Understanding Casino House Edge

By Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 01/15/2024

Jane Shaw Senior Editor See Full Bio

We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.

Casino House Edge

Introducing the House Edge in Casino Games
How to Work Out the Best House Edge Casino Games
What Are the Best House Edge Casino Games?
Smart Strategies to Beat the Edge
Different Game Variations & Edge
Lowest House Edge Games Revealed
Frequently Asked Questions

Today’s blog studies what the casino house edge is; we look at what it means, how it affects you as a player, and what you need to know about it. We’re going to be offering insights into how it works, which games offer the best odds, and strategies to improve your chances of winning when playing at online casinos. While this blog focuses largely on the online casino house edge, most of what we’ll cover applies to land-based casinos, too. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Introducing the House Edge in Casino Games

The house edge is a fundamental concept in the casino world. It represents the casino’s average profit from a player’s bet. Understanding this concept is crucial because it affects every game you play in the casino. Whether you’re gambling at the best online casino in West Virginia or in a land-based casino, there will always be a house edge, regardless of which casino game you’re playing.

The house edge varies across different games, with some having a lower edge, thus offering better chances to win. For instance, blackjack is known for its low house edge, while slot machines typically have a higher edge. This guide will explore the intricacies of the house edge, how it’s calculated, and its implications on your gaming experience.

How to Work Out the Best House Edge Casino Games

The house edge simply refers to the mathematical advantage the casino has over players in casino games. It represents how much of every bet the casino expects to keep over the long run. For example, if the house edge in blackjack is 0.5%, that means for every $100 bet at blackjack, the casino can expect to keep $0.50.

This edge exists because of the way casino games are designed and the odds set by the casino. The payout odds for winning bets are nearly always slightly less than the odds of that event occurring. For example, the odds of rolling a 12 with a pair of dice is 1 in 36. But a bet paying 35:1 on a 12 has less than true odds, giving the casino an expected profit.

The house edge comes from the law of large numbers. A casino may lose money on some bets, but over thousands and thousands of bets, that slight mathematical player disadvantage guarantees the casino will make an overall profit over time. Rarely does short-term luck overcome that edge. This allows casinos to offer games that appear to have player-friendly rules while still ensuring the casino profits.

What Are the Best House Edge Casino Games?

The best house edge casino games include blackjack, craps, baccarat, and video poker. Of table games, certain blackjack rule variations offer the lowest house edge of generally under 1%. This includes games that pay 3:2 for blackjack, allow late surrender, re-splitting aces, and double downs after splits. With typical blackjack casino rules, house edges range from 0.4% to 1.5%.

Craps has some of the lowest house edges among casino games, too, coming in at around 1.4%, and even lower on certain high paying wagers. With optimal strategy on essential bets like pass/come and don’t pass/don’t come, and avoiding sucker proposition bets with high edges, craps can offer great player odds.

For slot-style games, video poker offers the best returns. The house edge varies based on which variation you play, but the optimal strategy starts at under 1% up to around 3% – much lower than most slots. Full-pay Deuces Wild video poker played perfectly returns 100.8%, technically giving the player an edge. Other variations like Jacks or Better can easily have under 1% house edge with perfect play.

More Lowest House Edge Games Revealed

When it comes to beating the casino house edge, every little bit counts. That’s why experienced gamblers pay close attention to which games give them the absolute best odds. Of all the table games on the casino floor, a select few stand out for having player-friendly rules which, when utilized correctly, can lead to very low house edges.

Baccarat is one such game. With optimal play, real money online baccarat offers a small house edge of just 1.06% on banker bets and 1.24% on player bets. Even playing randomly only raises that to 1.36%. Compared to most other games, that small percentage has a huge impact in the long run. However, we should point out that betting on ties – regardless of whether it pays 8:1 or 9:1 – hugely increases the house edge.

Three Card Poker can also be a surprisingly good option for low casino house advantage games. When played optimally, the ante bet has a reasonable house edge of around 3.37%. But the Pair Plus bet – the most commonly seen side bet in Three Card Poker – has a high house edge of 7.28%.

If you want to play keno online or other lottery-style games, you should also be aware that these are the games that have the highest house edges – sometimes upwards of 40%! This makes winning money highly unlikely, although certainly not impossible.

Smart Strategies to Beat the Edge

While it’s mathematically impossible to overcome the built-in house edge in casino games in the long run, there are ways you can reduce the house edge to give yourself the best shot at walking away a winner.

The number one tip is to stick to casino games with the lowest house edges, instead of playing slots and games like roulette, where the edge can be high. Choose blackjack, craps, baccarat, and video poker where optimal strategy can get the house edge under 1.5%. While there are no guarantees you’ll win, playing these casino games offers you a much better chance of minimizing losses in both the short and long run.

Secondly, it’s vital that you learn the optimal strategy for any game you play, like basic strategy in blackjack or the best video poker playing method. You’d be surprised, but doing so can improve your odds by as much as 0.5% – and while that may not sound like much, that quickly adds up!

Thirdly, try to take advantage of any casino promotions, bonuses, or comp points programs to reduce your short-term costs. Many online casinos today offer cashback – and this can sometimes be worth as much as 10% – so this can be a significant way of minimizing your losses, even when you endure a losing session!

While the house still wins in the long-term, following these tips will reduce how quickly you lose, letting you gamble longer for your dollar and increasing your chances of leaving a winner!

Different Game Variations & Edge

Casino games come in various forms and variations, each with a unique house edge. For example, the difference between American and European roulette lies in the number of zeros on the wheel, which significantly affects the house edge. In blackjack, factors like the number of decks used, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, and the payout for a natural blackjack all influence the edge.

Below, we’ve included a table with a few popular casino games, showing you their house edges. Make sure you pay attention to the differences between European roulette and American roulette, and single versus multi-deck blackjack.