Not all casino games are created equal. Some give you a better shot to win than others. Some part you from your money faster than the rest.
Your guide to the best opportunities vs. the bankroll eaters is the house edge. You have a chance to win in a short session on any game, but you get more bang for your buck when the average percentage that the house keeps is smaller.
Some of the best games are rarely found â??itâ??s a rare casino that has video poker games with 100 percent-plus paybacks, or the table game Catch a Wave with its half-percent house edge. And some opportunities require skills players donâ??t have â?? card counters can get an edge on the house in blackjack, but few players can actually count cards.
What follows are 10 casino best bets for games you can easily find in casinos, for players with normal skill levels. Youâ??re not going to beat the house every time out, but these give you a shot to win.
1. Craps: Bet the Pass or Donâ??t Pass Line
House Edge: 1.41% on the Pass Line, 1.36% on Donâ??t Pass, and less than 1% if you take free odds.
Why itâ??s a great bet: Betting the Pass Line in craps can be a thrill like no other in the casino. When the shooter is on a roll and everyone is winning together and the cheers and high fives come along with the chips, the camaraderie canâ??t be beat. Donâ??t Pass bettors donâ??t get that, since theyâ??re betting against the shooter making his point, but they do get a slightly lower house edge.
What both Pass and Donâ??t Pass bettors have is a house edge that starts among the lowest in the casino, along with an opportunity to make a good bet even better. With the 3x, 4x, 5x odds that are common in todayâ??s casinos, the edge falls to 0.4% on pass plus odds and 0.3% on donâ??t pass plus odds. Thatâ??s even lower than the house edge against basic strategy players at most blackjack tables and it can get even lower with 10x odds (0.2% on Pass, 0.1% on Donâ??t Pass) or the rare 100x odds (0.02% Pass, 0.01% Donâ??t).
For bettors who like to have several numbers working at once, the Come bet works just like the Pass and the Donâ??t Come bet just like the Donâ??t Pass, free odds and all, with the same house edges.
2. Blackjack: Play basic strategy
House Edge: Approximately 0.6% on a six-deck game, depending on house rules
Why itâ??s a great bet: Thereâ??s an appealing element of skill to blackjack where strategy matters. While the average player faces a house edge of 1.5% to 2%, you can trim that provided you know when to hit, stand, split pairs or double down. In a common six-deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17, you can double down on any first two cards and you can split pairs up to three times for a total of four hands, the house edge against a basic strategy player is 0.61%. On average, you lose 61 cents per $100 wagered.
If youâ??re fuzzy on basic strategy fine points, no problem. Many casinos will allow you to refer to a basic strategy card, as long as youâ??re not overdoing it and slowing down the game. You do need to exercise some caution and beware of rules that pad the house edge. If blackjacks pay only 6-5 instead of the standard 3-2, it adds 1.4% to the house edge, and you might want to consider one of the other games on this list.
3. Video Poker: Play 9-6 Jacks or Better or other high-paying games
House edge: 0.5%, or a few tenths of a percent less on some games, or more on others.
Why itâ??s a great bet: Similar to blackjack, thereâ??s a feeling of control in video poker. Your strategy matters, and in the best games available in casinos, the house edge is as low as any games on this list. You might never see games that return 100 percent with optimal play unless you venture into Las Vegas locals casinos, but there are a host of 99-percenters.
In addition to that, thereâ??s a chance at a big jackpot that low house-edge table bets donâ??t offer. With a five-credit bet, royal flushes usually pay 4,000-for-1, or $1,000 for a $1.25 wager on a quarter machine.
With optimal play, 9-6 Jacks or Better returns 99.5% of money wagered to players. Optimal play takes practice, but itâ??s not difficult to learn, and in most states you can have a strategy card right at the machine and refer to it while you play. The â??9-6â? refers to payoffs on full houses and flushes â?? 9-for-1 on full houses and 6-for-1 on flushes. Other games in the 99-percent range include 8-5 Bonus Poker (99.2), 9-7-5 Double Bonus Poker (99.1) and 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker (99.0).
4. Baccarat: Bet with the Banker
House Edge: 1.06%
Why itâ??s a great bet: Betting with the banker is a great bet because you actually win more hands than you lose. In a standard baccarat or mini-baccarat game using eight decks, the banker bet wins 45.9% of the time, and loses only 44.6 percent. The remaining 9.5% of hands are draws, and both the banker and player bets get their money back.
The house has to claim an edge on the game, of course, so it charges a 5% commission on winning banker bets. That still leaves a house edge of only 1.06 percent, the lowest youâ??ll find without having to learn strategies, as in blackjack or video poker, or sort through dozens of possible bets, as in craps.
Hands are played out according to a set of rules posted at every table. You can relax and enjoy, making this the best no-brainer bet in the house.
5. Baccarat: Bet on Player
House Edge: 1.24%
Why itâ??s a great bet: Youâ??ll find the second-best no-brainer bet in the casino at the same table as the best. You do lose more bets than you win when you bet on player, but that means the house doesnâ??t have to charge you a commission on winning bets. The house edge is still very low, at 1.24%. And you still can just sit back, relax and enjoy without learning strategies.
Banker is the better bet, but most players like to flip back and forth between the two, trying to ride streaks. The main caution is to avoid the bet on ties, which has a house edge of 14.4%
6. Mississippi Stud Poker
House Edge: 1.37%
Why itâ??s a great bet: Mississippi Stud is a great bet because you can maximize your winnings when you have good cards, and minimize your losses when you donâ??t. There is no dealer hand to beat â?? youâ??re strictly betting on whether your five-card hand will be on a pay table that starts at a pair of 6s.
You start with an ante, and there are potential raise opportunities after youâ??ve seen two, three and four cards. There are a couple of different ways to look at the house edge. On average, youâ??ll spot the house 4.91% of your ante. But with the raises, on average youâ??ll wager 3.59 times the ante by the end of the hand. That leaves a house edge on your total wagers of 1.37%, one of the better bets around.
7. Craps: Bet on 6 or 8 as place bet
House Edge: 1.52%
Why itâ??s a great bet: Place bets on 6 and 8 are great bets because youâ??re getting the most frequently rolled numbers other than that pesky 7 that turns place bets into losers. Among the 36 possible two-dice combinations, there are six ways to make 7, followed by five ways to make 6 and five ways to make eight.
One thing to remember: Winners are paid at 7-6 odds, but only if they remember to bet in multiples of $6. If you bet $6, a winner 8 will pay $7, but if you bet $5, that winner will pay only $5.
8. Three Card Poker: Bet on the Ante-Play portion
House Edge: 2.01%
Why itâ??s a great bet: There is some strategy to learn in Three Card Poker, but itâ??s easy to learn and remember. You start with an ante, and if you like your cards in the game against the dealer, you follow with a bet equal to the ante.
The strategy: Bet if your hand is Queen-6-4 or better, but fold with lesser cards. It doesnâ??t get much easier than that and the house edge is one of the lowest among games that are easy to learn.
9. Craps: Lay the 4 or 10
House Edge: 2.44%
Why itâ??s a great bet: Laying the 4 and 10 are for those who like to play the donâ??t side. Youâ??re betting the shooter will roll a 7 before the next 4, or before the next 10. Most craps players like to have several wagers working at once, and if you prefer to bet specific numbers instead of come and donâ??t come, the best options are placing 6 and 8 for pass bettors, and laying 4 or 10 for donâ??t pass bettors.
You have to pay a 5% commission to make lay bets. At some casinos, you have to pay the commission only on winning bets. When that happens, the house edge dips to 1.67% and laying the 4 and 10 move up the chart of best bets.
10. Pai-Gow Poker
House Edge: 2.5% to 2.8%
Why itâ??s a great bet: Pai-Gow Poker is a great bet for extended play. You set seven cards into a five-card â??High Handâ? and a two-card â??Second High Hand,â? and if both hands beat the dealer, you win. If both lose, you lose. If you win one and lose the other, itâ??s a push. The house wins exact ties, but more important to the house edge is that winners pay a 5% commission.
With optimal strategy 40% of hands push, so this is an even-keel game great for spending some time at the table, enjoying a drink or two and kibitzing with the dealer and other players.
Written by casino expert John Grochowski
