The point of playing at a casino is to win so finding out ways that will help increase your chances of being successful is something everyone does. Players constantly look for the ultimate strategy, best odds and biggest Jackpots etc. Since cheating is not an option (at least for most people), one of the few things you can do as a player is to play the games that will give you the best odds.
Finding out what games those are is easier than you may think. Is it Slots? Roulette? Dice? Baccarat? Don’t worry, just continue reading this article and you will be on your way towards success!
Multiple Factors to Consider
There are a lot of different variables that play a part in what game you should choose. This includes what type of player you are, RTP, House Edge etc. It all plays a part but when it’s all said and done, here are the games you should play and why.
Multihand Blackjack
Want the Best Odds – Play Blackjack
Whenever I’m in Las Vegas or at any physical casino, I always head for the Blackjack tables. I have no problem playing slots online but I have no interest in sharing them with the old ladies and their cups of pennies or quarters. I know I’m not alone in this so spare your judgements.
Odds of Winning at Blackjack
The odds of winning at Blackjack can be as high as 42.22%. However, this does not mean the house wins 57.78% of the time. That’s because there is a third possible result – a push. An average of 8.48% of Blackjack games end in a push, leaving the probability of a loss at 49.10%.
These odds can fluctuate, even considerably in some cases. It all depends on the Blackjack variant, the rules for the player and the dealer, and your playing style. Players with no strategy, for example, will see their odds of winning Blackjack fall dramatically.
The Blackjack House Edge
Depending on the variant you play, as well as the casino’s own rules, the House Edge in a Blackjack game ranges from 0.5% to 1.75%. Just to give you an overall idea how it can vary, take a look at this:
Blackjack House Edge
There’s Skill Involved
Not only does Blackjack offer the lowest house edge of all casino games, it’s also more interactive and fun than most. At least if you ask me. In other games, the outcome basically only comes down to luck. In Blackjack on the other hand, there’s also skills involved, which is why I like it. It gives you some control of your own destiny, although there’s still plenty of luck involved of course.
Power Blackjack
Going Toe to Toe With the Dealer
One of the biggest differences is the fact that the game runs on the classic Player vs Dealer concept. This in a way becomes competitive in a whole different way than in other casino games, which makes it even more exciting. Because of this, the use of specific strategies in order to beat the dealer and thereby the house are very common.
Using strategies, knowing when and when not to hit makes a difference. All of this, combined with the fact that you can reduce the house edge to 0.5% or less if you play your cards right (pun very much intended), makes it a very popular choice. Add to that a potential RTP of 99% and you have yourself a winner!
How to Win at Blackjack
Blackjack is a very simple game if you think about it. It all comes down to getting to or as close to the number 21 as possible. Yes, there is a lot that goes into it but that is the basics.
Keeping it as simple as possible, there are a couple of ways you can win at Blackjack:
- Blackjack – If your first two cards equals 21, it’s an automatic win, also known as Blackjack.
- Better Hand Than the Dealer – When your hand is better than the dealer and of course not higher than 21.
- Dealer Busting – Should the dealer go over 21 and you don’t, he will bust and lose.
I recommend using some kind of Blackjack strategy in order to give yourself better odds but you should at least have a sense of when to hit and when to stand. I won’t go into all the details about the game but you are more than welcome to read all about it by clicking here.
Rainforest Magic Bingo
Other Casino Games With Good Odds
Every game doesn’t appeal to every player, since we all have our own preferences. Just because some card games will give you a higher chance of winning doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy playing it. While some enjoy the thrill of the card tables or Roulette wheels, others prefer scratch cards or Bingo. When it comes to casino games, it’s very much ‘to each his own’.
While it’s widely known that Blackjack offers the best odds among casino games, there are of course other great choices.
Conquer the Craps table
Craps: Let’s Roll the Dice
The old game of Craps is often something you’ve seen in movies or on TV and you’ll even see it being played on the streets. It’s a dice game played between a shooter and other players. Basically you place bets on the outcome of the shooter’s roll.
I have to be honest and say that I don’t have any experience with Craps and no matter how fun it looks, I’ve never actually learned the rules and therefore tended to stay away from it.
Odds of Winning in Craps
I’m not the only one unaware of how the game works as it can be tricky for any beginner, especially to understand the odds. With that said, once you’ve figured it all out, I’ve been told the game is quite easy. Lucky for both of us, there’s a lot of information about Craps right here on BCK.
Most Common Craps Bets
- Pass Line Bet: This is the most basic bet in craps. You place your bet on the pass line before the come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, you win. And if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, you lose. But if any other number is rolled, that number becomes the point number. You win if the shooter rolls that number again before rolling a 7.
- Don’t Pass Bet: This is essentially the opposite of the pass line bet. You bet that the shooter will not win. You win if the come-out roll is a 2 or 3 and lose if it’s a 7 or 11. If the come-out roll is a 12, the bet is a push. But if a point is established, you win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point number.
- Come Bet: This is similar to the pass line bet, but it’s placed after the come-out roll. If the next roll is a 7 or 11, you win. But if it’s a 2, 3, or 12, you lose. And if any other number is rolled, that number becomes the point. You win if that number is rolled again before a 7.
- Don’t Come Bet: This is similar to the don’t pass bet, but it’s placed after the come-out roll. You win if the next roll is a 2 or 3 and lose if it’s a 7 or 11. If it’s a 12, the bet is a push. But if a point is established, you win if a 7 is rolled before the point number.
- Place Bet: You can place a bet on any of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) at any time. You win if that number is rolled before a 7. You lose if a 7 is rolled before that number.
- Field Bet: You can place a bet on the next roll, being a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. You win if the roll is any of those numbers and lose if it’s a 5, 6, 7, or 8.
Craps House Edge & Odds
House Edge, Odds & Probability
Because I lined up the most common bets for you, I thought showing you the statistics around the bets could help you. As you can see, the numbers aren’t all too different from the ones in Blackjack but Craps is a completely different game. It could definitely be worth a shot though, don’t you think?
PS. If you have ever seen the movie Harlem Nights with Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, there are some fun scenes taking place around the craps table.
European Roulette
Roulette: Go Easy or Go Hard
Roulette happens to be another favorite of mine. I like the fact that it attracts both newbies as well as experienced players. For example, if you’re a beginner, Roulette is a lot easier to grasp right away compared to Blackjack.
You can play it “safe” by betting on Red or Black or if you want a challenge and the bigger payouts, you’ll go for specific numbers.
I do recommend taking a look at our BCK Roulette Guide, where you can pick up a few tricks on how to become a Roulette Master.
Roulette – What Are the Odds?
There are a bunch of different varieties of Roulette but I would say that the most popular ones are American Roulette and European Roulette. Your odds of winning will depend on which one you decide to play of course.
For example, American Roulette has two Green Zeros in play while European only has one.
Odds in Roulette
Go European for Better Odds
In terms of which version of Roulette has the best odds, it’s definitely European. As a comparison, the house edge in European Roulette is 2.70% vs 5.26% for the American version.
XXXtreme Lightning Roulette
Live Roulette Has a Great Vibe
For those of you who want to try something slightly different, here are some fun live versions:
- Lightning Roulette
- XXXtreme Lightning Roulette
Speed Baccarat
Baccarat – Be the Next James Bond
Even though Baccarat has been a popular card game for a long time, I’m sure it hasn’t hurt the “brand” that James Bond has played it in a few movies. It has this luxurious aura around it and Asia is definitely the hot spot for Baccarat. Did you know that there are 40 casinos in Macau and as much as 88% of their revenue comes from Baccarat?
The Magic Number is 9
It’s a different kind of card game than what most of us are used to. The game is played with 6 or 8 decks of cards, and two hands are dealt – the player hand and the banker hand. Your goal is to bet on the hand that you think will have a total value closest to nine. But don’t worry about adding up the cards yourself – the dealer will take care of that for you.
Here’s how the scoring works:
- Cards 2 through 9 are worth their face value
- Tens, jacks, queens, and kings are worth zero
- Aces are worth one
If the value of a hand is greater than 10, the second digit is used as the score instead. For example, a hand of a 5 and a 7 is worth two points (5+7=12, which is greater than 10, so the second digit, 2, is used as the score).
After the initial two cards are dealt, the dealer may deal a third card to either the player or banker hand, depending on the score. The player hand always goes first, and if its score is five or less, a third card is dealt. The banker’s hand’s actions depend on the player’s actions and the banker’s own hand score.
Sounds complicated? I agree.
As with the rest of the card games, using strategies will go a long way. You can find all the information about Baccarat the game and its useful strategies by clicking here.
Odds of Winning in Baccarat
Your bet will of course have an effect on your chances of winning and to give you an idea of what you’re looking at, here are some stats.
These are your odds
What Casino Games Have the Worst Odds?
Now here’s another fair question, right? We all have our favorites but no matter how fun we think they are, they could be detrimental to your bottom line as the odds are lower than the ones I’ve mentioned above.
You can still win and win BIG of course, and it does happen a lot, but the chances of doing so are slimmer let’s say.
Mega Moolah Progressive Jackpot is legendary
Mega Moolah and Other Progressive Jackpots
Having all the stars align and land one of the biggest progressive Jackpots, like the Mega Moolah by Micrograming, is a dream for all of us. After all, it sometimes reaches heights of €20 million. It is a life-changing experience and no matter how slim the chances are for it to happen, I fully understand players chasing it.
Yes, a progressive Jackpot can reach a crazy amount of money. There’s no doubt about that. However, the progressive jackpots offer some pretty bad odds.
1 in 50 Million
If you have your eyes set on Mega Moolah, you should know that the chances of winning the Mega Moolah Jackpot is around 1 in 50 million.
As if that’s not bad enough. There are some Vegas progressive jackpot slots that have even worse odds. Some games offer odds of 1 in 150 million to 1 in 300 million.
Super Keno by KA Gaming
Keno – Who’s Up For a Challenge
Sometimes you can get bored of seeing the same old games with the same old results. Needing to spice things up and make some changes is only natural. If you’re looking for a challenge and something different? Cool, how about Keno?
How Do You Play Keno?
The objective of Keno is very straightforward: you need to select a set of numbers, usually ranging from 1 to 80, and hope that the numbers you picked are drawn during the game.
As many as 20 numbers will be drawn and the more numbers you manage to match, the more money you can win.
Playing Keno can be fun but you need to be aware of what odds you will be facing because they are low.
Keno odds for every number
Can You Hit All 20 Numbers?
Hitting all 20 numbers and getting a 7 figure payout can of course happen but it’s not going to be easy. I don’t know what the odds are that the Eiffel tower will grow wings and fly off but it feels just as likely? Come on, how bad can it really be, you may wonder? Well, how about 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,173,800.000!
Gates of Olympus by Pragmatic Play
Slots – Not if You Want Good Odds
There’s no doubt that slots are one of the most popular casino games in the world so this one might come as a surprise for many of you. Who hasn’t experienced money disappearing quicker than you’d imagine from spinning those precious little reels. The variety of slots available is amazing but as far as odds go, it’s not your best option.
Does this mean you can’t win on slots? Of course not. There are still plenty of wins available out there, big ones as well, which is proven every single day.
What Are the Odds?
Your odds when playing slots range from about 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 34 million. Then there is RTP, which I mentioned earlier. RTP stands for Return-to-Player and represents the percentage of money spent that the player will win back over time. This number is based on millions of spins so it’s not a guarantee you’ll see the money the day you play.
Money Cart by Relax Gaming has a 98% RTP
RTP – Return to Player
Let’s say for example that the RTP of a game is 97%. This means that for every €100 wagered, €97 of them will be won by the player. Once again, it’s not a guarantee every time you play but picking a slot machine with a higher RTP will give you better odds of winning.
To keep it simple, let’s split slots into 3 categories based on the RTP:
- High RTP – Above 97%
- Average RTP – Around 95%
- Low RTP – Below 94%
High or Low Volatility
Another variable that plays a part when it comes to slots is Volatility or Variance. This refers to the frequency of wins as you play and depending on what type of player you are, you should pick a game that suits you.
- High Volatility – These slots are able to pay out bigger wins BUT they might be few and far between.
- Low Volatility – A slot with Low Volatility means that you will win more often but the payouts will be much smaller.
- Medium Volatility – Here’s the middleground where both scenarios can happen.
To find out more about the pros and cons of slots, click here.
Pick the Game That is Right For You
This amount of information at once can be a bit overwhelming, I get that. However, no matter what the odds say, I think it’s important to play a game that you enjoy. I don’t see a point of playing something where the odds are better but you don’t have fun doing it.
Sure, I mentioned in the very beginning that it’s all about winning but most of all I think playing casino games is about having fun!
I hope you find this useful and that your newfound knowledge can send you on a path towards success.
Good luck!
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