Try Hi-Lo on play money
Guess higher or lower and chain multipliers, cash out any time.Theoretical return 99% per decision · up to 11.88×
Hi-Lo in short
Hi-Lo is a card game with one decision, repeated: a card is on the table and you call whether the next one is higher or lower. A correct call multiplies your chain, a wrong one ends the round. You can cash out after any call.
Unlike most fast games, Hi-Lo has a decision with real content: a three on the table means "higher" is nearly certain, a queen means "higher" is nearly hopeless. The game tells you exactly how likely your call is, through the multiplier.
Which does not mean the decision buys you an edge. Every multiplier is priced exactly right — minus one percent. The full table is below.
How a round works
- Bet and opening card. You stake, and a card is turned over.
- Call. Higher or lower. The multiplier is shown before you decide.
- New card. A correct call multiplies the chain and continues. A wrong one ends the round and the stake is gone.
- Push. If the new card matches the rank, nobody wins or loses — the card is replaced and your call still stands.
Multiplier table: what each rank pays
Ace is low, king is high. The multiplier is 0.99 ÷ the chance of being right.
| Card on the table | "Higher" chance | "Higher" pays | "Lower" chance | "Lower" pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | 100% | 0.99× | 0% | — |
| 2 | 91.7% | 1.08× | 8.3% | 11.88× |
| 3 | 83.3% | 1.19× | 16.7% | 5.94× |
| 4 | 75.0% | 1.32× | 25.0% | 3.96× |
| 5 | 66.7% | 1.49× | 33.3% | 2.97× |
| 6 | 58.3% | 1.70× | 41.7% | 2.38× |
| 7 | 50.0% | 1.98× | 50.0% | 1.98× |
| 8 | 41.7% | 2.38× | 58.3% | 1.70× |
| 9 | 33.3% | 2.97× | 66.7% | 1.49× |
| 10 | 25.0% | 3.96× | 75.0% | 1.32× |
| Jack | 16.7% | 5.94× | 83.3% | 1.19× |
| Queen | 8.3% | 11.88× | 91.7% | 1.08× |
| King | 0% | — | 100% | 0.99× |
The push is what keeps the table honest
Notice the probabilities are not taken over the whole deck. With a three showing, there are thirteen ranks minus three that are higher — yet "higher" reads 83.3%, which is ten twelfths, not ten thirteenths.
The reason is the push. When a matching rank arrives your call does not resolve at all: nobody wins or loses, the card is replaced and play continues. So there are really twelve outcomes that count, not thirteen.
That sounds like a technicality, but it is exactly where many Hi-Lo implementations go wrong. Price a call against thirteen ranks while a push is a free re-deal for the player, and every step pays about seven percent too much — the game starts producing a profit for the player. This demo's table is priced against twelve, which gives the intended 99%.
The chain: why nine correct calls is not worth 99%
Every step returns 99%. A chain multiplies them. Decide before the round that you will go five steps and only then cash out, and your expected return is 0.99⁵ = 95.1%.
| Steps in a row | Total return | Total house edge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99.0% | 1.0% |
| 2 | 98.0% | 2.0% |
| 3 | 97.0% | 3.0% |
| 5 | 95.1% | 4.9% |
| 8 | 92.3% | 7.7% |
| 10 | 90.4% | 9.6% |
This is the most important number in Hi-Lo and it is written down nowhere. The game says "99%", but that holds per decision. A ten-step chain is a 90% game — worse than a slot.
The practical consequence: the shorter the chain, the better the deal. Anyone who wants a big multiplier can buy it more cheaply in a single decision — "lower" on a queen pays 11.88× not by accident, but because that is the correct price.
Where to play Hi-Lo for real money
Hi-Lo is common at crypto casinos and in fast-game sections. The same higher-or-lower mechanic also drives the gamble feature in many slots, where a win can be risked to double it.
Other demos
The same compounding applies in tower. Among card games, blackjack is available — the lowest house edge in the casino. All are collected in the games hub.