What Casino Games Give Players the Edge?

November 22, 2017

Before you review our information on which casino games have the lowest house edge, make sure you understand what this edge is. Have you heard people say that the house always wins? The house, in terms of this phrase, is the casino, which will win over the longer term because all of the games they present have an inbuilt mathematical edge. This edge, however, varies from game to game, and that is where players can even the score a little!

The Casino Games with the Smallest Edge

Slots machine games usually have a house edge ranging between 2% and 5%, although this can sometimes jump to as much as 15% on certain games. Progressive jackpot games are high-variance that have a huge house edge, and while these jackpots are fun to chase, and wonderful to win, they should be avoided if you are seeking out games with the lowest house edge.

Video Poker, in comparison, is one of the best games to opt for as far as a low house edge is concerned. Jacks or Better offers the house only a .46% edge, assuming the game you have selected is Full Pay and you have basic strategy in place. If you are simply gambling on the fly, or making gut plays, the house edge will increase, so ensure you have your strategy in place whenever you opt for these games.

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Table Games that Tip the Odds in Players’ Favour

Blackjack has a very low house edge as well, and can even become a positive expectation if you are able to count cards. That is only a possibility when you are enjoying Live Blackjack games. Online Blackjack tables offering Vegas rules can have edges as low as 0.28% when you put basic strategy into play too, and this is why so many players grind out Blackjack hands in order to secure comps.

Craps, although tricker for newcomers to grasp, has a lot of wagers on the table that are available. Some of these are sucker bets with a high edge offered to the house, but some are good for players to use, including the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come, which lowers the house edge to 1.36%, and Pass/Come, which sees it at just 1.41%.

Baccarat is a very popular casino game with high-rollers especially because of the very low house edge it offers. This edge is just 1.16% on Banker bets, 1.24% on Player wagers, but skyrockets up to 14.36% on Tie bets. As is obvious from this information, the best bet is the Banker bet, and players are urged to put thoughts about identifying trends aside, and simply focus on these.

Lastly we have Roulette, with the American variation giving the house an edge of 5.26%, and the European version lowering this to just 2.7%. The former has two green pockets on the wheel, the 0 and the 00, and the latter only a single green pocket, a 0, and therein lies the difference!

Beat the Casino by Beating the Casino’s Edge

While the very nature of gambling excludes the possibility that you will be able to find a way to beat the house on a consistent basis, as luck plays such a huge part in these games, you will certainly be able to improve your chances of a win by limiting your play to bets and games with a smaller edge offered to the casino.