This article is unlikely to teach experienced casino clients or regular readers of Casinoz anything new if they have carefully studied the manuals on the Casinoz pages. However, it will be helpful for beginners who need a universal hint on gambling games. You can consider it a kind of cheat sheet providing general information.
How to Choose Casino Games to Play for Real Money
Below, it discusses the most profitable games, those with the highest and lowest house edges, the best strategies, optimal betting systems, and other important aspects of gambling.
They are examined in separate sections dedicated to key questions. Due to the large volume of information, the material will be presented in several articles.
Let's start with the basics.
Casino Games That Require Players' Skill
Here are gambling games where you can achieve maximum results by following an optimal strategy. In other words, if you don't know how to play correctly, your chances of success are significantly reduced.
Of course, you can win only in one gaming session due to luck, but you will lose much more frequently in the long run.
You should also understand that In most games, the casino maintains a mathematical advantage over players, even if they play perfectly.
Exceptions are rare. Only a few games allow you to gain an edge over the casino.
Let's move on to the list of games where the outcome depends on your actions.
- Blackjack – You can almost eliminate the house edge in the most advantageous versions. It can be reduced to a few tenths of a percent, but you must learn to play according to an optimal strategy designed for each variation. In offline casinos, more significant results can be achieved by card counting and using more advanced techniques employed by professional players.
- Video Poker – The best machines provide the opportunity to increase the theoretical payback to 99.5%. Again, you need to play by the optimal strategy. Since many video poker variations exist, you must tailor your system to each game.
- Most table poker games – Offline and online casinos offer numerous types of poker, including Caribbean Stud, Casino Hold'em, Three-Card Poker, Pai Gow, and Russian Poker. You must play using a strategy to act effectively, but the casino will still have a house edge of about 2% - 3%. This does not apply to poker games where players compete against each other.
- Craps – The game offers dozens of betting options with different RTPs ranging from zero to several tens of percent. Accordingly, you should prefer some bets while avoiding others. Many experts claim you can control the dice roll in land-based casinos and influence the outcome.
Arcades, skill-based games, and other less common gambling games should be considered separately.
Casino Games That Don't Require Players' Skill
Most casino visitors prefer gambling games where the outcome relies entirely or more on luck. The incredible popularity of slot machines proves this. They dominate both online gambling and brick-and-mortar gambling clubs.
Let's list the main categories of games that don't require special knowledge or skills from players. In these games, you can act almost randomly (or close to it), which puts beginners on an equal footing with experienced players.
This allows you to relax and enjoy the process without burdening yourself with making complex decisions. In many such games, the RTP is even higher than in certain varieties of poker, giving you relatively high chances of winning.
- Video slots - Of course, there are certain recommendations on how to win at casino slots, but most of them are related to choosing the best machines and managing your bankroll. Usually, you cannot influence the outcome of spins or reduce the casino's edge using a specific strategy. An exception is slots with more advantageous bonus bets and prize features, where you need to demonstrate cleverness or manual dexterity. They are covered in a separate article.
- Roulette - Don't be confused by the wide variety of bets in roulette. They all have the same RTP if we're talking about European roulette. In the French variant, the even-money bets are more favorable. Forget about American roulette once and for all. Exotic variations require separate consideration. You can combine roulette bets however you like, but it won't help you win. Betting systems are also useless. The result depends solely on the random number generator (or the dealer's manual dexterity, but that's another story).
- Baccarat - The variations of this game offered in casinos hardly involve active user actions. You just need to make one of the three available bets: on the hypothetical player's victory, the banker's win, or a tie. Then you simply observe the process. It's important to remember that different bets have different RTPs. The most advantageous one is the banker bet. Slightly less favorable is the player bet. Never place a tie bet. That's the unified baccarat playing strategy.
Keno - You could say it's a lottery adapted to the casino format. Forget about all kinds of betting systems and other algorithms. They make no sense in this game. - Wheel of Fortune - This game may come in different versions, but none of them allow you to influence the outcome of the draw in any way. You simply have to rely on luck.
We won't discuss less popular gambling games and unique examples that cannot be classified into a specific category here. Read the reviews published in the thematic section of Casinoz to learn more about them.
Casino Games with the Best Odds for Players
The following games have the highest RTPs and, consequently, the lowest house edges. Most of them allow you to achieve the best results with an optimal strategy.
In many cases, the exact advantage of the casino depends on minor rule nuances, so they should be clarified in each case.
It is important to note that the house edge is displayed over a long period across thousands of bets. You can win or lose much more in any session than the theory suggests.
Refer to themed Casinoz articles for more information on the house edge and RTP.
Here is a list of games with the most favorable conditions for players. For each game, the minimum possible house edge is indicated.
- Even-money bets in French roulette - 1.35%
- European roulette - 2.7%
- Pai Gow Poker - 1.46%
- Craps - 1.36% (Don't Pass Bet combined with Odds bet)
- Baccarat - 1.06% (bet on the banker)
- Spanish 21 - 0.4%
- Blackjack - 0.28%
- Bonus Poker - 0.83%
- Jacks or Better - 0.46%
- Deuces Wild - 0.27%
- Poker Pick'em - 0.1%
It should be noted that this refers to blackjack and video poker with the most advantageous rules.
In some clubs, you may find video poker or blackjack, where players have an edge over the house. However, these rare games cannot be considered classic variations.
Casino Games with the Worst Odds for Players
Now let's talk about games that it's better to avoid. Here, both entire games and specific bets are listed.
- Caribbean Stud Poker - up to 5.22%
- Three Card Poker - up to 7.29% (Pair Plus bet)
- American roulette - up to 7.89% (Five-number bet)
- Baccarat - up to 14.36% (tie bet)
- Craps - up to 16.67% (Any 7 bet)
- Casino War - up to 18.65% (tie bet)
- Wheel of Fortune - up to 24.07% (even in the best games, it's 11%)
- Slot machines - up to 25% (some games have less than 2%)
- Keno - up to 29%
We recommend always checking the payout table and other rule nuances. Software developers and gambling operators can make changes that significantly adjust the house edge in one direction or another.
Expected Hourly Loss
Another important aspect of evaluating casino gambling is the expected hourly loss. It is calculated based on two parameters:
- The average amount the player bets per hour.
- The house edge.
The first parameter is divided by the second.
For example, a player makes around 600 spins on a video slot machine within an hour. Assuming they play with a bet of $1 per round, their total bets for the hour would amount to $600.
Let's assume the theoretical return to the player on that particular machine is 97%. This means the house edge is 3%. Therefore, the expected hourly loss would be $18.
Of course, this doesn't mean you will lose exactly that amount within an hour. You could win more, less, or even come out ahead. This indicator is manifested over a long time.
Below is the expected hourly loss (HEL) for popular casino games:
| Games | Bets per Hour | Average Bet | Bet Amount per Hour | House Edge | HEL |
| Blackjack | 50 | $1 | $50 | 0.5% | $0.25 |
| Craps | 100 | $1 | $100 | 1.36% | $1.36 |
| European roulette | 40 | $1 | $40 | 2.7% | $1.08 |
| Video poker | 600 | $1 | $600 | 0.46% | $2.76 |
| Mini baccarat | 200 | $1 | $200 | 1.06% | $2.12 |
| Slot machines | 600 | $1 | $600 | 2% - 5% | $12 - $30 |
A few notes regarding the table:
- For blackjack, the average house edge is indicated. You can find similar games in almost any casino. However, keep in mind that these are not the most advantageous games. The result can be much better in blackjack, but you must learn to play using basic strategy.
- For baccarat, the average data is provided for bets on the banker or the player. Betting on a tie is not recommended.
- For craps, the information is based on bets without considering Odds bets. Odds bets don't have a house edge, but they can't be made in every game situation. For more information on optimal craps strategies, refer to other articles on Casinoz.
- The table provides average statistical data for the most popular machines in video poker. Note that a relatively high game speed accompanies a low house edge. This means you can lose significantly within an hour, even under favorable conditions.
- In slot machines, the level of the house edge can vary greatly. Look for slots with the highest theoretical payout and avoid speeding up the gameplay using autoplay or turbo mode.
In general, the lower the expected hourly loss, the less expensive your gambling experience.
Let's not forget the importance of enjoying the process. If you strongly dislike a particular game, it's better to avoid it, even if it offers the highest chance of winning.
What Else?
This concludes the first part of the article. In the next part, tips on how to play the most popular casino games will be published.
