A casino can be a fun place to be. Many people visit casinos with friends to have a few drinks and try their luck on games such as Blackjack, Roulette or Slots with the hope of hitting a big win and walking out with a profit. The popularity of online casinos has increased dramatically over recent years and individuals can now play their favourite games on their phone, laptop or any other device while at home or on the move. One mistake players make when playing at casinos is that they generally only play games they’re either familiar with or consider to be the most fun. However, did you know that you can increase your chances of making a profit by playing certain games over others?
In this article, we’ll be finding out which casino games have the best odds so that you can increase your chances of winning and hopefully walk away with a profit.
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Each game in the casino, whether it be online or land-based, will have a ‘house edge’. Have you heard the term ‘The House Always Wins’? Well, this is because the house has the edge and by house, we mean the casino.
Basically, the casino has a slight advantage, or ‘edge’, on each game. This is how they generate a profit. Therefore, to increase your chances of winning, you want to be playing the casino games which have the lowest house edge.
RTP stands for ‘Return To Player’ and is the amount which is returned to the player on average for any particular casino game. For example, if the RTP of a slot machine is 97%, this means that for every £100 put into it, it will pay out an average of £97. Of course, that’s not to say that it will pay out £97 every time £100 is wagered but this is the average amount based on playing an infinite number of spins.
RTP is usually associated with slots but apply to all games. If you know either the House Edge or the RTP, it is easy to determine the other one.
For example, if a slot had an RTP of 97%, the House Edge on that slot would be 3% (100 – 97). Or if the House Edge of Blackjack was 1%, the RTP would be 99% (100-1).
So, we now know that each casino game has a House Edge and RTP and that to stand the best chances of winning, we should be playing games which have a low House Edge and therefore, high RTP.
Below is a table displaying the house edge for some of the most popular casino games.
| Casino Game | House Edge |
|---|---|
| American Roulette | 5.26% |
| Baccarat | 1.01% – 15.75% |
| Blackjack | 0.5% |
| Craps | 0 – 16.67% |
| Keno | 20 – 40% |
| Slots | 2 – 15% |
| Video Poker | 0.46% |
| Caribbean Stud | 5.22% |
| Hold’em | 2.36% |
| Sic Bo | 2.78 – 33.33% |
Some casino games will have a house edge which has a range. This is because there are various different types of bets which you can place which are either good value or bad value. If they are bad value, the house edge will increase if you play them.
Also, the house edge for strategy games such as blackjack where you have to make decisions such as hit, stand, double, split etc, is based on playing perfect blackjack strategy. This is knowing when to hit/stand etc based on mathematics. You may not think splitting a pair of 8’s is a good idea against a 10, but if it’s the mathematically correct move to make then it will increase your chances of making a profit in the long run by lowering the house edge.
Online casino games are programmed and so the RTP or house edge can be set by the developers. This makes them differ from real-life casino games which can affect the house edge in either a good way or a bad way. A good online casino will have the RTP information of any game available so that you can ensure that you are not losing value. For example, Blackjack has an RTP of just 0.5% but there’s nothing to say that an online version will have this RTP. There are many variations of casino games online such as Quantum Blackjack and Lightning Roulette which don’t have the same RTP as the standard versions. Many online variations of blackjack do however such as ‘Premium Blackjack’ by Playtech which has an RTP at most sites of 99.58% and so a house edge of just 0.48%.
Online slots are probably the biggest culprit for varying RTP which can be confusing to beginners. The RTP of online slots varies between anything from 85% to 98% which means the house edge can be as high as 15%! Therefore, it is essential that you check the RTP of any online slot before playing them. This also applies to slots in land-based casinos.
We’ve learned that you stand a better chance of bigger returns from some casino games over others. Therefore, to maximise your chances of winning, you should play games with a high RTP.
Casino games with the highest RTP (based on perfect strategy where applicable) are:
Some of the more popular casino games which many people play, actually have an RTP a lot lower than the games above. European Roulette, for example, has an RTP of 2.7% (single zero). Also, have you ever seen the big wheel in a casino? They usually position it right in front of you as you walk in. There is a reason for that as the house edge on this game, depending on the version of it, can be as high as 24%!
As well as sticking to games with a low house edge, remember to always play at a reputable and licenced UK online casino. We have listed some of our favourites below.
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