Guess the Cup

Guess the Cup (iMoon) Game Review

The classic 3-cup hustle played by street artists and carnival tricksters has now arrived at your local online casino, courtesy of game provider iMoon. Guess the Cup doesn’t do anything new or fancy with this concept, so don’t expect bonus rounds, bonus games, or massive jackpots here. Instead, you can look forward to a relaxing cup shuffling session in a fancy uptown club setting. It’s only you and the invisible dealer, as you can see for yourself in the Guess the Cup free play demo above.

The cups shuffle automatically as you fire up the game, but you can reshuffle them if you want to play with a different bet level. Speaking of, you can choose bet levels between €1 and €100 per round, and each shuffle takes around 5-7 seconds. Once the cups are good and shuffled, it’s all up to you which of the 3 cups you pick as the potential winner. Once you’ve made your pick, the cup containing the ball is revealed.

Guess the Cup - Game Screen

If you picked the correct cup, you win 2.5x your stake, and then the cups reshuffle for the next round. Keep in mind that you’ll be dealing with an RTP of 83.33% in Guess the Cup, which is significantly lower than most slot and casino games. This is because the 2.5x payout you can win is well below the true odds of 3x your stake, and unlike most slots and casino games, there are no other payouts than the 2.5x max win (if we can call it that).

If you’re looking for a minimalist and repetitive gambling session with few, if any, surprises, Guess the Cup is a great choice. The shuffling of the cups has an almost hypnotic effect after a while, and it’s a relaxing game to wind down with after a stressful day. It’s also a great palate cleanser between video slot sessions, and speaking strictly for me, it felt like a relief to return to a feature-rich video slot after testing this game.

Guess the Cup Features & How To Play

While there are no bonus features, free spins, or bonus games to be found in Guess the Cup iMoon, we’ll walk you through how to play this game in this section. You may notice that the cups are shuffled before you’ve had the time to choose your bet level, but don’t worry, as you can change your bet level and reshuffle the cups as many times as you want.

You are not obligated to select a cup until you feel ready, but keep in mind that you will be forced to watch the full shuffle animation each time you hit the Shuffle button. It goes on for quite a while, so it’s probably better to find a bet level you are happy with and stick to it for most of your session. While we are on the subject, you should be aware that the bet levels double from €1 to €100, which restricts player freedom and may potentially discourage penny punters.

Guess the Cup - Game Screen

Of course, it’s also important to realize that, unlike a real-world cup shuffle game, there are no visual clues in Guess the Cup. You do not get to see which cup contains the ball as the shuffle starts, so it’s impossible to track this cup with your eyes in an attempt to “cheat the game.” It’s all up to the random number generator, giving you a 1 in 3 probability of winning each round.

To make your pick, simply click on the cup you believe contains the ball, which sets the stage for the great reveal. The cup containing the ball will then be lifted, whether it's the one you selected or not. If you selected the correct cup, your winnings will be paid, and the cups will be reshuffled automatically for the next round. The payout for a successful guess is 2.5x your stake.

Theme & Graphics

The Guess the Cup game takes you into a late-night disco, club, or fancy bar environment. It’s a bit hard to tell which it is since the backdrop is blurred. Anyway, the location is empty, so this means you’re the one staying behind to the bitter end to beat this cup wizardry. The 3 red plastic cups are placed on a small purple-felt table, serving as the game area for this classic shell game. If there was any doubt, the game’s sole objective is stated clearly below the table: “Find the ball and win 2.5x your bet!”

Guess the Cup Free Play

If you want to test the free Guess the Cup demo, it’s available at the top of this review page. Simply scroll up there and hit the ‘Play Demo For Free’ button to get started right away. You already understand how the game works, so you will have no trouble easing right into it. Play as many rounds as you like to see if this game is for you, then consider one of our recommended casinos to play for real money. These are located directly below the Guess the Cup free play demo, making it easy to make the jump when you feel ready.

Pros and Cons of Guess the Cup

Our Verdict

Well, what can I say? It’s always nice to try something new, I guess, even if it’s based on an age-old concept. Guess the Cup would’ve benefitted from a bit of humanization, though, and the empty disco/bar location does this game no favors. A fairground setting with a sly hustler shuffling the cups would’ve been more fun, but, understandably, iMoon probably wanted to keep the budget at a minimum for a simple release like this.

And simple it is, if there was any doubt about that at this point. You watch the cups being shuffled, and then you make your pick to see if you win. The only thing that varies is your choice of bet level and whether or not you pick the winning cup. It’s a bit restrictive that the bet levels start as high as €1, and not least, that they double in increments up to €100. Seems strange to exclude risk-averse players and penny punters from enjoying this game, as it will hardly appeal to most high rollers anyway.

It boils down to a 1 in 3 chance of winning 2.5x your stake, which can only be described as poor odds. This leaves you with a horribly low RTP of only 83.33%, which will drain your bankroll rather quickly, depending on your budget and bet level. You could be chasing life-changing jackpots with a significantly higher RTP, for example, instead of the measly returns you get in this Guess the Cup game. And this brings us to the main issue with this game: the lack of features and excitement.

With a bit of fantasy and willingness, Guess the Cup could’ve been so much more. iMoon could’ve included increasing winning streak multipliers and consolation prizes hidden under some of the cups. These are just a few ideas at the top of my head, but the opportunities are endless. Instead, they went for a straightforward shell game with nothing extra. It may have a nostalgic appeal for some players, but the math model is designed to rob you blind without the opportunity for larger payouts.