Before we get cracking talking about numbers, house edge, and which games are more favorable to gamblers and punters alike rather than the house - we first need to truly understand what house edge is and how it works in lay ma terms.
If you have not heard of the proverb, "the house always wins", you have probably been living a cave for most of your life. It is true! The house does always win. What is the house? Well, the house in the scenario refers to the casino. It can be a land based casino or a virtual online casino. The house may not always win every single hand or every single game, but eventually over the long run - the house does win! This is because all games in a casino are mathematically designed to achieve exactly this. A casino is a business at the end of the day and making money is unmistakably the motive!
The fact is that if casinos did not employ such mathematical strategies to give them the upper hand or the edge then they simply would not be able to carry on doing business, the casino would more or less become a charity which makes donations to anyone and everyone that comes in for a game. Furthermore, the casino has to make some money because even if not for the sake of profit, they still have to bear operational costs such as staff salary, electricity, real estate, wages, other bills, etc.
However, just because the house has the edge it does not mean every player will lose 10% (if the return to player percent was 90%). What it actually means is that in the long run, the house will return 90% of all of the money that has been gambled and keep 10% of all of the money that has been gambled.
Knowing this, you can now comprehend why it would be in your favor, as a casino game player, to get an idea of which game have the highest house edge and which ones have the lowest house edge. It is simple! The higher the house edge, the lesser your chance of winning big and the lower the house edge the higher your chances of winning big.
In other words, your odds of winning are inversely proportional to the house edge. So what you must be looking to do, from a strategic stand point, is to play more of the games where the house edge is low and avoid, as much as possible, the games where the house edge is too high.
Depending on which state you live in, slot machines or pokies are generally programmed to have a return to player per cent average of anywhere between 85% and 95%. They generally offer the house an upper hand (a house edge) of 2 - 5%. However, in some cases it has been observed that slot machines offer houses huge edges which can go up to 15% and more.
It depends on the slot machines itself, the house edge could vary from one machine to the other. Generally, jackpot slots are considered high - variance slots which run house edges in the higher end of the spectrum. While they are really engaging to play, they must be avoided if lower house edge pokies are what you are looking for.
One of the best pokies with a low house edge would be video poker games such as Jacks or better (full pay) where in the house edge is merely 0.46%. This is assuming that the game is full pay and you employ the basic strategy in order to play the game. If you do not follow a strategy sheet and simply gamble by the seat of your pants, then the house edge will inevitably climb to a higher number.
Another option for players keen on being meticulous and calculative (simply clever if you ask us) is Blackjack. Blackjack also has a comparatively low house edge which can go down to about 0.28% (in the case of an online blackjack table offering Vegas rules). Once again, your gambling or betting pattern also influences the house edge and either drives it up or down. More often than not, if you are betting based on gut feelings and randomness then you are driving the house edge up. However, if you follow the basic strategy then you can get the house edge all the way down to 0.28% and keep it there.
The game of War is loved by many simply because it is so straight forward and simple to play. You just have to beat the value of the dealer’s card. However, while it may be simple that does not mean it is a wise decision to play War. The house edge of War games are approximately around 2.88% and this is provided that you go to war on ties. If you surrender on ties, then the house edge may rise up to 3.70%. Therefore, we would suggest the game of war be avoided, and if you do end up playing it, it would be a bad idea to surrender.
Craps, on the other hand, is a game which most rookie gamblers shy away from because of the learning curve. It is contrasting to war and has a lot of rules and bets that you need to know in order to play. However, unlike war, the house edges are pretty nominal. Some smart low house edge bets you can stick to while playing craps are - don't pass\don't come (1.36% house edge) and pass/come (1.41% house edge).
PaiGow Poker has a house edge of 1.46%, Baccarat comes in at 1.24%, Card Sharks is a great option with a house edge of only 0.5% while Spanish 21 is another good one that has a house edge of 0.4%.
The next time you play a casino game, ponder for a moment - what is the house edge?
Further Reading: Now Read More About Our Top Pokies Casinos