Casino House Edge
If you spend any time at all reading about online casino games and gambling in casinos, you’ll encounter an expression—“the house edge.”
You’ll see writers explain that blackjack house edge is the lowest in the casino, and that the slots have the worst.
The house edge of the US wheel is 5,26%, for European roulette the house edge is 2,7% and the French roulette uses a house edge of 1,35% but this is even bets only. The extra ‘Double Zero’ on the US wheel makes an outsized difference, almost doubling the casino house edge. All even money and 1/3rd bets lose when either zero is hit, which is. Casino House Edge Casinos are a place where adults can have as much fun as kids do at amusement parks. This could not be any more of an apt description because amusement parks and casinos are exactly the same—they both take as much money as they can from you and still manage to send you home happy.
You’ll see them mention that some of the bets at the craps table have a house edge of less than 2%, while other bets at the craps table have a house edge of more than 16%.
But what is the house edge in a casino game and how does it work?
This site covers some similar concepts as they relate to the math of sports betting, but the casinos’ house edge works slightly differently.
Some Probability Background that Matters
You can’t understand the house edge if you don’t understand some of the basics of probability.
Probability is just a mathematical way to measure how likely something is to happen.
When a weatherman says there’s a 50% chance of rain, he’s using probability (as well as meteorology) to express that likelihood.
And most people have an intuitive understand of probability when it’s stated as a percentage, because we use it all the time.
If you paid attention in 8th grade math, you probably already know that a percentage is just another way of expressing a fraction, and that’s all a probability is—a fraction.
To determine the probability of something happening, you just look at the number of ways it could happen and divide it by the total number of possible events.
You’re rolling a 6-sided die, and you want to know what the probability of rolling a 6 is. A 6-sided die has 6 sides numbered 1 through 6. There’s only a single 6.
Since there are 6 possible outcomes, and since only one of those outcomes is a 6, the probability of rolling a 6 is 1/6.
You can convert that to a percentage of 16.67%.
You can also convert it to “odds format,” which just compares the number of ways it can’t happen with the number of ways it can. The odds of rolling a 6 on a 6-sided die are 5 to 1.
Once you have a basic understanding of probability, you can move on to the next step, which is determining the house edge of a bet.
What Is the House Edge and Why Does It Matter?
Every bet has a payout if you win and an amount you lose if you lose. This is often the same amount, or even money.
If you’re playing blackjack, you bet one unit, and most of the time, if you win, you win one unit. If you lose, you just lose that one unit.
In other words, if you bet $100 on a hand of blackjack and win, you usually win $100.
If you lose, you usually lose $100.
That’s called even money.
(And some bets in blackjack result in bigger winnings, and you sometimes have the option of surrendering, which means you only lose half your stake. But that’s a complication that doesn’t help you understand the house edge, so I’m going to save that discussion for another blog post.)
A bet’s payout can also be expressed using odds, though.
An even-money bet pays off at 1 to 1.
A bet that pays off at 5 to 1 is also possible—if you win, you get 5 units, but if you lose, you only lose 1 unit.
In the die-rolling probability example I used above, if you have a payout of 5 to 1, you’re playing a game with no house edge.
That’s because in the long run, you’ll win as much money as you lose.
But suppose I reduced the payout for rolling a 6 to 4 to 1?
You can use statistics to determine an average amount you’ll lose per bet in this situation.
You assume 6 statistically perfect rolls of the die. This means you’ll win once and lose 5 times.
If you’re betting $100 every time, you’ll have a single win of $400 along with 5 losses of $100 each, or a $500 total loss.
Your net loss after that is $100.
Since that’s a net loss of $100 over 6 bets, you’ve lost an average of $16.67 per bet.
That’s the same thing as lose 16.67% of each bet, and that percentage is the house edge.
There are other ways to arrive at that number, but that’s the easiest method I’ve seen used.
With every online casino game you play, the house pays off your bets at odds lower than the odds of winning. This results in a mathematical edge for the house.
That’s why casinos are profitable in the long run, even though every, a percentage of their customers go home with winnings in their pockets.
Probabilities—and the house edge—are always long-term phenomena. In the short run, anything can happen.
Individual online casino gamblers are always playing in the short term.
Online casinos are always playing in the long term.
If the House Has an Edge, Why Do People Still Play Casino Games?
So if, in the long run, the house can’t lose because of the math behind the games, why do people still play?
The answer is simpler than you think:
I have a friend who visits the casino at least once a week. He loses money on 4 out of 5 visits to the casino, but on one of those 5 visits every month, he comes home a winner.
He doesn’t care that he’s losing money hand over fist in the long run. He just wants to keep getting that buzz from his occasional wins.
The human brain is irrational, especially when it comes to gambling.
How the House Edge for Various Casino Games Compare
The house edge is only one factor that affects how much you’re going to lose when you’re gambling on online casino games. Other factors include how many bets you place per hour and how much you’re betting every time you place a wager.
That being said, if everything else is equal, you should play the casino games with the lowest house edge.
Keep in mind, too, that game conditions affect the house edge, too.
In some blackjack games, a natural pays off at 6 to 5 odds instead of 3 to 2 odds. The house edge on such a blackjack game is higher.
And, in fact, blackjack is a good place to start a discussion of the house edge for various casino games. It’s widely known that the house edge for blackjack is between 0.5% and 1%, but that number assumes that you’re making the optimal move in every situation. The average blackjack player is probably giving up 2% or so in mistakes.
Craps is a game where different bets have a different house edge. If you stick with the basic bets, pass and come, you face a house edge of 1.41%, which is relatively low. The more “exciting” wagers on the craps table come with a higher house edge.
Roulette comes in 2 main versions—single zero and double zero. The double zero version of roulette is predominant in the United States, and the roulette house edge for that game is 5.26%. By removing one of the zeroes, the online casino reduces the house edge to 2.70%.
Slot machines have a house edge that varies based on the PAR sheet for the game. (That’s the logic behind the game which determines the probability of getting various combinations of symbols and the payouts for those combinations.) You can find slot machines with a house as high as 35% or as low as 5%, but you never know what the number is.
Video poker machines look like slot machines, but they offer a better house edge—if you play the hands optimally. Depending on the pay table, the house edge for video poker can be as low as 0.5% or as high as 5% or 6%.
Conclusion
And those are the basics of the house edge as it pertains to casino games.
Now that you have an understanding of the probability behind casino games and how it affects your winnings and losses, are you going to be more or less likely to play casino games?
Are you going to change the amounts you bet or the games you play?
Let me know in the comments.
Most players go to the casino with a favorite game in mind and will play it regardless of its house edge. This is not the best play. The main goal of gambling is to win. The correct action is to play the games with the highest chances of winning, even if you’re on a budget.
Blackjack
The game with the lowest house edge in a casino is usually blackjack. There are rules that may change the return of blackjack from one casino to another. The most important rule in a blackjack game is that it pays 3-2 on blackjack. If the table pays 6-5 on a natural, keep walking.
It is also important for the blackjack game to allow double down on any two cards and after splitting. Other rules that benefit players include permitting surrender and resplitting aces. It is also best to find blackjack tables where the dealer stays on all 17’s.
Craps
Craps is often the best or second best game in a casino. The higher the odds allowed, the lower the house edge. That is because there is no house edge on an odds bet at a craps game. It theoretically returns 100% to the player. The best bet on the craps table to start a roll is the Don’t Pass. Don’t Come is the identical bet and has the same edge, but is only available after the come out roll. The Pass Line is the second best bet. The Come offers identical odds for rolls after the come out.
Lowest House Edge Casino
Placing numbers is the next best bets at a craps table. The Field is reasonable as long as 12 pays triple. Most of the other wagers at a craps table are sucker bets. The closer you get to the middle of the table, the higher the house edge.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em
Ultimate Texas Hold’em is a complex game with a surprisingly low house edge. The game is based on Texas Hold’em where players are up against only the dealer. Players receive 99.6% returned on average.
Video Poker
Video poker can be a great game. Depending on the pay table, it may be the best in the casino. Some casinos offer better video poker than others. Check out VPFree2.com to find the best video poker in your local casino. It may offer a better return than blackjack or any other table game. Make sure to always wager five coins and learn basic strategy.
Worst Casino Games to Play
Some casino games should never be played. This is due to the massive house edge or speed of the game. The games below are among the worst in any casino.
Big Six Wheel
The Big Six Wheel is the worst table game in a casino. The best bet has a house edge of 11%. The worst long shot bets have a 24% edge. This game is often found at the entrance of the casino. Keep walking past it.
Double Zero Roulette
Double Zero Roulette is often referred to as American Roulette. That is because you will not find the game in most other countries. The game has a 5.26% house edge on all but one bet on the wheel. The other bet, one that is impossible on a single zero wheel, has a 7.89% edge. A player that wagers $10 per spin will lose $31 an hour on average.
Casino War
The house edge on Casino War is 2.9%. That is not terrible by itself. The problem lies in that over 500 hands per hour can be played. This means that players can lose 15 bets per hour at the Casino War table. The house edge on the tie side bet is nearly 20%. If you must play this game, make sure to at least avoid that sucker bet.
Slots
Slots are the most popular game in the casino. The edge on most penny slots is 10%. Considering the hundreds of spins a player can make per game, this adds up fast. If you must play slots, choose the old reel-style games for $1 or higher. It will cut the house edge by at least half.
Mississippi Stud and Caribbean Stud
Mississippi Stud is a newer carnival game. It requires players to place as many as four bets. The edge on this game is 5% with wild variance. Caribbean Stud deserves an honorable mention as its edge and variance are nearly identical. Players looking to play poker table games should learn Ultimate Texas Hold’em.