blackjack and roulette. In fact, casino gamers now have more choice than ever before, so there is a greater chance of finding a game that resonates with you.One of the industry leaders powering this movement right now is Stake.com, which offers a collection of provably fair Stake Originals games, including Mines. This game takes inspiration from the classic game Minesweeper, which was bundled with a lot of operating systems, including Windows, throughout the 1990s and 2000s.In this article, we will take an in-depth look at what Stake.com's version of the game has to offer, explore why it is so popular right now and explain why you may want to start playing Mines yourself.

What is Mines?

The Stake Originals game Mines is a fresh take on the classic Minesweeper game, which you may be familiar with if you have ever bought a Windows PC. However, unlike the Microsoft version of the game, with Mines you play for money.The game is played on a 5x5 grid, so there are a total of 25 squares. Before starting the game, the player is able to choose the number of mines that will be on the grid; anywhere from one to 24. Each square on the grid is then assigned either a mine or a gem. However, as the player, you do not know which squares are gems and which are mines.The aim of the game is to select squares containing gems and avoid the squares with mines. Each gem you find increases your winnings, but if you select a square with a mine, the round ends and you lose your bet.

Why Has Mines Become So Popular?

Mines has become one of the most popular games on the Stake platform and has thousands of active players at any given time. So what are some of the underlying factors that are driving this popularity?

Easy to Understand

Online casino games can sometimes seem daunting, especially if there are lots of complex rules and you feel like the only player without prior experience. Mines stands out to many new players because it is easy to get to grips with. The game uses a clean 5x5 grid, has a simple, familiar premise and can be played easily on mobile devices.The game combines random chance with human control. While many players like to play out their individual games of Mines manually, there is also an automatic option available. This allows you to select the number of bets you want to place and then automatically play the games out, delivering a fast, hands-off experience.

Provably Fair Gameplay

A major obstacle for many players looking to get into online casino gaming is the issue of fairness. Lots of potential players have an understandable scepticism towards casino platforms and may not play because of this distrust. However, all of the games in the Stake Originals category, including Mines, are provably fair.This is achieved through a technology called cryptographic hashing, which ensures that random generator outcomes are genuinely random. The process is also able to be verified by third parties. As an additional protection, Stake.com is verified by the Crypto Gambling Foundation, which is committed to upholding provably fair gaming online.

Nostalgia for Minesweeper

Another key reason why Mines has emerged as one of the most popular Stake Originals is because it provides a familiar experience for people who remember Microsoft's version of Minesweeper. Although the two games are not identical, they follow the same premise, where you are trying to avoid clicking on a square containing a mine.One of the main ways Mines builds on the Minesweeper concept is by introducing financial risk and reward. Offering players the ability to increase earnings with each gem discovered and cash out before they click on a mine adds to the tension and strategy. By contrast, Minesweeper was a more casual experience, without high stakes.

Adjustable Risk

With Mines, you can choose the level of risk you want to take on. This is controlled not only through the amount of money you bet on the game, but also through your selection of the number of mines. A high number of mines is a risky game, with potential for high rewards, while a low number of mines is a much safer game, with lower rewards.Combining these different controls, you can play an ultra-high-risk game by betting a large amount of money on a game with 24 mines on the grid, or you can play an ultra-safe game by betting a relatively small amount on a game with one or two mines, then cashing out after a few clicks. Such customisation helps the game appeal to all kinds of players.

Low House Edge

With casino games, the advantage the casino has over players is referred to as the house edge. This edge explains how casinos make money over time. To provide an example, it is common for casino games like American roulette to have around a 5% house edge. This means that, over time, for every $100 spent on the game, players would lose $5. The Stake Originals version of Mines has a very low house edge of just 1%, so players lose just $1 over time for every $100 spent. Of course, in the short term, there is the potential for significant winnings from individual players. A 1% house edge is considered very low, making Mines one of the fairest casino games out there.

How to Play Mines

If you want to check out the Stake Originals game Mines, you can do so by visiting Stake.com and navigating to the Stake Originals section. From there, you will find Mines easily, as it is one of the most popular games.The first decision you need to make is whether to play manually, where you select the individual tiles, or let the game play out automatically. Next, you need to select your wager. You will need to ensure you have a sufficient amount of currency deposited in your Stake account before you can place the bet.One of the biggest decisions you will make is how many mines to include in your game. The more mines you choose, the higher the risk of selecting a mine and losing your money. However, more mines also produces higher winnings. You can choose any number from one to 24 and these mines will be randomly allocated to the squares on the grid.Press the 'Bet' button and the game will start. You begin by selecting any square on the grid. If you uncover a gem, you can either cash out or continue and select another square. Each time you select a new gem, your winnings will increase. If you uncover a mine at any point in the game, you lose the round and lose your money.You can view your current profit at any stage, as well as the amount you will win if you choose to uncover another square and do so successfully. The game ends when you cash out, uncover all the gems, or uncover a mine.Essentially, the element of risk comes from how far you decide to push your luck. The earlier you cash out, the lower your winnings. Yet, if you push too far, you risk losing everything, so you need to choose wisely.

Common Mines Strategies

A great aspect of Mines is the way it combines chance with genuine player control. Although the placement of mines is random and whether you uncover a gem or a mine is based on luck, you do have control over how many mines are on the grid, how many squares you decide to uncover and how much money you want to bet.Therefore, there is a strategic element to the game and players often adopt some of the following approaches:

Balanced Risk

A common strategy is to try to find the middle ground between risk and reward. This will usually mean choosing somewhere in the region of five to ten mines and aiming to hit at least three or four gems before cashing out. In addition, it means betting a reasonable amount of money, but nothing too high.This strategy is popular because it attempts to find the perfect balance between making games worthwhile, risky and fun. When it pays off, you can still walk away with significant winnings. However, you generally avoid going too deep into a game and taking too many unnecessary chances with your money.

All or Nothing

The all or nothing strategy is ideal for thrill seekers who want to experience the adrenaline rush of gambling larger amounts of money on a risky game. It will usually involve selecting a high number of mines, right up to the maximum of 24, and then aiming for either one or two successful clicks before cashing out.An alternative to this approach is to bet a high amount of money and use a moderate amount of mines in your game, but aim to go deep into the game by uncovering plenty of gems. This will allow you to build up significant multipliers if you are successful, but your risk of losing everything increases the longer the game goes on.

Playing it Safe

The safest approach to Mines is to place small bets on a board containing a small number of mines. Generally, when playing it safe, people will select one or two mines on the board and will aim for a few successful gem selections before cashing out. This often results in fairly consistent wins, but small rewards.Such a conservative approach to gambling may not hold the same level of tension and there is no real potential for large wins, but it is a good option if you just want to enjoy the game in a low stakes way. It is also a perfectly valid approach for completely new players, who may want to play low-risk games before taking the next step.

Using a Set Pattern

Some players like to adopt a consistent approach to selecting squares on the grid. This could involve always beginning with the centre square or always choosing the corners first. Even though the board is random for each round of the game, a consistent approach does provide a level of structure to the selection process.Using a set pattern for each round can make gameplay quicker and helps to remove some of the agonising over decisions. As the game is genuinely random and provably fair, it also does not necessarily place you at any disadvantage. There is still an element of manual decision-making too, as you decide when to stop and cash out.

Established Systems

There are a number of established betting systems that can also be used with Mines to try to control your balance. For example, the Paroli system involves doubling your wager after each successful bet. In other words, you increase the amount you bet on the next round every time you earn a profit from a round. If you lose a round, you return to your starting wager. The aim here is to try to maximise your profits when you are on a win streak.An alternative is the Martingale system, where you double your wager every time you lose. So, with Mines, you would double the amount you bet every time you hit a Mine. The idea with this is to try to build consistent wins, then recoup any losses quickly. It is a risky approach, however, and chasing losses is generally not advisable. These systems should be used with care and you should set a maximum limit to avoid running up significant losses.

Conclusion

Stake's Mines game is one of the most popular online casino experiences today, operating a provably fair system, with 99% of money wagered being returned to players over the long-term. This makes it a great option for even the most sceptical players, while the simplicity of the game is perfect for newcomers.Many people are already familiar with Minesweeper, which uses very similar rules. However, the addition of financial stakes creates extra tension and you can control the level of risk and reward involved. As an added benefit, the game uses a clean and simple grid, which is mobile-friendly, making it easy to play on any device.