Can You Lower the House Edge at Casinos

Have you ever wondered what the casino house edge is all about? We all hear about a casino’s inherent advantage over players, but what is it exactly? Think of the house edge as the casino’s statistical advantage over players. The games themselves determine this edge; it has nothing to do with individual casinos per se. This is important because it emphasizes an underlying reality: it doesn’t matter which casino you choose to play at – the house always has an advantage over the player. Even at the best social casino sites where no real money is exchanged, the games are still structured with a virtual house edge built into the mechanics.

Players Cannot Avoid the House Edge at Casinos

It’s impossible to avoid the House Edge. But can you lower the house edge at casinos? This is the subject of today’s post, and before we tackle it, we must fully grasp the concept of a house edge. Every social, online, or brick-and-mortar casino game has a house edge. It is the difference between the true odds and the odds that the casino pays to the player when winnings result. When you understand the house edge, you can infer important information about the games you should play.

Let’s say you’re playing Game X, where there are 10 possible outcomes, and one is a winner. That gives you a 1 in 10 or 10% chance of winning. The payout would match the true odds if the casino paid you 9 to 1 when you win. But if the casino only pays you 8 to 1, then the difference – that missing unit – is the house edge. It’s a small percentage taken from every bet, and over thousands or millions of plays, it adds up in the casino’s favor. There’s no getting around it, no matter how hard you try or your selections. Every game at the casino is structured this way, and games often have a different edge; that’s why some games have better odds than others. Mathematicians carefully calculate the true odds, and the casino always offers less than the true odds to players who win.

Different Games Can Have Different House Edges

While you can’t eliminate the house edge, savvy players can make smart choices to minimize it. And that starts by understanding how the edge works in the first place. It’s worth taking the time to explore different types of casino games and their associated house edge. We begin with a mix of slot machine games, card games, table games, and other games:

Sic-bo – house edge between 2.78% – 33.33%
Hold ’em – house edge of 2.36%
Caribbean stud – house edge of 5.22%
Video Poker – house edge of 0.46%
Slots games – house edge ranges between 2% – 15% on average
Keno – house edge of 20% – 40%
French Roulette – house edge of 1.35% – 2.70%
Craps – house edge ranges between 0% – 16.67%
Blackjack games – house edge of 0.5%
European Roulette – house edge of 2.70%
Baccarat – house edge of 1.01% – 15.75%
American Roulette – house edge of 5.26%

Often, players will notice that certain games have a range of potential house edges based on different bet selections. Craps, Baccarat and French Roulette, for example, have many different bet selections. Many table game players are unaware that French Roulette offers the lowest house edge of all the wheel spin games, given the En Prison and La Partage rules on specific bet selections.

Is the House Edge and RTP the Same Thing?

The house edge is the innate advantage that a game offers the house. Every game is different, so the total of house edges averaged out (weighted by player expenditure) generates the casino’s overall advantage over players. The RTP is the return to player percentage on a specific casino game. If we look at blackjack, it has an RTP of 99.5% and a house edge of 0.5%. It’s different sides of the same coin. The RTP indicates how much the player receives over the long term (a long-term statistical return), while the house edge is the casino’s inherent advantage over the player. In other words, the house edge is 100 – RTP.

If you’re wondering why casinos are profitable over the long term, it’s because of the house edge. Strangely enough, the games we least expect – the slot games – are responsible for beefing up the casino’s coffers. Many progressive jackpot slots – the darlings of the casino realm – have RTPs in the region of 88% – 92%. Consider the Microgaming hit sensation Mega Moolah (Progressive Jackpot Slot) with its 88% RTP and 12% house edge!

In summary, you can never change the house edge of a game, no matter what strategy you implement. You can pick games with a higher RTP and enjoy an improved long-term return to self.