Which Online Casino Games Have the Best Odds?

With throwing dice dating back to ancient times and playing cards originating in the 1300s, people have engaged in gambling for thousands of years. In fact, the oldest casino was opened in Venice in 1638 as Casino di Venezia. With casino games now available online and offline it can help players if to figure out which casino games have the best odds.

House Edge in Casino Games

“The house always wins” is the famous phrase used to simplify the concept of house edge, which refers to how the payouts of casino games are calculated to present a long-term wagering advantage for the casino. Although the house edge can favour the casino in the long-term, players can achieve short-term victories versus the house.

By seeking out casino games and betting opportunities with a more reasonable house edge, casino players can improve their chances of winning. Below, readers can find the core table games that can be found at online casino sites and played with a lower house edge.

Blackjack

When playing blackjack, a user can reduce the house edge to 0.5% by playing with a conservative strategy that considers the up-card of the dealer along with the player’s cards. By taking risks on 16 or higher or if the dealer is showing a strong card, the player will increase the house edge in the casino’s favour.

In blackjack, the betting options are quite basic, with even-money payouts being the most common. This is also true when choosing to split a pair – aside from bonus bets, the notable exception is to win with an insurance bet for a 2/1 payout. However, this can only be placed when the dealer’s up-card is an ace.

Baccarat

Baccarat is similar to blackjack, though played with simpler rules. Fundamentally, the calculations are simpler, with only single digits counted (e.g. 19 is 9). Ultimately, the aim is to finish with 8 or 9 to beat the dealer or players involved. When placing a player bet, the house edge is 1.24%. Although the banker bet is 1.06%, this offers a slightly smaller payout as a tax.

Roulette

An American roulette wheel is numbered from 1 to 36 while also including 0 and 00. Although bets on red or black, odd or even, and 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 can payout 1/1, the house edge in American roulette is 5.26%, which is high for an even-money payout. Although single numbers have large payouts, the 36/1 payout reflects the difficulty of winning.

Fortunately, European roulette can present a more generous alternative by offering a smaller house edge of 2.70%. While many of the betting options are similar the core difference between the two games is that the European roulette goes from 1 to 36 and includes 0 but not 00. By having one fewer outcome, this helps players from avoiding a non-paying outcome.

Craps

Although played with dice, craps is similar to roulette when it comes to players having the option of placing a wide variety of bets with different payout odds. Understandably, the more complicated bets and odds will yield a higher house edge to be wary of. For example, betting on don’t pass or don’t come, the house edge is 1.36%.