The house is always going to have an advantage whenever you go play at a casino. That’s how casinos stay in business. It’s also what infuriated me about a judge’s ruling last week when pro card player Phil Ivey lost a lawsuit against a casino for $10 million with the judge saying the case depended on neither the player or the casino being able to beat the deck of cards. Effectively, the judge said that Ivey wouldn’t get his money because neither the House or Player could have an edge, which is bullshit because the House always has the advantage.
Even though the house always has a slight edge this varies throughout the casino. From Blackjack to Roulette to Craps, the casino’s edge spans a wide array of odds. This clip above from Business Insider Video shows where your best chances are at beating the house. If you’re not a video guy, here’s a look at the odds:
These are the house advantages of popular casino games. (with proper strategy)
Slots — 5% to 10%
Roulette (double zero) — 5.26%
Roulette (single zero) — 2.70%
Video Poker — 0.5% to 3%
Craps (pass/come bets only) — 1.41%
Blackjack — 0.5% (six decks)
I’m always inclined to play Blackjack and Craps because I can go on huge runs in short periods of time, making enough bank to cover the trip. But I also enjoy Roulette because you can sit at the table for long periods of time as long as you hit your number at least once. It’s a great game if you want to rack up some free drinks and not risk a ton of money. But, as we see here, the casino’s edge is smallest in 6-deck Blackjack. So if you want to give yourself the best shot at winning that’s where you need to lay down your chips.