Guide to Casino Odds

Getting to Know the Odds

Casino odds can refer to the odds of an event taking place, or the house odds, or payoff odds. For instance, the odds of a ball landing on your chosen number in an European Roulette is 1 in 37, or an equivalent of 2.70%. This is called true odds. The other meaning is payoff odds or house odds, which refers to how much you can win. 

It’s important to know the house edge in order to know if a game is worth playing or not. A house edge is the casino’s margin for profit. This tells you how much a casino profit for, on average, a $100 wager. For instance, European roulette has a house edge of 2.70%. Hence, for every $100 wager, the casino return is $97.30. This gives the casino a profit of $2.70.

Popular casino games like Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, and Craps have standard payouts. However, there may be slight changes in the rules and payouts depending on the game’s variations. For instance, American Roulette has worse odds than its European counterpart. Some variations of the games have better advantages than others. Hence, it’s always great to check each variation’s rules and house edge before trying it out.

Blackjack Odds

Blackjack comes in different variations. The variations may be the same at the core, but there are slight changes to the rules. It’s always great to review the rules first before playing and betting. Know when you can double or split, when the dealer is required to stand or hit, or whether you can surrender. Knowing these specific rules can help improve your odds

To give you an overview of your odds, here are the house edge of the popular Blackjack variations. They are listed from the lowest to the highest house edge. 

• Classic Blackjack has a house edge of 0.13%.
• Vegas Single Deck has a house edge of 0.35%.
• Atlantic City Blackjack has a house edge of 0.36%. 
• Spanish Blackjack has a house edge of 0.39%.
• Vegas Downtown Blackjack has a house edge of 0.39%.
• European Blackjack has a house edge of 0.42%. 
• Big Five Blackjack has a house edge of 0.47%.
• Double Exposure has a house edge of 0.69%.
• Super Fun 21 has a house edge of 0.94%. 

However, to better increase your odds, you need to make careful in-game decisions. The odds can change in the course of the game. Hence, it’s always smart to play with a basic strategy.

Roulette

Two of the most popular versions of Roulette are European Roulette and American Roulette. However, these two have huge disparity when it comes to house edge. European Roulette has a reasonable house edge of 2.70%. American Roulette’s house edge, on the other hand, is way higher at 5.26%. This is because the American Roulette has double zero on the wheel. 

If you want a Roulette game with better odds, choose European Roulette. Aside from the house edge, you also need to know the potential payouts: 

• The payout for a straight up bet on a single number is 35 to 1.
• The payout for split bets on two adjoining numbers is 17 to 1.
• The payout for street bets on three horizontal numbers is 11 to 1.
• The payout for corner bets on four numbers is 8 to 1.
• The payout for six line bets covering two rows is 5 to 1. 
• The payout for dozen bets or column is 2 to 1.
• The payout for Odd, Even, Red, Black, 1018, or 19-36 is 1 to 1. 

There is a Roulette variation with even better odds. French Roulette allows players to further reduce the house advantage. Thanks to its en prison or la partage rules. Such rules act as an insurance policy in case the ball lands on zero.

Baccarat Odds 

One of the casino favorites that offer excellent odds is Baccarat. No wonder why this game is highly popular among high-rollers and skilled gamblers. While Baccarat is available in several variants, the most popular is Punto Banco.

The popularity of Punto Banco largely lies in its easy gameplay and excellent casino odds. The gameplay and odds are really easy to grasp, which make it attractive to new players as well. You can either bet on the banker’s hand, the player’s hand, or a tie. Take note, however, that betting on the banker’s hand charges a 5% commission. 

While the banker’s hand comes with a fee, it’s a smart choice considering its low house edge and better odds for the player. The standard odds and house edge for Punto Banco are as follows: 

• A bet on the player’s hand pays 1 to 1 and has a house edge of 1.24%. 
• A bet on the banker’s hand pays 1 to 1 and has a house edge of 1.06%, which already includes the commission. 
• A bet on a tie pays 8 to 1 and has a house edge of 14.36%.

Craps Odds

Craps can look complicated for the beginners. However, if you just take time to study the game, it’s not as complicated as it looks. The table layout can be intimidating to look out. There are many betting areas as well. However, this is a game worth learning mainly because of its low house edge. Some even have no house edge. Here’s a rundown of the payouts and house edge: 

• Payout to a Pass Line or Come is 1 to 1 and the house edge is 1.41%.
• Payout to a Don’t Pass or Don’t Come is 1 to 1 and the house edge is 1.36%.
• A bet on Odds 4 or 10 pays 2 to 1 and has no house edge.
• A bet on Odds 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2 and has no house edge. 
• A bet on Odds 6 or 8 pays 6 to 5 and has no house edge.
• A bet on Odds against 4 or 10 pays 1 to 2 and has no house edge.
• A bet on Odds against 5 or 9 pays 2 to 3 and has no house edge.
• A bet on Odds against 6 to 8 pays 5  to 6 and has no house edge.
• A bet on 6 or 8 pays 7 to 6 and has a house edge of 1.52%.

The odds bets have no house edge. These are actually side bets. Hence, they are not totally free bets. There are also limits to these side bets. Still, with a relatively low house edge, craps is a great game to play and win. 

Slot Machines Odds

Aside from classic casino table games, slot machines are the main attraction of online casinos. However, since there are too many slot games available, the odds vary from game to game. Thus, before you play a slot game, make sure that you study its payout table first.

The most important thing you need to learn about slot machines is the return to player (RTP) percentage. This is otherwise called the payout percentage. With many slot titles to choose from, it’s important to check out which ones have high RTP percentages. Fortunately, there are a handful of slot games with RTP percentages of a whooping  95% to as high as 99%.

Conclusion

Knowing the casino odds of each game and its variation will help you become a skilled gambler. It allows you to be smarter and more strategic when playing online casino games. Always consider the things mentioned in this article before placing a bet. Now it’s  time to try your luck and showcase your skills.