When it comes to what games you should play, it depends on you and on what kind of games you like. If you have created a casino account for online slots, there is probably no point to force yourself into playing table games. Yes, slots are not the most statistically friendly gambling games in the casino, but if you follow specific rules, you can enjoy your favourite game, and you will not lose too much.
Most of the experienced players are looking for games or only bets with the lowest possible house edge. Because of this, they will lose the lowest possible amount in the long run. However, the term long run is essential. If you play blackjack according to the perfect strategy, the house edge will be around 0.6% on average. You will lose only 6 cents on the one-dollar bet. But that does not mean you cannot lose two, five or ten bets in a row. In fact, you will meet a series of loses, but of course the wins, today and daily.
However, if you do not have any favourite game already or you are after it, we have a list of the best games or bets for you.
First of all, let's look purely at the probability of winning on individual bets. However, we won't take into account combination bets in roulette, where the entire playing field can be covered. In that case, the "Win" is certain. However, it is also certain that your bankroll will not change in any way with such bets.
We'll stay with the aforementioned roulette and focus on its even bets, which at first glance seem like a clear favourite. Betting on colour, even x odd or high, low offers an almost 50% probability of winning, which is the maximum we can hope for.
Even bets at roulette
- American - 47.37%
- European - 48.65%
These are very nice numbers. However, there are even more favourable ones on the casino floor! Specifically, it can be found at the craps table, where there is a 49.29% chance of winning the Pass bet. These bets also offer one of the smallest house edge - 1.4%.
In purely technical terms, you can find a bet where you have exactly a 50/50 chance of winning. Some slot machines offer a gamble feature, where you have the opportunity to double your winnings by guessing if the count will pick one of two colours, for example. Interestingly, although the gamble feature is one of the most profitable bets, it does not affect the slot's return.
Online slots with the highest return
And it is the return that we will focus on now. Slots are by far the most popular gambling game on the internet and in land-based casinos. So it's worth taking a look at which slots bring the lowest profits to their manufacturers.
The top five online slot machines with the highest returns:
- Ugga Bugga (Playtech) - 99.07%
- Blood Suckers (NetEnt) - 98%
- Rock On (Rival) - 98%
- Cosmic Quest (Rival) - 98%
- Break Da Bank (Microgaming) - 98%
At this point, it has to be said that these are very high numbers. This is because standard online slots offer a return rate of between 94% and 96%. The most common slot you'll see in online casinos is the Blood Suckers slot from NetEnt. Some more enterprising readers may think that Blood Suckers can be a great game to fulfil the wagering requirements for bonuses due to its high return rate. Unfortunately, the casinos have thought of this too, which is why this particular slot is excluded from the terms and conditions.
9 Games with the Lowest House Edge
1. Pai Gow Poker - house edge 1.46%
In Pai Gow Poker seven cards are dealt with the player, and then he/she splits them into two hands in five and two cards. The five-card hand must be higher than the hand made by the two cards. Both sides are then compared with dealer's hands, and if a player wins both, he wins his bet.
House edge is made by a 5% commission fee for every win, and all ties are won by the dealer (your two-card hand A, Q loses against the dealer's combination A, Q). You can even lower the casino's advantage by playing for the banker so that you will win the draw games. Any player has this option, but casinos don’t offer it every time.
2. Craps (Pass / Come Bets) - house edge 1.41%
When you are betting on a pass line on craps, you bet that the shooter throws the first throw 7 or 11 and vice versa don’t throw 2, 3 or 12. If another number would fall, your bets stay, and now you bet that the shooter throws the point earlier, before falling 7. House edge at this bet is really low, only 1.41%.
3. Craps (Don't Pass / Don't Come) - house edge 1.36%
These bets are also known as "Dark Side" bets. The Don't Pass line bet is the exact opposite of the Pass Line bet and is considered taboo at the table. In essence, you bet that the shooter will not succeed. This bet has an even lower casino advantage than the previous Pass Line bet.
4. Baccarat (bet on players) - house edge 1.24%
James Bond's favourite game (Especially in movies with actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore). The only betting options player has available are bets on players, bankers or tie. The first rule of advantage players in baccaratis don’t bet on the tie. It’s because this bet has an enormous house edge 14.36%. On the other hand, the player's bet has only 1.24% house edge.
5. Baccarat (banker bet) - house edge 1.06%
As you can see, baccarat occupies two adjacent places in our list of the least advantageous games and bets. The bet on the banker just slightly exceeds the 1% value of the house edge. At tables with high limits the shoe and banker position alternate so that each player is a banker during the game. Once he holds this position, he must bet on a banker. Other players are betting on the players (even if they have the option of betting any bet). In mini-baccarat, the dealer is a casino dealer.
6. Jacks or Better - house edge 0.46%
To reach the house edge of 0.46%, a player must accomplish two factors. First, you have to find the right version of Jacks or Better, the so-called full-pay Jacks or Better. This is characterised by a full house payout of 9-1 and flush 6-1. Second, you have to learn the perfect strategy of this version. So if you're planning to visit the casino or play at the online video poker casino, you must always be sure that you always know which cards hold.
7. Spanish 21 - house edge 0.4%
Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant that is played with a 48-card deck (10s cards are excluded). The game is a little crazy because you can double any number of cards, give up twice, and 21 with five, six and seven cards are paid at 3-2, 2-1, and 3-1 respectively. House edge game is so low because it has a much more complex optimal strategy than regular blackjack. But once you've mastered all the pitfalls of a perfect strategy, you'll enjoy a much more entertaining and exciting game than blackjack.
8. Blackjack - house edge 0.28%
Blackjack is a gambling game with one of the lowest house, but also with a few exceptions. To reach the house edge of 0.28%, you have to play the game with the most liberal rules. Some of them very hard to find, such as the dealer is on a soft 17 or late surrender. Besides, of course, you have to master the optimal strategy.
9. Full pay version of Deuces Wild Video Poker - 0.77% advantage on the player side
Yes, your eyes see it right. There are several games where the player has the advantage on his side. But also here applies that you have to stick to the optimal strategy. The game is different from Jacks or Better, so make sure you learn the right game system.
If you find this version of video poker that pays natural royal in the ratio of 800-1, four deuces 200-1, wild royals 25-1, five of kind 15-1, straight flush 9-1, four of kind 5-1, full house 3-1, straight and flush in 2-1 and 1-1, believe it's a total pay deuce of wild video poker and you play the most player-friendly game in the world of gambling.
You can encounter some machines with Full Pay Deuces Wild poker in land-based casinos, but they are not very popular to very low denomination.
Bets with Zero House Edge
As such, you won't find zero house edge games in land-based or online casinos. However, some bets on selected games do offer even odds. These include odds bets on craps or gamble features on selected slot machines.
Craps Odds Bets
In addition to the basic craps bets that can be seen in the table, so-called odds bets can also be placed. These are no longer the main bets but can be found on virtually every gaming table. The principle is quite simple. In addition to the original main bet (e.g. Don't come, Pass), you place more bet in the allowed amount of chips, which will be paid out if the selected number is hit.
Ratio amounts and their payout ratios
- 4 or 10 pays 2 to 1
- 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2
- 6 or 8 pays 6 to 5
However, these bets can have a disadvantage for players in some casinos. This is because if the casino offers players additional services to play (refreshments, etc.) in return for placing bets, it will not count these odds bets towards your betting average. This is precise because they don't make any profit on them in the long run.
Gamble feature on slots and video poker
Another very rare type of bet where the house edge is zero is the gamble feature, which can be found on the electronic form of some classic fruit machines. Here the principle is very simple. After each win, the slot will offer you the opportunity to double the amount won by correctly guessing one of two options.
The most common way to encounter this is that the player is shown a deck of cards and two buttons in black and red. After clicking on the selected suit, the card with the deck is displayed. If you hit correctly you win, if not you lose your bet and return to the reels screen. Some new slots no longer use a deck of cards, but instead, for example, a coin flip or whatever. However, the principle is the same everywhere. You have two choices, and if you hit, you win double.
Often slots offer this feature with various restrictions. For example, it is not possible to double your winnings above a certain limit. You can always find this information in the paytable of the slot machine. Some new slots also offer that the players themselves can choose how much of the winnings to put into the gambling bet.
When to play and when not to play the gamble feature
Generally speaking, it's better to try to gamble on slots with lower volatility, where wins are smaller and much more frequent. This is because remember that although it is a relatively straight bet, it halves the chance of any win.
It's also definitely not worth using the gamble feature if you're just fulfilling wagering requirements to roll any of the entry or other bonuses provided by the casino. In fact, some online casinos include in the general terms and conditions of bonuses the maximum bet that can be made on slots or other games without violating these terms and conditions.
This is because, although it may not be clear at first glance, using the gamble feature is considered by the casino as a regular bet and since you are already multiplying your winnings, almost any attempt to double will result in exceeding the limit, which is often set very low. This puts you at risk of the casino not recognizing winnings that occurred before the wagering requirements for the bonus were completed.
Casino Games with the Player's Advantage
Slowly, we're moving from games where chance is the main factor to games where knowledge and experience help you outsmart the casino. Yes, in these games you can, under certain conditions, gain a mathematical advantage over the casino.
Full payout at Dueces Wild
You can get a small, but advantage with Deuces Wild video poker. However, two conditions must be met for this to happen.
You need to know and stick to the optimal strategy for Deuces Wild
It must be a type of Deuces Wild game called Full Pay.
If you meet both conditions, the theoretical return will reach the coveted 100.76%. Believe it or not, but this video poker offers an advantage to the player. You can find this game in almost every casino and the pay table will be as follows:
- Natural royal flush: 800
- Four deuces: 200
- Wild royal flush: 25
- Five of a kind: 15
- Straight flush: 9
- Four of a kind: 5
- Full house: 3
- Flush: 2
- Straight: 2
- Three of a kind: 1
Counting cards in blackjack
The second game, in which you can gain an advantage over the casino thanks to your skill, must have already crossed your mind. Blackjack. Calculating the house edge in blackjack is a rather complicated matter. It varies depending on the rules and the number of cards played. Generally, however, it is somewhere between 0.5% and 1%. Again, using optimal strategy.
However, thanks to card counting techniques and bet changes, it is possible to turn the house edge into a player advantage. Specifically, it is about how many cards are in a deck of 10. This tells us the so-called true count, which card counters keep a running count of. The higher the count, the more 10 cards in the deck and the better the situation for the player.