This is the second installment of our Gambling 101 series. If you’re camping at casinos sooner or later you’ll probably play a few games — that’s why the casinos are so RV friendly, they want our business. My purpose here isn’t to encourage you to play, but if you do I want to help you be a smart casino customer.
In my first post on the topic I told you that knowledge is the key to enjoying a gambling hobby, and I gave you links to several fun quizzes about casinos and games. I also promised to tell you about the 8 best games you’ll find in a casino. These are games with a low casino advantage, usually less than 1.5%.
Photo of a jackpot on a video poker machine — video poker can be one of the best bets in a casino
This will only be a brief overview. If you’re interested in playing these remember “knowledge is the key”. Look at the reference I give, and post to my thread in the Open Roads Forum if you have questions. Don’t risk a large part of your entertainment budget on games you don’t understand.
The Worst Games for the Casino Player
Before we look at the best games, let’s look at a couple of the worst. Did you know that some games have a casino advantage of over 20%? Keno is one, with typical house advantages ranging from 20% to 30%. Slot Machines are usually under 10% on average; however, individual slot machines may be set to hold up to 20-25%. If you think these are pretty stiff odds you’re right!
The Best Games for the Casino Player
In most casinos (not all) there are some good plays — games where the casino has a 1.5% edge or less (98.5% payback or better). These include (in alphabetical order) Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Pai Gow Poker, Roulette (European Rules), Spanish 21, Super Fun 21, and Video Poker. Occasionally, you’ll find other good games, but these are the most common.
The player return on these games of 98.5% or better assumes two things; you choose the correct version of the game, and you play correct basic strategy.
Baccarat
Most large Baccarat tables are high stakes; the minimum bet is often $100. “Mini-Bac” sometimes is offered with minimum bets in the $25 range. The house advantage is under 1.5%, and the best bet (Banker) gives you a 98.94% payback.
Blackjack
It’s the most popular table game in the casino, and one of the best bets for the player. The house edge varies, but can be as low as 0.14% to 0.66%. Blackjack is a fun game! Some skill is required to learn and use basic strategy, but it’s not really that tough, and you can carry a cheat sheet to the table – no kidding! It’s also a social game, where you can have a good time. If you find yourself at a “serious” table with grouchy people MOVE. This is supposed to be entertainment.
There are many variations of blackjack “rules”. For example, the number of decks used, whether the dealer takes a card or not on “soft 17” (Ace-6), whether you can double down on any two cards, etc. These rule variations can favor the player, or the house. One rule to avoid like the plague is any table that pays 6 to 5 on a Blackjack. The standard payoff is 3 to 2, and a 6 to 5 game is a rip-off by comparison. However, if you find yourself in a small casino with nothing but 6 to 5 Blackjack and slots, you may still be better off playing Blackjack.
Craps
If you walk into a casino and hear a bunch of people shouting and cheering it’s a good bet it’s coming from the Crap table. Craps is an exciting game; however, it’s also somewhat complicated and that often keeps people from playing. The crap table contains some of the best and worst bets in the casino, so you need to have some basic knowledge before you walk up and start playing. Also, there is a unique etiquette at the crap table, much of which is based on the numerous superstitions of craps players.
I enjoy craps, it’s fun and it’s worth taking the time to learn. Craps offers you a basic bet with a house advantage of only 1.41%, and you can often improve this to under 0.50%.
Pai Gow Poker
If you’re looking for a game that’s a little more relaxed and easy-going than Blackjack or Craps then Pai Gow Poker may be your choice. It’s a variation on the Chinese tile game of Pai Gow, and is played with a 53 card deck (one joker). The overall house advantage if you play correct basic strategy is 1.46%, and sometimes better.
Roulette
Roulette is an old, classic casino game. It’s simple, and often gives you a really nice payout when you win. It’s a social game, and you have time to talk with the other players, enjoy your cocktail, and so on.
You’ll also enjoy a house edge of only 1.35% if you search and find a single zero wheel with European Rules. Otherwise, you’re giving up 2.7% on an American single zero wheel, or a whopping 5.26% on a double zero wheel. The only problem is, most of these European wheels are only available on the Las Vegas strip in high-roller areas where the lowest table minimum you’ll find is likely to be $25 or more.
Spanish 21
If you enjoy blackjack, but are getting bored with it, I recommend trying Spanish 21. Even if you’ve never played a table game this might be fun, especially since you can carry your basic strategy “cheat sheet” to the table with you (in most casinos).
After all the tightening of rules for traditional Blackjack, you’ll find some casinos where the Spanish 21 odds are better for the player (most Atlantic City casinos for example). The house edge is only 0.76% when the dealer hits soft 17 and redoubling isn’t allowed. This improves to 0.38% if redoubling IS allowed.
Super Fun 21
This is another blackjack variation, and the house has an edge of about 0.95% to 1.15%. Some scoff at this game and say it’s “Super Fun” for the house, because the edge is so much higher than traditional blackjack games. I think it depends on what’s being offered at the casino you’re at. Remember the old song “if you can’t be with the one you love, then love the one you’re with”? OK, so I’m showing my age.
Given a choice, I’d rather play a good traditional Blackjack game with a lower house edge, but in some casinos Super Fun 21 is the best game available, and at least it’s fun!
Video Poker
You can always know the top payout percentage by reading and understanding the payout table that is displayed on each video poker machine. Video poker is the only machine game where an average person with a little dedication can teach themselves a basic strategy that sometimes has a small advantage over the casino. The best returns on Video Poker range from 97.36% to 100.76% with correct strategy; however, most players won’t take the time to learn basic strategy. Therefore, the casino still makes a nice profit even on machines where the player has a theoretical advantage. You can also find video poker machines that pay as low as 86% — remember, knowledge is the key!
See a game that you think you’d like? Ready to learn more? There’s a lot of information on the Internet and in print concerning casino games; however, some of it is wrong, or misleading. A good starting place for learning about a variety of games is www.wizardofodds.com. This is the website of Michael Shackelford, a professional actuary, expert in casino gaming mathematics, and consultant to the gaming industry. He gives factual information on casino games that is based on sound mathematical principals.
Discussion and Questions Remember to post any questions or comments you have in this thread on the forum. Next week I’ll be writing about a non-gambling topic, but we’ll continue in the near future. Next time I’ll start talking about casino comps, and I’ll tell you about three more games that can be listed as both “best” and “worst” bets depending on the situation.
Happy travels and good luck!
If you feel that gambling has become a problem for you and is no longer fun please visit Gamblers Anonymous.