Many players have heard the casino folk wisdom that the house always wins. However, to what extent the house wins, and what chance you have of beating the house, depends on what games you play.
The casino’s advantage is called the house edge, and it differs wildly from game to game. If you’re not aware of what games you should play and what games you should avoid, you could put yourself at a double-digit disadvantage in percentage terms without even realizing it.
Not to worry. We’re going to show you the way. These are the casino games you do want to play.
European Roulette
Roulette doesn’t have the best odds in the casino, but we wanted to mention something important about it here. It’s important that when you play roulette, you play on a European roulette wheel. Do not play on an American roulette wheel, or you’ll double the casino’s advantage for them.
The average house edge on a European roulette wheel is 2.7%. If you play on an American wheel, it jumps to 5.26%.
Why is the house edge so much bigger in American roulette? It’s because American wheels have two zeros. That’s an extra chance to lose on every spin.
We’re not saying that you should necessarily play roulette. However, if you do want to play it, we’re telling you to play the European variant every time.
Classic Blackjack
If you really want to slash the casino’s advantage down to as close to zero as possible, you’ll want to play classic blackjack. If you play this classic card game with basic blackjack strategy, and you do so flawlessly, you can bring the house edge down below 0.5%. In dollar terms, that means that for every $100 wagered on blackjack, the casino will collect less than $0.50.
Of course, to cut the house edge down by that much, you’ll need to master blackjack. This takes time. While you’re learning, you can use a blackjack cheat sheet to help you along.
It’s also important to stick with classic blackjack. There are lots of fancy variants available online these days, but almost all of them put you at a disadvantage. From Spanish 21 with all of the tens removed from the decks, to live dealer games like Quantum blackjack with 500x multipliers, all of these games ultimately increase the house edge.
That’s exactly what the casino wants, and it’s why casino owners have entire teams working to come up with new and novel game variants.
Video Poker
Video poker is perhaps the ultimate skill-based game in the casino. Unlike many other casino games, your destiny is largely in your hands when you play this game.
There are actually video poker variants with a positive RTP. For example, if you play full-pay Deuces Wild, the RTP is 100.76%. In full-pay Joker Poker, it’s 100.64%. That means there is no house advantage at all. The math of the game slightly favors players.
These favorable odds are conditional upon you playing with a perfect video poker strategy. The vast majority of players will never even approach perfection, let alone reach it. Casinos know this, which is why they continue to offer these video poker variants.
If we can give you only one piece of advice that you remember, let it be this – learn to play and master video poker. Find out about all of the variants with no house edge and practice your strategy. You won’t only cease to lose money, but you might actually make some into the bargain.
Casino Games to Avoid
Now that you know the three games you should be playing let’s finish up by covering the games you should not play. These are the casino games with the highest house edge.
Keno
Keno is one of the most exciting games in the casino. It’s a lotto-based game in which you win cash prizes to pick numbers correctly. However, keno has the worst odds in the house. You’re at a serious disadvantage when you play this game. The house edge is at least 15%, and in some keno variants, it can creep up to 35%.
In dollar terms, that means that the casino is guaranteed to pocket between $15 and $35 out of every $100 wagered on keno. Yikes!
Progressive Slots
Here’s a secret that not many players realize, but it’s obvious when you think about it. The bigger the potential prize is, the greater the house edge on the game will be.
Why is that so? Because the casino has to offset the risk. No game poses a greater risk to the casino than progressive jackpot slots. Slots like Megabucks progressive slot can pay tens of millions.
This is enhanced even more with progressive slots because a slice of every bet you make goes into the jackpot pool. Therefore, when you play slots, you should be aware that if you go for the biggest jackpots, you’re going to be at a bigger mathematical disadvantage.
Conclusion
Just by memorizing the information on this page, you can avoid making some of the costliest mistakes in the casino. These tips don’t guarantee you a win, but they will certainly help you maximize your chances and minimize your losses. That’s the best anyone can hope for on the casino floor!
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