The world of online casino games offers endless entertainment, but the frustration of losing can take the edge off the overall experience. Your first step in learning how to win at a casino is to know which games are the easiest to play and which offer you the highest odds for your efforts. Slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, and video poker are all worthy of consideration. Read on for an analysis of the gambling games you want to be playing more than the others.
House Edge and RTP
The key to finding games with better winning chances and which casino games have the best odds is to research the game’s house edge. This refers to the mathematical advantage that the house enjoys on average for any given game. A house edge of 5%, for example, means that, on average, the house takes 5% of all bets placed. Another way of looking at the same situation is using return to player (RTP.) If you play a game with an RTP of 95%, it means you will win 95% of your bets, and the house will take 5%. The majority of online slots offer an RTP of between 85 and 95%. There are no casino games with 100% RTP. In other words, you should never bank on taking home more money than you started off with.
Slot Machines
Slots are the easiest games to win at, hands down. That’s because they require no skill to play — the outcomes are completely random. If you’re looking to enjoy relatively frequent wins, low-variance slots are the way to go. These games have a high hit rate, although their payouts are correspondingly lower. Note that “wins” are often defined as a multiple of your bet. For example, a winning combination could award ten times (10x) your bet. Alternatively, it could award half (0.5x) your bet. In other words, you can win at slots and still lose money.
One thing to be careful of in an online casino environment is jackpot slots. These work the same as regular slots but have much bigger jackpots, usually available during a special bonus round. It can be an attractive idea to chase big jackpots, but you should know that the bigger the prize, the more people are playing for it, so the chances of winning big are very small. It’s similar to the lottery — it’s fun to know you stand a chance, but it’d be foolish to count on winning.
Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the best live dealer casino games for beginners because it’s very easy to play, highly engaging and has a low house edge. The game involves betting on two table positions, called the Player hand and the Banker hand, which have a house edge of 1.24% and 1.06%, respectively. You can also bet on a Tie, but the odds for that are poor. If you play baccarat responsibly, you’ll have the satisfaction of winning fairly frequently.
Roulette
Roulette offers a wide range of bets with varying degrees of volatility. The most favorable bets for beginners are those with the lowest house edge. Bear in mind that there are two main types of roulette: European and American. The difference is that a European roulette wheel has one zero pocket, and an American wheel has two. This yields a house edge of 2.70% and 5.26%, respectively. Bottom line: there’s a higher chance to win in European roulette. The bets with the biggest payouts are straight-up bets on single numbers, which pay out 35:1. The roulette bets with the best odds are so-called even money bets on colors (red or black), numbers (odd or even) and high or low numbers (1–18 or 19–36.) These bets should see you win your bet approximately 50% of the time.
Craps
There’s not much to do here other than blow and throw the dice and hope your numbers come up. The house edge ranges from 1.4 to 5%, depending on the craps game you’re playing. Beginners should focus on the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets, where players lose on a two-dice Don’t Come bet if the throw is 7 or 11 but win if the roll is 2 or 3. Throw any other number and that’s the Don’t Come point.
Blackjack
Blackjack is arguably one of the most exciting casino table games around. With blackjack, it’s you against the dealer. You win if your cards hit a higher number than the dealer, but if you push past 21, you go bust and lose your bet. With blackjack, the dealer has the advantage of playing second. Even though they won’t see all of your cards, it does mean that you can go bust pushing for 19, 20, or 21 without the dealer having to take a risk. There’s nothing better, though than hitting 20 or 21 and watching the dealer decide how far they should push their hand. In blackjack, the house edge really depends on how well you play. The average is around 2%. The good news is that if you apply a basic blackjack strategy, you can count on a low house edge of 0.5%.
Video Poker
Video poker is a favorite with players who enjoy a fast-paced game that challenges their strategic thinking. A typical 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker game will have an RTP of 99.54%. In other words, for every $100 wagered, the player will get $99.54 as winnings. To achieve this win rate, you need to learn and apply video poker strategy, which isn’t easy — it takes work. There are many more relaxing games. If you’re determined, however, start by searching for video poker strategy charts, which are easily available on the internet.
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