Casino House Edge

House EdgeIn any Casino game you play (other than Poker), the Casino will always have the advantage over the long run.

The chances of winning in any game are always slightly in favor of the house, which means that over a long enough time scale you will be losing money. You will of course win money from time to time, but you will be losing more often.

This slight advantage is known as the house edge, and it is the presence of this house edge that allows Casinos to make their money.

US high stakes casino players choose Bodog.

Casino Games House Edge

The house edge will vary from one game to another and on the type of bets you make within the game. This table highlights the average house edge in each of the most popular Casino games.

Game House Edge Information
Blackjack ~0.75% Blackjack House Edge
Baccarat 1.2% Baccarat House Edge
Craps 1.4%+ Craps House Edge
Pai Gow 1.65% -
Let It Ride 2.4% -
Roulette 2.7% Roulette House Edge

According to the house edges displayed in this table, you would lose slightly more money playing European Roulette than you would playing Blackjack over the long run.

For example, if you wagered $10,000 on both games, you would expect to lose on average $75 on Blackjack and $270 on Roulette.

Does This Make Blackjack The Best Game To Play?

If your goal is to maximize the likelihood of winning money in one session (if the cards fall your way), then yes, you have a slightly greater chance of winning as opposed to losing in Blackjack when comapred with other games.

At the same time, if you want to minimize the amount of money you lose playing Casino games, Blackjack would be the best option with it's low house edge (Ladbrokes is the top high limit Blackjack Casino by the way).

However, this is not what playing Casino games is all about. They are there for entertainment, so you shouldn't let the house edge dictate which games you play. I very much enjoy playing Roulette, and the slightly higher house edge is not going to stop me from playing, and you should not let it either.

It's good to have an awareness of the different house edges in games, but don't let it affect your enjoyment of them.

Using Strategy To Reduce House Edge

In many of the Casino games, you can use strategy and make certain bets to help reduce the house edge.

For example, in Blackjack you can use perfect strategy to reduce the house edge right down to around 0.5%, as opposed to roughly 5% if you played with a poor strategy. So it's handy to know what you are doing to help you lose less.

Use the following guides on each of the top 4 Casino games for further information on the house edge and how to reduce it.

Enjoy Yourself

Although trying to win money is always going to be a strong focus, having fun and enjoying yourself at the tables should be the main goal every time you play in the Casino.

If you want to play a certain game because you enjoy playing it or place a specific bet because you have a good feeling about it, don't let the house edge stop you. You can play whichever games you like however you want.

It's nice to know the odds, but don't let the maths take the fun out of the Casino for you.

US high stakes casino players choose Bodog.