Comparing the Odds of Casino Games
When choosing which casino game you want to play, there are various things you need to consider - how much you like the game, the bets available, your budget, and the odds of winning.
Before you play any game, it's essential that you understand the odds - and how they compare to other casino games out there. You need to know which game offers which odds, and what statistics say about how often wins typically could occur - and that's what we're going to look at here. We'll cover all the various casino games, what the best odds are at a casino, and how they all compare.
Casino Games with the Best Odds
Blackjack
The ultimate casino game with the best odds is definitely blackjack. This classic game is famous for its low house edge, which can be as low as 0.5% when playing with the basic blackjack strategy - making it one of the most popular games.
Basically, your odds of winning a hand of blackjack are approximately 42.22% - while a tie happens about 8.48% of the time - and the remaining 49.10% is how often the house wins.
The great thing about this game is that you can maximise your chance of winning by learning and using the basic strategy, which tells you the best move for each hand and situation you find yourself in. If you get to grips with this, you’ll be giving yourself the best chance when playing.
However, there are some factors that can affect the house edge - the fewer decks, the lower the house edge, for example. There are also some rules - such as dealer standing on Soft 17, resplitting Aces and doubling down that can affect the odds - so check the rules of the game you're playing.
When you compare this to other casino games, blackjack's house edge is impressively low. Slot machines, for example, usually have a house edge of around 5% - and sometimes even higher depending on the game, so this is definitely a great option amongst casino games.
Roulette
Roulette's house edge varies depending on what version of the game you're playing. In American Roulette, for example, the house edge is 5.26% because there is both a single zero and a double zero which isn’t so great. However, European Roulette, which only has a single zero, offers a lower house edge of 2.70%. This means that the odds of winning a single-number bet in European Roulette are 1 in 37 (2.70%), while in American Roulette, your odds are 1 in 38 (2.63%).
Obviously, there are also different types of bets you can place - which gives you better odds of winning. Outside bets such as Red/Black or Odds/Evens have odds of 48.6% in European Roulette or 47.36% in American Roulette, so you can decide what your preference is when it comes to selecting bets.
In games like French Roulette, there are rules such as En Prison and La Partage which return half of even-money bets if the ball lands on zero, further reducing the house edge to about 1.35% - meaning better odds.
So, the odds in Roulette very much depend on what version you play and what bet you make. While the house edge in European Roulette is better, American Roulette's edge is double it. If you pick outside bets on French or European Roulette, these options offer the best odds.
Baccarat
Baccarat is another casino game that comes with a low house edge. Banker bets have a house edge of 1.06% while betting on the Player has a house edge of 1.24%. The Tie bet, however, has a house edge of around 14.36% - and is not recommended in comparison to the other bets, and odds of other casino games.
The odds of winning when you bet on the Banker are the best - at 45.86% while betting on the Player has a slightly lower winning probability of 44.62%. That being said, it is common for a 5% commission to be taken on Banker wins, which is factored into the 1.06% house edge. What's more, different baccarat variants can have slightly different house edges based on varying rules - but in comparison to lots of other casino games, baccarat offers relatively good odds.
Craps
Craps offers a variety of bets - with some of the best and worst odds in the casino. The Pass Line bet is respectable, with a house edge of 1.41%, and the Don't Pass bet has an even better house edge of 1.36%. This means that your odds of winning a Pass Line bet are around 49.29%.
However, Craps stands out thanks to its "Odds" bet, which has a 0% house edge when made along with Pass/Don't Pass bets.
As such, pick the right bets - and this is as good as any casino game out there. Sticking with bets that have a low house edge, like Pass Line, Don't Pass, Come, and Don't Come, is a recommended move.
Casino Games with Lower Odds
Below you’ll find the casino games which have the worst odds for winning.
Slots
Slot machines are hugely popular in casinos because of their innovative gameplay and designs, which come in all sorts of themes. However, they are also the casino games with the worst odds.
The house edge on slot machines varies a lot - from 2% up to 10% or more. What's more, unlike table games like blackjack, where strategies can be applied, slots are based 100% on random chance.
American Roulette
Although Roulette can come with decent odds, American Roulette is an exception - no thanks to its higher house edge, courtesy of the inclusion of an extra double zero (00) pocket that you won't find in European Roulette, which doubles the house edge to 5.26%.
This higher house edge has quite a big impact on your odds of winning - so, for example, your probability of winning a straight-up bet in American Roulette is 1 in 38 (2.63%), compared to 1 in 37 (2.70%) in European Roulette. So, if you are looking for a game of Roulette, American Roulette is generally considered the worst option.
Varieties of Casino Games
The world of online casinos comes with all sorts of different games, each with its own set of rules, payouts - and house edges. This variety makes casino what it is - but it also means there are plenty of odds you need to be aware of.
In Poker, you'll find that some versions of poker have a lower house edge than others - while there are certain blackjack variants that come with different payouts or rules that affect your odds of winning. Even games that look similar at first glance can have variations that influence the odds - some slots have an RTP of 98% while others can be as low as 89%, so always be aware.
Before placing bets on any game, check out the RTP of the game, look at the rules, and the casino games' best and worst odds.