Level Progression Audit

This page documents how the level system performs in practice. It uses real simulation data to show what normal progression looks like for different player types, how long it takes to unlock each dealer table, and what happens under extreme conditions.

For the rules and formulas behind the system, see Player Rank.

XP is computed using a compressed power-law formula:

The sub-linear exponent (0.35) means doubling your bet does not double your XP. A 10,000x increase in bet yields only about 12x more XP. This prevents single large bets from causing massive level jumps while still rewarding higher-stakes play.

Every hand earns XP. Here is what progression looks like for three common player profiles, all starting from Level 1 with 1,000 credits on the Jean-Luc table.

A player who always bets the table minimum (5 credits) on Jean-Luc. Average XP per hand: ~10.7 XP.

Takeaway: Level 2 in the first session (good hook). Czarita unlock at ~1.6 hours (achievable in a few dedicated sessions). Aunty at ~52 hours (prestige achievement spanning weeks or months). This is a healthy curve for engaged players.

A player who bets about 10% of their bankroll each hand. Average XP per hand: ~20.3 XP.

Takeaway: About 2x faster than min-bettors. Bigger bets are rewarded but not overwhelmingly. Czarita in under an hour, Aunty in ~27 hours.

How many hands between level-ups, for a min-bet conservative player:

The cadence ratio (L99 vs L1) is 5.2x — Level 100 takes about 5x longer per level than Level 2, but every session still moves the needle.

What happens when you lose 20 hands in a row at minimum bet:

Consecutive wins trigger an XP multiplier. Here is the real XP earned per hand during a 10-win streak at a 100-credit bet:

Total from 10 consecutive wins: 426 XP (~1.4x the base amount).

For comparison, 10 wins with a loss between each one (no streak ever builds) would earn 300 XP from the wins alone. The streak bonus adds ~42% more XP over the same number of wins — meaningful but not game-breaking.

Each dealer table unlocks at a specific level, and each has its own minimum bet. The question is: when you reach the unlock level, can you actually afford to play there?

This is by design. The level unlock gives you the right to play at a table, not the guarantee that you can afford it. It creates a natural incentive to either play conservatively to grow your bankroll, or use credit packs to bridge the gap.

For reference, here are XP thresholds for notable levels.

The gap between levels grows as you progress. Going from Level 1 to 2 takes 283 XP. Going from Level 99 to 100 takes about 1,494 XP. This is the scaling curve at work — early levels reward new players quickly, while higher levels require sustained play.

During development, the app includes a debug panel (removed in production builds) that allows testers to set an arbitrary bankroll and level. This section documents what happens when the debug panel creates game states that would be impossible through normal play.

With the compressed formula, even absurdly large bets produce modest XP gains:

A single hand can never jump more than about 3-4 levels, even with a million-credit bet. This is a deliberate design choice — progression is tied to sustained play, not a single lucky hand.

All of these were tested and work correctly:

The level system is mathematically sound and internally consistent. All 100 level boundaries (1–100) pass round-trip verification. The formulas are monotonic — level never decreases as XP increases — and handle extreme values without overflow. The compressed XP formula ensures progression reflects sustained engagement rather than bet size alone.