If you look up information about the Thimbles numbers, you'll find a lot of conflicting figures. One website states the multiplier is 2.88x, another says it's 2.91x, one gives an RTP of 96%, another 97% and a third 85%. Some of the sources mention three, four or five cups, or multipliers as high as 10x. They can't all be correct, and most of them are not referring to the game that 1xBet actually operates.
The article adopts an alternative method: it makes use of the figures displayed on the official 1xBet game pages, namely 2.91x for a single ball and 1.45x for two balls, and calculates all the other figures using the mathematics which you can verify for yourself. In cases where the figure is our own calculation and not one published by 1xBet, it is marked as such. Since 1xBet does not provide an official RTP for Thimbles, the return figures listed below are derived from the multipliers and not directly quoted from the operator.
Eventually you'll find out the true odds, the cost of the game per 100 rounds, the degree of streakiness in each mode, why different websites give different figures, and what can and cannot be said about fairness; however, since the figures may change you should always check them against those in your own game window.
Key numbers at a glance
| Mode | Win Chance | Multiplier | Implied RTP | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ball | 33.3% | 2.91x | 97.0% | 3.0% |
| 2 balls | 66.7% | 1.45x | ≈96.7% | ≈3.3% |
- The official RTP has not been published by 1xBet; the RTP and house edge mentioned above are inferred from the multipliers.
- The way in which the results are obtained is through the use of a random number generator as stated on the official website.
Only people aged 18 and over are allowed. Since gambling entails a risk of loss, it should not be considered a means of earning money.
How to Calculate Thimbles RTP Yourself
RTP is the return to player: it is the proportion of the stakes which a game pays back on average over a large number of rounds. In the case of a game such as Thimbles, where both the probability of winning and the payout are known, you can calculate it in a single line:
RTP = chance of winning × multiplier
Here are both modes:
- For one ball the calculation is 1/3 × 2.91 = 0.97, which means the implied RTP is 97%.
- For two balls the calculation is 2/3 × 1.45 = 0.9667, which means the implied RTP is around 96.7%.
Simply put, when a large number of PKR is staked over an extended period, the game returns on average 97 PKR per 100 PKR in 1 ball mode and 96.7 PKR in 2 balls mode, the other amount — about 3 PKR in 1 ball mode and about 3.3 PKR in 2 balls mode — being the cost of playing.
It is necessary to interpret these figures correctly since they represent an average calculated over a very large number of rounds. They cannot be used to predict any one round or even any one evening; in a short session you may end up considerably above or below these figures, and whether the outcome is good or bad tells us nothing about the game behaving any differently.
Let me add one more thing regarding the origin of the figures. Since 1xBet doesn't give an official RTP for Thimbles, the values of 97% and 96.7% are estimated ones, having been calculated from the official multipliers of 2.91x and 1.45x. These figures are not provided by the operator. You will find other assertions on third-party websites, varying from around 85% to about 97%, and most of these include no source. Exercise caution whenever you come across an RTP that can't be traced to the operator or to an independent test report, and remember that the only figures which can be verified here are the multipliers listed on the game page.
House Edge in PKR: What 100 Rounds Cost on Average
The house advantage is the opposite of the RTP since it represents the portion of each stake that the game retains on average; in one ball mode it is around 3.0% and in two ball mode about 3.3%. These figures are indicated by the official multipliers. A percentage of that sort is easy to disregard, which is why it is given here in PKR for 100 rounds at a fixed stake:
| Stake per round | Total staked (100 rounds) | Avg cost (1 ball) | Avg cost (2 balls) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 PKR | 6,000 PKR | 180 PKR | ≈200 PKR |
| 300 PKR | 30,000 PKR | 900 PKR | ≈1,000 PKR |
| 800 PKR | 80,000 PKR | 2,400 PKR | ≈2,667 PKR |
What stands out is this: the cost increases in direct proportion to the total amount you stake, that is, to your turnover. If you double your stake, the average cost also doubles, and if you double the number of rounds, the average cost does the same.
Secondly, Thimbles rounds are extremely quick. In a short period of time one hundred rounds can be completed and the turnover turns out to be much faster than it appears. A player who places 300 PKR on each round has in fact put 30,000 PKR into the game after 100 rounds, even if their balance never seemed high.
They are average figures, not forecasts; in an actual session, results can vary considerably from these averages — you might lose a lot more than the amount given in the table or you might finish ahead. The table illustrates the cost of playing over a long period, which is the reason why the total amount you stake is more important than any individual bet.
Volatility: Losing Streaks and Win Frequency in Each Mode
RTP indicates the average cost of a game, while volatility shows how bumpy the ride is. Thimbles has two very different profiles, the difference arising solely from how frequently each mode wins.
In 1 ball mode you win one out of every three rounds on average, which means that a typical win occurs after about three rounds, although there is a great deal of variation. In 2 balls mode you win two out of every three rounds, so wins come frequently but only yield 1.45 times the stake.
The best way to see the difference is to examine losing streaks. The table below gives the probability of losing a certain number of rounds in a row, beginning with any round you choose:
| Consecutive losses | 1 ball mode | 2 balls mode |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 29.6% | 3.7% |
| 5 | 13.2% | 0.4% |
| 10 | 1.7% | ≈0.002% |
In 1 ball mode, having three losses in a row is equivalent to a one-in-three occurrence and five in a row occurs more than once in every eight cases; in 2 balls mode, long losing streaks are uncommon, but each loss costs a complete stake while each win only adds 0.45 of a stake.
When looking at the table, there is one point to bear in mind: the odds given refer to a particular sequence beginning at this moment. If you consider a long session, you are not merely looking at a single sequence but at a number of sequences that overlap, and therefore a streak which is unlikely at any one time becomes much more likely to occur at some point during the session. Although ten consecutive losses in 1 ball mode are rare at any given time, they are not surprising after hundreds of rounds have been played.
The option with one ball has the higher variance and that with two balls has the lower variance. Both possess the same fundamental characteristic, namely a negative expected value, as the earlier sections have demonstrated. Although lower variance makes a session seem smoother, it does not make it cheaper.
The Figures Online Don't Agree: 2.91x Instead of 2.88x, 3 Cups Rather Than 5
One of the reasons for the confusion is this simple fact: there are several different games with the name Thimbles; although they appear similar, they are produced by different studios and have different numbers.
| Game | Provider | Multipliers | RTP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thimbles (on 1xBet) | 1xGames, 1xBet's in-house studio | 2.91x / 1.45x | Not published; implied ≈97% / ≈96.7% |
| Thimbles (Evoplay) | Evoplay | 2.88x / 1.44x | 96%, as published by the provider |
| King Thimbles | Pixmove | Not compared here | 95%, as listed by a review site |
The most frequent misunderstanding comes from the Evoplay version, since the figures it lists — 2.88x, 1.44x and 96% RTP — appear on a great many casino catalogues and on demo pages, and some affiliate websites wrongly assign them to the 1xBet game. If a website states that the 1xBet version is based on Evoplay or offers 2.88x returns, then it is actually referring to a different game.
The other figures you might come across do not at all match those on the official 1xBet website. Some of the articles talk about modes featuring three, four or five cups, with multipliers like 3.84x or 4.80x, or with payouts amounting to "up to 10x". However, none of these are present on the official 1xBet game page and we have not been able to find any source for them.
What can you do to guard yourself against this? The best rule is to rely on the figures displayed in your own game window since these refer to the rounds that you actually play. If a figure does not state where it comes from, treat it as unconfirmed and remember that any figures obtained from third-party websites, such as the ones from Evoplay and Pixmove mentioned above, should be verified by referring to the provider's own website before you use them.
Is the Thimbles Game Rigged? RNG, Fairness and What Can Be Verified
One of the most frequently asked questions concerning the game is whether Thimbles is rigged or fake, and it calls for a careful response. It is helpful to distinguish between two different things.
The first type is the street version. Traditional shell games rely on sleight of hand: the operator moves the ball out of sight so that the player is never given a real opportunity; it is this practice that has given rise to the game's bad reputation. The second version is the online one, and it operates in a different way. As the official 1xBet website states, the results are produced by a random number generator and in each round the position of the ball is set at random. There is no hand that can be used to trick the player's eye. Moreover, the game does not have to cheat in order to make a profit, since the cost of playing is clearly included in the multipliers: 2.91x and 1.45x pay only slightly less than what would be expected in a perfectly fair game, as the earlier sections demonstrated.
It is possible to verify some things and not others; with respect to Evoplay's Thimbles there is a player-side check based on a hash which enables you to verify a round after it has been played. However, we were not able to confirm that such a feature is available in the 1xGames version. This implies that you cannot independently verify the individual rounds of the 1xBet game in the same manner and that you have to depend on the operator's own systems.
There are still practical things you can do:
- Make sure to keep your record of your bets and examine it over a long period of time rather than just looking at it over one evening.
- You should compare your long-term results with the implied RTP of about 97% and 96.7%, although this only has any significance after a very large number of rounds since short-term results can vary greatly.
- Look at the "Fairness & RNG Testing Methods" policy page that the 1xBet website provides and verify the contents of the page regarding this game.
The only limitation is that we have not come across independent certification of the 1xGames Thimbles RNG, and we are not asserting that such certification exists either. It has not been confirmed in either direction.
What the Data Means for Your Play
The brief version of all that is given above, with no advice regarding what to bet.
The two options cost roughly the same; on average, 1 ball retains about 3.0% of the amount staked and 2 balls retains about 3.3%. These percentages can be deduced from the official multipliers, since 1xBet does not publish an official RTP. Although 1 ball returns very slightly more per PKR staked, this difference is minor and is accompanied by much larger fluctuations, including losing streaks which are common rather than rare. 2 balls appears to be smoother since it involves frequent small wins and only rare long dry spells, but it does not cost less.
What matters most is the total amount that you bet. Expected loss increases directly with turnover and since the rounds take place quickly, a short session can add up to a large turnover. Just as clearly, an increased stake, more rounds, or a longer session each raise the average cost in the same way.
Finally, the data gives no pattern to exploit. Each round is generated randomly, earlier results do not affect later ones, and no cup, mode or timing changes the odds. If you are interested in other games with different odds profiles on 1xBet, see our data breakdowns for Plinko, Aviator and Chicken Road.
Only people aged 18 or over are allowed. Gambling regulations vary from country to country: online gambling with real money is banned in Pakistan and India, and in Sri Lanka a local licence is required for digital gambling. Make sure to check the rules in your own country and comply with them. Please gamble responsibly.
