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The House Advantage |
Every game in the modern day casino holds a mathematical edge in favor
of the casino. What this means is that over the long term the casino
will always come out ahead. Every day players will win and lose but
the casinos always make money. The house edge is a major factor.
Many players misunderstand how the house advantage works and beleive
that if they play a game with a house edge of 1% that they will only
lose 1% of their money. This is flawed logic which we explain below
in further detail. We also list the best and worst edge bets at the
casino.
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| Introduction |
While the casinos would like you to beleive that they have been built
for you to win, the reality is the opposite. All of the flashing lights,
free rooms, show tickets and other perks are all designed to keep
you playing. As every game has a negative expectation they know that
in the long run they will always come out on top.
Quite simply the longer you play the bigger the chance that you will
lose. If you talk to anyone who has been gambling for several years
you will most likely find that they are behind unless they have hit
a major jackpot or have found games where the house advantage is so
low that they have broken even.
An important point to note is that the house edge relates to each
bet you make and not the entire amount of money you have wagered.
This make calculating the casinos edge while you play very easy as
you only need to focus on one play at a time.
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| House Advantage Examples for Popular Games |
| Casino Game |
Bet / More Information |
House Advantage |
| 3 Card Poker |
Pair Plus Bet |
2.3% |
| 3 Card Poker |
Ante and Bet |
3.3% |
| Baccarat |
Banker |
1% |
| Baccarat |
Player |
1.2% |
| Baccarat |
Tie |
14.3% |
| Blackjack |
Varies depending on rules |
0.18% to 0.7% |
| Caribbean Stud |
Not playing the $1 side bet |
5.2% |
| Casino War |
War on tied hands |
2.8% |
| Casino War |
Surrender on tied hands |
3.7% |
| Casino War |
Tie Bet |
18.6% |
| Craps |
Pass / Come bet |
1.4% |
| Craps |
Don't Pass / Come bet |
1.3% |
| Craps |
Any Craps |
11.1% |
| Keno |
Depends on numbers picked |
25% to 30% |
| Let it Ride |
Not playing the $1 side bet |
3.5% |
| Paigow |
Poker not tiles |
1.4% |
| Roulette |
Single zero table |
2.7% |
| Roulette |
Double zero table |
5.2% |
| Sic-Bo |
Depending on bet types |
3.7% to 33% |
| Slot Machines |
Depends on game type |
1% to 17% |
| Video Poker |
Full pay Jacks or Better |
0.4% |
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