When looking for a profitable casino game to play, you want to pick the games with the lowest house edge. In this guide, we give you a short breakdown of what exactly the house edge is why it’s important, as well as a list of the top 10 lowest house-edge casino games.
Let’s get started.
What is House Edge and Why it’s Important
It’s worth understanding what a low house edge means before we look at some of the top casino games. Casinos have an advantage over players called a house edge. In order for a casino to turn a profit and invest in its infrastructure, it needs a house edge on all its games.
Percentages are used to calculate a house edge. In short, house edge refers to the average amount the casino might earn over a particular player over the course of a specific game. Basically, it’s the opposite of Return to Player (RTP) – which refers to how much a player stands to get back over the lifetime of a casino game.
The house edge of an online blackjack game with 99% RTP is 1%, for instance. As a result, players stand a good chance of winning back $99 for every $100 they bet, give or take. Casinos have a greater chance of winning each game if they have a higher house edge.
Top 10 Casino Games with Lowest House Edge
Here are 10 games with a low house edge you should consider playing:
Slots: 1%-15%
Baccarat: 1.1%
Craps: 1.4%-5%
Blackjack: 1.5%
Three Card Poker: 1.5%
Pai Gow Poker: 2.5%
European Roulette: 2.6%
Backgammon: 3%
Video Poker: 0.05 to 5%
Caribbean Stud Poker: 5%
Now, let’s dive deeper into each casino game and what determines its house edge.
1. Slots
There is a wide range of house edges between online slot machines. The RTP of a slot could be as low as 85% or as high as 99%, depending on the game.
In online slots, betting size or triggering a casino bonus feature can affect the house edge. A small house edge can be achieved by betting the maximum stake per spin. Certain slots offer special buys with an improved RTP if you purchase several spins.
2. Baccarat
The strategy in baccarat is really a matter of house edge, making it one of the easiest casino games in the world. When you play baccarat, you can bet on the Banker, the Player, or the Tie.
In one-deck basic baccarat, the house edge for the Tie bet is 15.75%, the Player bet is 1.29%, and the Banker bet is 1.1%. Consequently, the Banker is always the best bet.
3. Craps
The game of craps involves betting on the outcome of dice rolls. The game is normally played with 2 dice.
There are plenty of reasons why you should play craps. However, the main one is that most craps versions have a house edge of less than 2%, which means the return to player percentage is often more than 98%. This is excellent odds.
What is rolled and what bets you place determines the house edge in craps. Thus, RTP varies from bet to bet.
4. Blackjack
You want to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21 or hit 21 with the combination of your cards. In theory, this sounds quite straightforward. However, blackjack strategy experts would disagree, as there are dozens of effective ways to play the game.
Depending on the format of the game, blackjack house edges vary, but the basic rule is that the player plays their hand first. You could thus lose before even showing your cards to the dealer.
Typically, you can expect a house edge of up to 1,5% for blackjack.
5. Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker is the perfect game to begin playing if you’re new to online casinos but know the basics of card strengths. With a house edge of only 1.5%, the odds of you winning are really good.
Basically, Three Card Poker involves receiving three cards and beating the dealer’s hand. To receive your cards, you’ll need to place an ante bet, and to remain in the game, you’ll need to place a second bet.
In the case of a hand worse than Queen High, the dealer has no house edge. In this case, you’re guaranteed a win. We have an in-depth guide on how to play 3 Card Poker that will surely help you if you’re new to the game.
6. Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker is a game where two-card hands and five-card hands are used to beat the dealer. Players who have played Texas Hold’em or Five Card Poker before should have no problem picking up Pai Gow Poker quickly. When playing against a dealer one-on-one, the house has an advantage because it is tough to win both hands. Typically, the house edge for this game is 2.5%.
7. European Roulette
In any online betting site with roulette tables, every gambler is likely to find something to satisfy his or her craving. Numbers 0 to 36 are on the 37 pockets of the roulette wheel in European Roulette. American roulette, on the other hand, has 0 to 36, as well as a 00 number. As a result, the house edge goes down a lot when you play European Roulette.
Compared to European Roulette (which has a house edge of 2.6%), American Roulette has a 5% house edge. When it comes to online roulette, it’s all about luck, tactics, and the willingness to take risks. Roulette players usually head to single zero tables first, although there are several different strategies.
8. Backgammon
Probably the last thing you think about when thinking about joining a casino is playing backgammon online. As opposed to poker or blackjack, backgammon is a board game. There are, however, some online casinos that allow you to play backgammon and compete for large jackpots.
Rolling dice and moving your pieces over the Jump bar and then over the Out bar are the main objectives of backgammon. A Jump and Out bet at a point of 4 has a house edge as low as 3%, and at a point of 1, 4.29%. Backgammon rules are important to read before playing, since there can be a 6.39% house edge sometimes.
9. Video Poker
It is possible to face a house edge as high as 5% when playing video poker games. Video poker was first introduced in Las Vegas casinos, with players dealing their own poker hands on video machines. Getting a strategy down is your best chance of winning at video poker.
A house edge of 0.05% 5% to can be found in video poker games depending on the software. The following video poker games have a low RTP: Jacks or Better 3x, Aces and Faces (25 hands), and Louisiana Double.
10. Caribbean Stud Poker
With this quick-fire poker game against the dealer, players will learn how to read card values and take on risks.
A player’s goal in the game is to beat the dealer’s five-card hand. For the reveal to occur, you must at least call the ante bet you made to receive your cards.
Players sometimes have trouble with Caribbean Stud Poker because the dealer defaults if they do not get the qualifying hand of ‘ace and king or higher’. In such a situation it is possible for the dealer to squeeze out a lot of dud hands that a smart player would have won if he or she had called. Nonetheless, the player must take this into account when deciding whether to make the call.
Which Low House Edge Games Are the Best? (Video Guide)
There is no right or wrong answer. The best casino for one player might not be the best. It depends both on personal preference and your skill level. For example, if you love slots, then play slots. Just Because blackjack has the lowest house edge does not make it the best game for you (unless you know how to play it). Furthermore, also opt for games that you can actually play or are good at. So, when picking a game, house edge is not the only thig to consider.
If you are knowledgeable, however, games like Blackjack and Baccarat have the lowest house edge at most casinos. In the video below, our expert Kash Kingston looks at the five casino games with the lowest house edge (if played with the perfect strategy).
Why You Should Opt for Low House Edge Casino Games – The Bottom Line
The lower the house edge, the better your chances of winning. Playing casino games with bonuses and strategies reduces the house edge. Although we provided you with a list of the casino games with the lowest games, there are also some strategies that lower these even more. So, keep this in mind when trying them out.
About the author
Beth RedmanEditor in Chiefbeth@mrcasinova.com
With over twelve years of experience, Beth brings a lot of knowledge in the field of gambling and always deals intensively with casinos reviews. She is responsible for most of the content that is written on MrCasinova.com and she also manages all MrCasinova.com contributors. Beth is native English and graduated with an MBA from Anglia Ruskin University.
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