The house edge differs from game to game and even from bet to bet.
Obviously the best casino games and bets to play are the ones with the lowest house edge so you have a better advantage. But which ones are they? These are what I reckon are the top five games and bets to play and it applies equally whether you are playing in Las Vegas or online. You will probably notice that these are pretty hard games to master so it’s no wonder that they have better odds.
Poker – The casino only takes a small commission from the pot. However, you are competing against other players and not the house so obviously your skill level will be a huge determining factor in whether poker really is the best casino game for you.
Video poker – This also a game of skill but there is only a small house edge which is often less than half a percent. The house edge depends upon the pay table of the machine you are playing so it pays to check the schedule.
Craps – Don’t come and don’t pass bets are only just slightly better than the pass line bet.. Don’t come and don’t pass bets with full odds are a couple of the best bets in the casino and can even be improved by play full odds (although players don’t usually like betting against the shooter). Pass bets and come bets also have a really low house edge and it’s also best to take the maximum odds allowed.
Pai Gow poker – The house advantage in pai gow poker depends a great deal on your skill in setting your hands but another important factor to improve your odds is the ratio of how much is bet when you are the banker. The greater the ratio, the better your odds.
Blackjack – Playing blackjack basic strategy reduces the house edge to less than half a percent.
The catch of course is that even if you play a game with a typically lower house edge but don’t play using a proper strategy, the house edge against you will increase. If you play video poker for example by just guessing rather than using a strategy, you will play with a terrible disadvantage. So it pays to master the game.