Low risk: 1–3 mines
Most picks are safe and multipliers rise slowly. Good for learning the game and for long sessions on a small budget.
Mines on Stake: Rules, Risk and How the Multipliers Work
Mines is one of the most played Stake Originals, the in-house games that made the Stake casino famous among crypto players. This guide explains the 5×5 grid, how the number of mines changes each multiplier, the 1% house edge and how to verify every round. Play Mines on Stake, set your risk level before the first click and earn Daily Races points with each bet — the races are one of the Stake bonuses open to every player.
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How to play Mines
| Developer | Stake (Stake Original) |
|---|---|
| Grid | 5×5 — 25 tiles |
| Mines | You choose 1 to 24 |
| House edge | ~1% (RTP ~99%) |
| Modes | Manual and Auto |
| Fairness | Provably fair (server seed, client seed, nonce) |
- Set your bet Enter the amount you want to play for this round. The money comes from your Wallet balance — see our Stake deposit guide if it is empty.
- Choose the number of mines Anywhere from 1 to 24. The rest of the 25 tiles are gems.
- Start the round and reveal tiles Click any tile. A gem raises your multiplier; a mine ends the round and the bet is lost.
- Cash out whenever you like After any safe pick you can take your bet × the current multiplier. You can also use "Random pick" to let the game choose a tile.
The positions of the mines are fixed at the start of each round by the provably fair system. Clicking order, speed or "hot" corners make no difference.
How multipliers grow with risk
The multiplier for each step is simply the inverse of the probability of surviving to that point, reduced by the 1% house edge. More mines means each pick is less likely to be safe — so it pays more.
| Mines on board | Safe picks | Chance of getting there | Multiplier (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 96% | 1.03x |
| 1 | 5 | 80% | 1.24x |
| 3 | 1 | 88% | 1.13x |
| 3 | 3 | ~67% | 1.48x |
| 3 | 5 | ~50% | 2.00x |
| 10 | 1 | 60% | 1.65x |
| 10 | 3 | ~20% | 5.00x |
| 24 | 1 | 4% | 24.75x |
Illustrative values calculated from the probabilities and a 1% house edge. The game shows the exact multiplier for your next pick before you click — always rely on that.
Notice the pattern: in every row, chance × multiplier comes to about 0.99. Whether you play 1 mine and cash out early or 24 mines and go for one tile, the long-run return is the same. What changes is variance — how big and how rare the wins are. For comparison, popular Stake slots such as Gates of Olympus publish an RTP of about 96.50%.
An example round, step by step
To see how the decisions feel in practice, here is an illustrative round with a ₹100 bet and 3 mines. The figures follow the table above; they are not a prediction.
- Pick 1 — gem 22 of 25 tiles were safe (88%). The cash-out value is now about ₹113.
- Pick 2 — gem 21 of the remaining 24 tiles were safe. Cash-out value about ₹129.
- Pick 3 — gem 20 of 23 were safe. Cash-out value about ₹148. The chance that the next tile is also safe is 19 of 22, roughly 86%.
- The decision Cash out and keep ₹148, or risk all of it for the next step. With each pick the chance of hitting a mine grows, because fewer gems are left among the hidden tiles.
The key point: each extra pick risks the whole accumulated amount, not just the original ₹100. That is why many players decide their stopping point before the round starts.
Choosing your risk level
Medium risk: 4–10 mines
Each pick matters. A few safe tiles already give a meaningful multiplier, but losing rounds come often.
High risk: 11–24 mines
Most rounds are lost on the first or second pick. Wins are rare and large. Only with small bets you are ready to lose.
Provably fair in Mines
Like other Stake Originals, Mines uses a server seed (shown to you only as a hash until you rotate it), your client seed and a nonce that increases by one each bet. Together they determine where the mines are placed before you click anything. To verify a round, open the Fairness settings, rotate your seed pair so that the previous server seed is revealed, and enter the server seed, client seed and nonce in Stake's verifier or an independent one. The calculated mine positions should match what you saw on the board. A full step-by-step walkthrough is on our Stake casino page.
Auto mode
Auto mode repeats the same pattern for many rounds without clicking:
- Pick the tiles you want revealed every round (the multiplier for that many picks is shown).
- Number of bets — how many rounds to run, or unlimited.
- On win / on loss — keep the bet the same, or change it by a percentage.
- Stop on profit / stop on loss — the most important fields; set both.
Auto mode is efficient but fast. Increasing the bet after losses ("on loss +100%") is a Martingale system and can drain a balance very quickly during a losing run.
Mines compared with other Originals
| Game | Your decision | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Mines | Number of mines and when to stop, pick by pick | ~1% |
| Plinko | Rows and risk level, then the result is instant | ~1% |
| Dice / Limbo | Win chance or target multiplier | ~1% |
| Crash | When to cash out as a shared multiplier rises, as in Aviator | 1% |
Mines is the most interactive of the group: every round involves several choices, which makes it engaging but also slower to play manually. It also works well on a phone, as the grid fits a small screen and tiles are easy to tap in the mobile browser.
Practical tips
Sensible habits
- Try the demo to understand how fast multipliers rise
- Decide your cash-out point (e.g. after 3 picks) before the round
- Use fixed bets and stop-loss limits in auto mode
- Change your client seed whenever you like — it costs nothing
Common mistakes
- "One more tile" after deciding to cash out
- Believing in patterns or "safe" corners
- Raising the mine count to win back losses
- Using "Mines predictor" apps — they cannot know the seed and are often scams
A ~1% house edge is low, but it is still a cost on every bet, and fast rounds add up. Play only with money you can afford to lose and take breaks; our responsible gaming guide has practical tools.
FAQ
How many mines should I choose?
There is no best number. The long-run return is about 99% at any setting; fewer mines give smaller, more frequent wins, more mines give rarer, bigger ones. Choose what fits your budget.
Can Stake move the mines after I click?
No. Mine positions are fixed by the server seed, client seed and nonce before the round, and you can verify them after rotating your seed pair.
Do Mines predictor apps or bots work?
No. They cannot see the unrevealed server seed. Many are designed to steal accounts or sell subscriptions. Play only on the real site or through the browser-based Stake app shortcut.
Can I play Mines for free?
Stake Originals, including Mines, can usually be played in demo mode with virtual credit.
What is the house edge in Stake Mines?
Around 1%, which corresponds to an RTP of roughly 99%. Our Stake review covers the casino and sportsbook as a whole.