Which Casino Games Have the Lowest House Edge?
There is a saying that states the house always wins when it comes to gambling. This is true in the long run because casinos are in the industry of making money. They would not be in business very long if they gave away money left, right, and centre. Casinos make their money by stacking the odds in their favour. This stacking of the odds is known as the house edge.
The house edge of casino games is displayed as a percentage, which makes it easier to work out and visualise. For example, a game with a 2% house edge returns, on average, $98 to the player for every $100 wagered. Therefore, the casino makes a $2 profit. House edge for online pokies is often called Return To Player, or RTP. It is a similar principle but reversed. For example, an online poker machine with a 97% RTP has a 3% house edge.
Not all casino games are created equally when it comes to their house edge. Some favour the player more, and others are games where the casino makes a solid profit. Knowing which casino games have the lowest house edge is valuable information. Why? Because more money stays in your bankroll if you play games where the house’s advantage is less.
Blackjack Has the Lowest House Edge
Play blackjack if you want to enjoy the casino game with the lowest house edge. Blackjack has several rules that alter the house’s edge, but you can expect to see one from 0.42 to 1.5%. Even the worst-case scenario has a low edge, one lower than most other games.
Learning basic blackjack strategy significantly reduces the edge the casino has over you. Casinos often hand out strategy cards to new players and encourage their use. Why do they do this? Because the casino still makes a lot of money even with such a small house edge. Blackjack games quickly conclude, especially online blackjack, so the casino is making small profits frequently. Those small profits add up into large amounts over the course of a week, month, or year.
One disadvantage of playing blackjack in a live casino is it often has a larger minimum bet. Casinos do this so those frequent, small wins for them are larger. In addition, games with low house edge tend to payout lesser prizes.
Baccarat or Punto Banco
Many Australians play baccarat online due to the game’s low house edge. The game is extremely popular in Asia and in high-roller casino rooms worldwide. Baccarat has a trio of simple bets you can make: Banker, Player, or Tie. Betting on the player has a 1.24%. Winning a bet on the banker comes with a 5% commission, but the edge here is only 1.06% with that included. However, stay clear of the Tie bet because that stacks the odds in the house’s favour to the tune of 14.36%.
The Casino Edge of Online Pokies
There is a wide range of RTP levels for pokies and online pokies. Some have a house edge that is only 1% but others have a bankroll-damaging 10-12% levy on them. This is why it is important to check with the online casino operator for the RTP of their machines.
The online pokies industry average is around 96%, so anything better than this is a bonus. NetEnt’s Mega Joker has a 99% RTP, which is almost unheard of. Thunderkick made 1,429 Uncharted Seas with a 98.6% RTP, which is exceptionally high.
Expect a much larger house edge on online pokies that award progressive jackpots or that have well-known themes. Pokies named after TV shows or movies are the perfect example of the latter. Pokies developers pay a small fortune for the rights to have a show’s name and images on their machine, so must recoup that cost. How do they do that? By increasing the edge and getting you to pay for it!
