Perfectly normal. If you compare this to dice, this only has a variance of 4. You have to be prepared that even a variance of 13 could occur (if you are really that unlucky).
I agree. That 0.98x, after all, is the house's share for every bet that you make. If you really want to utilize this game, go for a simple double-up Martingale and you'll get faster results (because of only having 3 payouts involved).
There is no "perfect" wagering for as long as the odds will never be fair to the player or even to the house. The only time when the wager could be "perfect" is if every roll that a player would make has a fair probability (such as 50-50 on dice at 2x payout, roulette without 0 on it, etc.)
Netflix- The Kingdom and Platform. I love horror stuff that has REAL innate stories within it and not just gore. You guys should watch and give it a go. You won't regret it!