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At any online casino, you want to play games that give you the best odds of winning.

Casino game odds concern your chances of winning and what a game pays when you win. We dive into how casino game odds work and what they mean for your profit potential.

Table of contents

Which casino games give you the best odds of winning?

A casino game’s return to player rate (RTP) is the percentage of the money you and other players put into the game that should theoretically be returned in the form of wins.

If a blackjack game has a 99% RTP, that means 99 cents of every dollar you and others bet on the game will be returned as winnings. Some players might win more, and others may lose more, but the game should achieve its prescribed RTP over time.

RTP is the first factor to consider when looking at your odds of winning. Here’s a breakdown of common casino game RTP.

• Video poker RTP ranges from 98% to 100.05%.
• Blackjack RTP ranges from 98% to 99.57%.
• Baccarat RTP ranges from 98.76% to 98.94%.
• Slot RTP ranges from 85% to 99%.
• Craps RTP ranges from 83.3% to 100%.
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em RTP is 97.8%.
• European roulette RTP is 97.3%.
• Pai Gow Poker RTP is 97.16%.

House edge is the next aspect to consider. It’s the flip side of RTP, i.e., how much money the casino expects to earn on a game. House edge is the percentage of the money you and other players put into the game that the casino expects to keep.

Let’s break it down by game once again.

• Video poker: The house edge on video poker games ranges from -0.05% to 2%. Deuces Wild actually has a negative house edge, but you must play a perfect strategy to realize it.
• Blackjack: The house edge on blackjack games ranges from 0.43% to 2%. It all depends on how many decks are used, the different rules, and the strategy you play. Single Deck Blackjack generally offers the lowest house edge.
• Baccarat: The house edge on baccarat ranges from 1.06% to 1.24%, depending on whether you bet on the banker or the player. However, there’s a commission charged on banker bets with the lower house edge.
• Slots: The house edge on slots ranges from 1% to 15%, depending on the slot.
• Craps: There’s a lot of different bets you can place at a craps table. The odds on a pass line bet is a zero house edge wager, but betting the seven (big red) has an almost 17% house edge. That means the house edge on craps bets range from 0% to 16.7%.
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em: The house edge on Ultimate Texas Hold’em is 2.20%, but you must play a perfect strategy to realize it.
• European roulette: The house edge on European roulette is 2.70% because there’s just one zero pocket. American roulette also has a double-zero pocket, pushing the house edge to 5.26%.
• Pai Gow Poker: The house edge on Pai Gow is 2.84%, but you must consistently set your hand the right way to realize it.

See more: Best online slots to play for real money

How can you improve your casino odds?

If you play the correct strategy and bet intelligently, some casino games give you the opportunity to improve your odds. Let’s break down some examples.

Video poker

Video poker offers great odds across the board, but you have to play the right way to realize them. You decide which cards to hold after the initial draw, and your odds improve when you make the right decisions. The good news is that video poker strategy charts are available to help.

Blackjack

Most blackjack games offer great odds. Your odds improve when you choose blackjack variants with the fewest decks and player-friendly rules, like the opportunity to double down on any two cards, the dealer standing on Soft 17, or blackjack paying 3:2 instead of 6:5.

With any blackjack game, you decide whether to stand, hit, double down, or split pairs, and your odds improve when you make the right decisions. The good news is that blackjack strategy charts are available to help.

Baccarat

Baccarat is such a simple game. All you have to do is bet on the banker spot to improve your odds. That’s why you have to pay a commission on banker wins.

There’s no decision to make in terms of drawing cards. It’s all done according to the house rules. It’s simply up to you to take the improved odds on the banker spot that pays 0.95:1 when you win or the slightly reduced odds on the player spot where wins pay 1:1.

Slots

Slots are easy to play, and there are two ways to improve your odds of winning. The first is to choose slots with high RTP. Then, since most slots offer you better odds when you bet more, you can bet the max to improve your chances.

Craps

There are a lot of ways to bet on craps, but the best odds start with betting on the pass line and don’t pass. In fact, the additional bets you can place behind these bets after the point is established have no house edge.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em

You can improve your odds of winning at Ultimate Texas Hold’em by making the right decisions. That means knowing when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, and betting based on your hand strength. The good news is that Ultimate Texas Hold’em strategy charts are available.

European roulette

You can improve your odds of winning at European roulette by sticking to the outside bets, like large combinations of numbers, odd/even, and red/black. These bets offer the lowest house edge on the table and close to a 50% chance of winning.

What casino games have the worst odds?

There are some bets and games you want to steer clear of altogether if you’re going by house edge and favorable odds.

• Triple Zero Roulette: With three zero pockets, the house edge on Triple Zero Roulette is 7.69%, the RTP is 92.31%, and your chances of winning are 42.31%. If European (or even American) roulette is available, there’s no reason to play this variant.
• Keno: The house edge on keno is 25% to 30%. Need we say more?
• Money Wheel/Dream Catcher: Wheel spin games are easy to play, but the house edge can be as much as 16%. You can find better bets all over any casino.
• Low RTP Slots: The RTP on most slots sits in the 95% to 99% range; avoid slots with RTP under 90% unless there’s a jackpot worth chasing.

What is the casino house advantage?

The casino house advantage, or house edge, is the edge a casino enjoys on a game. In other words, it is how much the casino expects to profit from that game. The house edge is actually the percentage of all the money players put into a game that the casino expects to keep as profit over time.

The key is that the house edge is realized over the long haul. A player might win or lose more in the short term, but the house edge will be realized in the end.

Where can I sign up and play the best casino games online?

Alabama doesn’t have state-licensed online casinos where you can play the low house-edge games listed here. That means you may have to travel to states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, or West Virginia to play.

However, there is a local option. You can play online casino games at sweeps and social casinos that comply with state sweepstakes laws in Alabama. Play with the premium currency offered to you by sweeps and social casinos, and you can redeem it for cash prizes and gift cards. It’s the best playing option where there are no state-licensed online casinos.

You can play for free and still redeem cash prizes and gift cards since sweeps and social casinos give away the premium currency you need through signup bonuses, free-play currency purchases, contest promos, and mail-in requests.

See more:

• Best real money online casinos
• Alabama online casinos

Responsible gambling

Losing is a part of playing any casino game. Just look at the odds; you’ll see they’re almost always in the casino’s favor. That’s why you should never bet more than you can afford to lose, set limits, and stick to them. That’s called responsible gambling, and it’s the best way to keep casino games fun.

If things start to get too serious or you suffer financial, relationship, employment, or health hardships as a result of your gambling, stop and get help. Most online casinos will help you set limits and cut yourself off. Further help and resources are available through the following organizations.