Moola.com Tips, Tricks, and Hints

Moola.com is a Canadian-based website where users can earn money by competing head-to-head against other players on competitive games. Watching a video advertisement is required to play the many, diverse games. It also allows users to earn cash back for shopping at specific stores as well as betting on sports. The currency used on the site is the Moola dollar that has no value until you cash-out.

Starting your Account

Since the very beginning, Moola has always had an invitation-only, registration system. Even though Moola has recently been lifted from Beta status, the invitation registration is still used. The good news? I currently have a few more invitations available. Please click on the link below:

http://www.moola.com/moopubs/b2b/exc/join.jsp?sid=4d6a59744d5441784d7a6b3d-2

On that page, enter your email address as well as the confirmation code (to deter spammers). You will receive an email from Moola almost immediately. Once you have completed the questionnaire in order to signup, you will need to upgrade your account to become verified. The verification process is completely free, safe a standard text messaging fee from your cellphone carrier. Navigate to the My Account page, then click on the "Upgrade my Account" link on the left. As long as you have a cellphone that has texting capabilities, you should be able to complete this process without any problems. The benefits of becoming a verified member are quite numerous as stated on the verification webpage.

After Moola that you have completed the verification process (usually within a a minute), then you can begin using your account to play games, bet on sports, join tournaments, complete cash back offers, and much more.

Tactics for Increasing Cash

Betting on Games

At first glance, it would seem that the best betting strategy is to bet all your money every time. You might figure that using this strategy over and over again, you will eventually hit a lucky streak and win the coveted $10,737,418.24. The issue with this strategy is that you won't. The basic strategy I recommend is making many small bets with occasional large bets. The hope is to have a constant, yet slow upward trend with occasional jumps up the ladder. The strategy takes patience but in the end, it almost guarantees a huge payout.

After you've won your first cent, bringing you to a commendable total of two cents, go ahead and bet those two cents. At this point in your climb up the ladder, losing all your money is no big deal. Once you've found yourself with four cents, bet those ones too. Then make a few small bets of one or two to get yourself above ten cents. There are a few good reasons to bet at levels below your maximum level. The most obvious reason is that it risks less of your money. Another reason is that the players at these levels generally don't play as smart as ones on higher levels. This is especially true in Gold Rush where strategy plays a larger role.

The main element of this strategy that becomes important once you hit the ten cent mark is setting minimum balances for yourself. Once your balance is above ten cents, set this amount as a minimum balance meaning you make a pact with yourself never to fall below this amount. Treat this amount as zero, forget the money exists and avoid bets that can result in you having less than ten cents. For example, if you have twelve cents, do not bet more than two cents. If you have eighteen cents, do not bet more than eight cents. If you lose a bet that brings you back to ten cents, make a few small, one or two cent bets to work your way back up.

At this point, the strategy can be modified to fit your personal risk tolerance. You should decide how often you want to set minimum balances and how often you want to make relatively larger bets. You can set twenty cents as your minimum balance once you reach it or you can wait until twenty-five cents or thirty cents. If you have low risk tolerance, set minimum balances closer together, every ten cents or so. This cycle should be continued indefinitely until you reach a point at which you are comfortable receiving a payout.

Following this strategy all but guarantees an eventual payout. However, if you want more money and you want it faster there is something else you should consider, occasionally making larger bets. Just make sure, you don't make a bet that can result in you being left with a balance smaller than you are comfortable with. Also, if you lose one of these larger bets, make a series of smaller bets until you have a balance that is larger than it was before you made the larger bet. This ensures that your balance growth remains on an upward trend.

Boosters and Offers

Another useful way to increase your money is through the booster zone. In the booster zone, you can complete some offers to earn extra money, such as joining Blockbuster Total Access and buying from select stores. Some shopping websites offer up to 50% cash back just by buying stuff from their site. iTunes, Newegg, Expedia, StubHub, Adobe, Best Buy, and many other notable, online stores partnered with Moola, and the list continues to grow each day. Recently, however, Moola has exclusively partnered with OfferPal, a service that allows you to take surveys, join groups, receive ringtones, and much more for some money through Moola. Currently, OfferPals has over $900 dollars of offers available, many of them absolutely free!

In order to ensure that you don't miss any of these opportunities while surfing the web, you can add Moola'sBooster Bar. It's a toolbar, compatible with Internet Explorer and Firefox, that allows you instantaneously know if an online store has cash back offers through Moola. Plus, the toolbar allows you to have quick access to your Moola account as well as Moola's popular game Charity Cashcow.

Strategies for the Games

Gold Rush

Objective

The object of the game is to get at least thirty-two pounds of gold or to have more gold than your opponent at the end of the game. At the beginning of the game, each player has a full set of gold (one pound piece, two pound piece... up to a six pound piece). At the start of each turn, a piece of gold from the mine is placed on the center of the plank. The mine has the same set of gold as both players (one through six pounds). So, if the one pound gold piece is placed on the plank, it will not appear again. Each player must then select one piece of gold from their set to place on their end of the plank. Whomever places a heavier piece of gold on their end receives all the gold (their piece, the piece from the mine, and their opponent's piece). For example, if a three comes out of the mine, the opposing player places a two, and you place a three, then you receive your three pound piece as well as the two and three pound piece from the opposing player and the mine, respectively (eight pounds in total).

In the case of a tie, meaning both players placed the same amount of gold on the plank, another piece of gold from the mine is added to the plank. This new piece combines with the old piece and the pieces you and your opponents placed. For example, if a four comes from the mine and both players place a three pound piece, then a new piece of gold, such as a five, will come out of the mine, adding to the amount. After that, the players compete, yet again, for the even bigger amount of gold in the center. If both players tie using their last pieces of gold, the gold in the center in forfeited, and the player with the most gold wins.

Strategy

The most important tools for winning are a pencil and paper in order to keep track of both your opponent's gold and the mine's gold. Or, as a environmental alternative, you can use my Gold Rush Tool, located to the right. Remember that both your opponent and the mine have only six pieces of gold, ranging from one to six pounds. If your using the pencil and paper method, write down a set of numbers (from one to six) for the opponent and the mine. As the pieces of gold appear within the game, cross the corresponding ones out. This will significantly help you predict your opponent's next selection.

In my honest opinion, the one and the six are the most valuable pieces in the game. The use of these two pieces are, roughly, the deciding points of the game. If they are used correctly and at the right time, they can greatly increase your chances of winning the game. The one pound piece should be used when you believe that your opponent is going to use the six. In this case, you are intentionally losing the round because you realize that your opponent will win either way. Thus, you should give him the minimum amount of gold possible as this puts you in a position where you have the only six pound piece. In general, you may want to hold onto your top two pieces: the five and six. You always want to be in control of the game, thus you ought to have more high numbers than your opponent.

Knowing your Opponent

The first piece the player places can show you a lot about them. After the first round, you ought to place your opponent into one of two categories. Does he follow the strategy above or not? Below are four situations and the ways to deal with them:

1. If your opponent places a five or six on the first round, assume that the opponent is not using your strategy. Play as you normally would, following the strategies given above.
2. If your opponent places a one on the first round, then the opponent is assuming you will place a high number, thus you have learned that your opponent is playing by a similar strategy. You will need to modify your playing habits, but, at least, you have the benefit of being able to predict your opponent's next selection. In this situation, the four pound piece comes in handy because your opponent will most likely stick to the lower numbers for the first few rounds. The four can beat any of these numbers as well as saving the five and six for later.
3. If your opponent places a two on the first round, your opponent believes that you are playing with the strategy explained above. Your opponent believes that you will place a one pound piece, thus winning the round. In this situation, the four and five are very useful. Your opponent will initially stick with the two and three pound pieces, so you can feel comfortable using slightly higher numbers. However, you should still hold on to your six pound piece until you absolutely need to use it. The essence of the strategy explained above still remains intact as you still can use the one or six in the same situations that might arise.
4. If your opponent places a three or a four on the first round, your opponent becomes a little difficult to understand initially. On one hand, your opponent might be using high numbers. However, on the other hand, he may be playing it safe for the first round. Play as though the first situation applies, then modify your strategy if your first impression is wrong.

What should I place on the first round?

The first round, for you, is not about winning gold: it is about knowing your opponent. Considering this strategy, you should play the safest number: three, due to the fact that if your opponent plays a low number, such as a one or two, you win the gold. As well as knowing your opponent general strategy. If your opponent plays a high number, then your opponent takes the gold for that round, but you have not sacrificed much.

What should I do in the case of a tie?

If a tie occurs, that big number in the middle becomes very tempting. However, you are above that. Your opponent will likely succumb to this temptation and will place the six. So, "give" him the round by placing your one, following the basic rule of the "1 and 6 strategy". Of course, if winning the tie will win you the game and you have overall higher pieces than your opponent, feel free to win the game.

How can I initiate a tie?

Sometimes initiating a tie on purpose can, ultimately, win the game in your favor. If you strongly believe that your opponent will place a six, it might make sense to place a six as well. This applies when your largest piece below the six is bigger than the largest piece below your opponent's six. For example, if you have a six and a five pound piece, while your opponent has a six and a four, then initiating a tie could be worthwhile. Be forewarned, however. You must ONLY initiate a tie when winning the round will propel you to victory.

Why you are playing better than all your opponents?

A few paragraphs above on this page, I recommended that you, generally, play on lower levels. This is where most of the newer members play, which, as with any new member, are less likely to strategically play the game. Of course, you will occasionally run into experienced players on the lower, less riskier levels, but using the above techniques, you should be pretty confident of victory.

Hi-Lo

Objective

In this head-to-head game, each player has their own deck of cards, separated during the game. From the start, the two of hearts is drawn from each deck, used as the first card in play. Your task is to guess whether the next card, drawn from your deck, will be higher or lower than the current card. Every turn, you have four options:

1. Predict that the next card will be the same or higher
2. Predict the next card will be lower
3. Lock the current card
4. Lock and change your current card

On your first turn, you should always select the first option. Since the number two is the lowest number in the game (aces are high), you have an incredibly low risk of failure. During the game, if your prediction for the next card turns out to be wrong, one of your four lives is lost. Also, all cards, safe the first card, are discarded. In other words, when you lose a life, you start over.

If you choose to lock your card, one of your lives is lost but all cards are locked in place and cannot be discarded, no matter if you guess wrong. Therefore, if you make an incorrect prediction, you will restart at the position locked. If you choose to lock and change your current card, the last drawn card is discarded, a new card is drawn to replace it, and your new position is locked, just like the third option.

A player wins the game when no more cards can be drawn, meaning both lines of drawn cards reaches the end of the screen. Another way a player can win is by having their line of drawn cards reach further than their opponent's when their opponent has zero lives. A player can also win if their line of drawn cards reaches further than their opponent's when both players have zero lives. So, if a player has one life left but has a long line of drawn cards and does not feel that their opponent will be able to catch up, that player can lock, leaving him with no lives left. If the opponent can not catch up with their remaining lives, the player wins.

Strategy

This game does not have much strategy. Generally, the choice is obvious. You are never certain what the next card will be, but it is easy to play with the knowledge of statistics. There is a little strategy involved, however it mostly involves the decision of when to lock your cards.

When should I select higher or lower?

If anything between and including two through eight appears, the next card is most likely to be the same or higher. If anything between and including nine through ace appears, the next card is most likely to be lower. The specific probabilities of higher and lower on each card changes as more cards are drawn because the deck is consistently changing (ie. probability theory). In this way, a card counting program, available on this website, is helpful.

When should I lock?

Generally, you want to get as far as you can without locking. The reason is that locking not only takes away one of your lives but also takes away a turn. This action will give your opponent a lead in the amount of lives as well as giving them the advantage of a turn. Before you lock, however, you should have drawn at least three cards, safe the two of hearts. At this point, unless you have a card that is located on an extreme level, such as a two, three, four, queen, king, or ace, you should lock. From this point on, locking depends on your opponent's line of cards and number of lives. Another circumstance would be if you've gone several cards since locking and your opponent gives a wrong prediction. It would be a good idea to lock, unless, of course, you have a card located on the extreme level.

When should I lock and change?

There are certain cards whose probabilities between higher and lower are close to fifty percent, such as seven, eight, and nine. This makes it pretty difficult to correctly predict the next draw. If you are going to lock your position and the current card is either a seven, eight, or nine, then you should lock and change rather than simply locking. After the first few cards, when you have locked already and you are trying to find another place to lock, looking for these cards may help. If late in the game and those three cards appear, it may be a good idea to lock and change. You are forced to give up a life and a turn, but its better than doing so and ending up behind your opponent.

How can I win with a lock?

If you have only one life left, you can still lock, but you will no longer be able to play. You will, however, just wait for your opponent to finish. If you are ahead when your opponent reaches zero lives, you win, even if you lost your lives first. It's a good idea to lock with one life left when you are significantly ahead of your opponent and your card is not on an extreme level. If you are considering making this move, make sure it's not easy for your opponent to catch up. For example, if your opponent is only three cards behind you, and your opponent's current card is a two, it might not be a good idea to lock. Only sacrifice your last life for a lock when the possibility of your opponent catching up is remote and you are not confident in predicting your next draw.

Ro-Sham-Bo-Fu

Objective

This game is, basically, the classic Rock, Paper, Scissors game, with a small, strategic twist. Your opponent and yourself go through six rounds. Before each round, select either rock, paper or scissors. Simultaneously, each player's choice is revealed once both competitors are ready. The basic results still stand: rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock. Contrary to popular belief, paper, indeed, beats rock. Winning a round gives you three belt stripes. However, if there is a tie, nobody wins, and the next round will be worth six belt stripes. If another tie occurs, then the winnings increase three belt stripes. After the six rounds have been completed, whomever has more belt stripes wins.

The twist occurs before each round. In order to add a bit of strategy to this game, before each round, a bonus is offered. The bonus, normally, guarantees two belt stripes if a specified move is not used. For example, the game may state that two belt stripes will be given if scissors is not chosen. Thus, if you do not use scissors that round, you will automatically receive two belt stripes, regardless of whether or not you won the round.

Strategy

On lower levels, Ro-Sham-Bo-Fu can be a viable option to win some money because newer players are easier to play. Their moves are more predictable since they will go after the bonus most of the time. However, on higher levels, Ro-Sham-Bo-Fu will mostly come down to luck and strategic observations to come out on top.

• Understand your Opponent

  The best strategy for this game is trying to understand your opponent, so you can predict their moves. For the first round, use a move that will get you the bonus. Pay attention to whether or not your opponent received the bonus. If they did, it may be an indication that your opponent will consistently take the bonus. On the next round, do not take the bonus, so you become more difficult to predict. If your opponent takes the bonus again, this is even more evidence to indicate he will consistently take it. If you establish this early on then each round, you can eliminate one possibility of what your opponent will use, increasing your chances of winning.

• Be Unpredictable

  If your opponent does not seem to be drawn in by the bonus, he becomes difficult to predict, in this case your best strategy is to remain unpredictable. Sometimes take the bonus and other times do not, but you must appear to your opponent that you are not taking the bonus into consideration. Make the game harder for your opponent than it is for you.

• Use the Bonus to Take the Luck Out of the Game

  The bonus is a vital role in taking the luck out of Ro-Sham-Bo-Fu and should be utilized to gain an advantage over your opponent. This method works by throwing whatever move will not get you a bonus on the first turn. You will most likely win this turn , otherwise your opponent believed that you would sacrifice the bonus and you may need to resort to random play in order to remain unpredictable. On the next turn, the opponent will think you are going to throw the non-bonus move again, so they will try to counter that. Use this to your advantage by predicting your opponent's move and choosing the action that will counter their's. For example, in the second round, if rock does not give you a bonus, your opponent will think that you will choose it, so they will throw paper, in which case, you should throw scissors.

In this way, you get into your opponents head and can take advantage of the bonus. In the third round, the opponent will be unsure of your next move. Most of the time, if you perform a similar move to the second round , you will come out successful. Hopefully, you win that round, in which case, you should throw the move that doesn't have a bonus. From then on, it is best just to pick random moves, you most likely have a lead over your opponent, so confusing your opponent on the last two moves is your best bet. From levels one through five, this method usually works flawlessly, but by level six, the players are more experienced. So this strategy should be tweaked slightly to assume the player has more knowledge of your moves. Try this out and change it to whatever suits you best