House edge
If we’re going to talk about which online casino games have the best and worst odds, we need to first talk about house edge. Casinos, both online ones and land-based ones, are businesses that need to make money. They’re able to make money because their games have a built-in advantage, known as the house edge. It’s represented as a percentage and refers to how much a player can expect to lose on an average bet relative to the full amount of their bet. For example, say the house edge on a game is 5% and a player makes a bet of $10. That player would expect the casino to earn $0.50 from the bet (the 5%) and would be left with $9.50 (the remaining 95% of the amount wagered). The average player loses money at a casino (the money the player loses goes to the casino) and doesn’t make a profit on their gambling – it is, of course, possible to win big and make a profit on your gambling, but taking all players into account, the average one ends up losing at least some of their money. Generally speaking, the lower the house edge is, the more money you the player can expect to win over time; conversely, the higher the house edge, the more money you can expect to lose over time. Note that odds vary depending on the version of game and the casino.
Games with the best odds
Blackjack
Of all the casino games, it’s blackjack that offers the best odds. Its house edge is usually around 1%, though it’s actually less than that at quite a large number of casinos. Many players opt for blackjack not only because of its fantastic odds, but also because it’s one of the easiest casino games to play and it’s just you against the dealer, so there’s no additional pressure from facing off against numerous opponents. Blackjack involves you trying to get a higher combination value than the dealer, but without going over the number 21. It’s got great odds and easy, one-to-one gameplay, so it’s not hard to see why blackjack is the most popular table game in U.S. casinos.
Video poker
Coming a close second is video poker, whose house edge is also around 1%. However, you’ll find it’s nearly always just a bit higher than blackjack’s house edge. It’s a game of skill rather than a game of chance: it requires a bit of thinking and is a solitary game. You’ll notice that video poker machines look very much like slot machines. Even so, it’s definitely with sticking with the former if you’re after better odds. There may a bit of skill involved but if you’re good enough, you may even be able to considerably lower the house edge by employing certain strategies.
Improving your chances of winning
To improve your chances of winning, you need to know the game you’re playing inside out. That way you’ll be able to make the best decisions, place the right kinds of bets and avoid any mistakes—a single slip-up could end up costing you a win. As well as in-depth knowledge of the game, you need a little bit of luck as well. Even though games may have really good odds, they still ultimately favour the house. Play these games over a long period of time and chances are, you will lose money and that money will go to the house. Still, that doesn’t stop millions of people the world over from trying to win big!