Casino House Odds

1. Blackjack Casino Odds
2. Casino House Odds Sportsbook
3. Best Odds Casino

The casinos don't beat the players because they get lucky, they beat the players because the odds are stacked in their favor. This built-in advantage is called the house edge. In numbers, it's the the percentage of the player's bet that the casino keeps as profit, over the long term. For example, in roulette house edge is about 5%.

• This is actually as good as the odds get for keno, with the odds varying from casino to casino. The following chart shows the expected house edge for casino table games and also sports betting. For any given session on any given day, these percentages can fluctuate quite a bit, however they represent a fairly accurate expectation of the house's.
• Calculation of Casino House Edge. The house edge (HE) is defined as the casino profit expressed as a percentage of the player's original bet. The player's disadvantage is a result of the casino not paying winning wagers according to the game's 'true odds,' which are the payouts expected considering the odds of a wager either winning or losing.
• The house advantage, or house edge, is the percent of a player’s initial bet that the casino will expect to make in the long run. Flip it around, and it is the amount you would expect to lose. The house has an advantage in every single game – that is how casinos make their.
• You're at a casino which offers you a 4 to 1 payoff if you bet on a single number on a roll of a six-sided die. The odds of winning are 5 to 1. You bet $1 every time, or a total of $6. On 5 of those rolls, you lose a dollar.

Whether you prefer the vibrant atmosphere of a sprawling super casino or love the convenience of playing on your mobile, it’s always worth knowing the odds. When you have a firm grasp of casino odds, you’ll know precisely which games to play and bets to place. Taking the time to learn the odds is the quickest and most effective way to improve your performance at the casino. Keep reading to discover how you can make the most of the odds wherever and whenever you play.

Getting to Know the Odds

In the world of gambling, the word odds has several related meanings. Odds can refer to the probability of an event taking place. For example, the odds of a roulette ball landing on one of the 37 numbers on a European roulette wheel is 1 in 37 or 2.70%, which is often called the true odds. Yet, you may also encounter the house odds or payoff odds, which tell you how much you’ll win for a given wager. In roulette, you’ll be paid 35 to 1 if you bet on the winning number.

You’ll also want to get familiar with the house edge, which is effectively the casino’s profit margin. When playing European roulette, the house edge is 2.70% since players are paid 35 to 1 rather than 36 to 1. Although your individual experiences will vary, the house edge tells you how much the casino profits for every $100 wagered on average. For European roulette the casino returns £97.30 for every £100 wager or a profit of £2.70.

Even though popular casino games have standard rules and payouts, you can find some variations. Roulette players can take their pick of European or American variations, although the US version has worse odds. You’ll also find several styles of blackjack with unique house advantages. It’s worth taking a few seconds to make sure you’re playing the right game that gives you the greatest chance of winning.

Whether you play live or online, casino odds are the basic building blocks of every winning strategy in both games of chance and skill.

Baccarat Odds

Given that baccarat is immensely popular with skilled gamblers and well-to-do casino patrons, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the game offers excellent odds. When you play punto banco, which is the most common form of baccarat in the UK and online, the gameplay and odds are both simple to grasp. Although there are only three possible bets per hand, namely the banker, player, and tie, beginners should know that banker bets are subject to a 5% commission. Yet even after factoring in that fee, it’s wise to wager on the banker every time.

Here are the standard punto banco odds and house edge:

• Player bets pay 1:1 with a house edge of 1.24%.
• Banker bets pay 1:1 with a house edge of 1.06% including commission.
• Tie bets pays 8:1 with a house edge of 14.36%.

Blackjack Odds

Did you know there are more than a dozen popular styles of blackjack? Although the basics are the same, the specific house rules can improve or reduce your odds. For example, when there are more decks in the shoe, the house advantage increases if everything else remains the same. It’s smart to review the rules before you bet so you’ll know the number of times you can split, when doubling is available, whether you can surrender, and when the dealer is required to hit or stand.

While you’ll typically be paid 1 to 1 when you win, 3 to 2 for blackjack, and 2 to 1 for insurance bets, you might encounter games that pay 6 to 5 for blackjack. See how the house edge stacks up when you play the most popular variations correctly.

• Classic Blackjack 0.13%
• Vegas Single Deck 0.35%
• Atlantic City Blackjack 0.36%
• Spanish Blackjack 0.38%
• Vegas Downtown Blackjack 0.39%
• European Blackjack 0.42%
• Big Five Blackjack 0.47%
• Double Exposure 0.69%
• Super Fun 21 0.94%

Don’t forget that because blackjack requires you to make in-game decisions, your odds fluctuate throughout the game. Since the dealer’s play is governed by a set of rules, it’s always wise to ignore your instincts and play using basic strategy. You can consult a basic strategy table, which will tell you know to make the most of your odds given whatever information you have available at the time.

Craps Odds

Blackjack Casino Odds

Craps odds, like the game itself, can look complicated. That’s because there are so many different types of bets. If you’re a beginner, you can easily be overwhelmed by the table layout or number of betting areas alone. While you can learn about the odds and gameplay in greater details in our craps guide, we’ll run down the payouts and house advantage for the best bets below.

• Pass Line or Come pays 1 to 1 with a 1.41% house edge
• Don’t Pass or Don’t Come pays 1 to 1 with a 1.36% house edge
• Odds 4 or 10 pays 2 to 1 with no house edge
• Odds 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2 with no house edge
• Odds 6 or 8 pays 6 to 5 with no house edge
• Odds against 4 or 10 pays 1 to 2 with no house edge
• Odds against 5 or 9 pays 2 to 3 with no house edge
• Odds against 6 or 8 pays 5 to 6 with no house edge
• Place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7 to 6 with a 1.52% house edge

Although there is no house edge on the odds bets listed above, these so-called free bets do come with a cost. These are effectively side bets placed after a point is thrown. In order to place these bets, you’ll already have to have skin in the game. In addition, casinos set limits on these bets. Still, you should make odds bets a part of your game.

Roulette

Although we brushed upon roulette earlier, this casino favourite is always worth a second look. If you’ve been paying attention, you know the European game has a reasonable house edge of 2.70%. Unfortunately, if you choose the American version, the casino’s advantage rises to a whopping 5.26% thanks to the addition of a 00 slot on the wheel. That’s precisely why you’ll want to avoid the inferior version of the game whenever possible.

While the house edge is the same no matter which European roulette bet you place, you’ll want to take the time to get familiar with the potential payouts.

Casino House Odds Sportsbook

• Straight up bet on any single number pays 35 to 1
• Split bets on two adjoining numbers pays 17 to 1
• Street bets on three horizontal numbers pays 11 to 1
• Corner bets on four numbers pay 8 to 1
• Six line bets that cover two rows pay 5 to 1
• Column or dozen bets pay 2 to 1
• Odd, Even, Red, Black, 1-18, or 19-36 pay 1 to 1

You can reduce the house advantage on even money bets even further by playing French roulette. This variation uses en prison or la partage rules, which act as an insurance policy when the ball lands on zero. You can learn more by visiting our roulette game and strategy guide.

When playing slots, the odds vary considerably from game to game. You’ll want to check out the payout table to learn how much you can win. Yet the most important piece of info is the payout percentage or RTP, which is an acronym for return to player. If you glance back to our roulette example, you’ll see that the European game has a house edge of 2.70% and a 97.3% RTP. Historically speaking, slots have offered poor payouts, especially when compared to the table games we’ve discussed above. Games with a 20% house edge or 80% RTP were once common. Fortunately, times have changed for the benefit of players. You can easily find games that return 95-98% to players.

Frequently Asked Questions About Casino Odds

What are the odds of blackjack?

Most popular versions of blackjack pay even money when you win, 3 to 2 for blackjack, and 2 to 1 for insurance bets. When you play correctly at blackjack tables with these payouts, you’ll have a 99.5% chance of winning.

What is the house edge?

The house edge is the mathematical advantage that the casino has over players in the long run. For example, a house edge of 1% means that for every $100 gambled, the casino will pay out $99 to players for a $1 profit. Players should note that although the house edge is built into the game, it’s only true over time. You should never expect these figures to reflect your individual experiences. It’s possible to gamble $100 and lose it all or win $200 on your first bet.

What casino games pay out the best?

Blackjack, craps, and baccarat offer the best odds when played correctly. Most styles of video poker also offer a low house edge.

What is the house advantage in roulette?

The house advantage in roulette depends on the version of the game you play. While American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%, the European version has a house edge of just 2.70%. Given the disparity, you should stick to the European game whenever possible.

What is the house advantage in blackjack?

Although there are multiple blackjack variations with unique house rules, the most common variety features a house edge of approximately 0.5%. To take advantage of this low house edge, you’ll need to correctly use basic strategy. You can refer to our blackjack guide for more information.

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Home > Online Casinos > Casino Articles > House Odds vs True Odds

I've written about house odds vs true odds before, but not in so many words. You can read about the basics of probability on this site, and you can read about the house edge. But another way of looking at these concepts is by examining the difference between payoff odds and true odds.

What Are Odds?

Odds are just a way of stating a probability. That's just a mathematical way of looking at how likely it is that something is going to happen. All probabilities are ratios between events.

Here's an example:

You flip a coin. You want to know the probability that it's going to land on heads.

You have 2 possible outcomes—heads or tails.

Only one of them is the outcome you want the probability of.

½ is the probability of the coin landing on heads.

That probability can be expressed in multiple ways. A fraction is one way, but you could also convert that fraction into a percentage (50%) or a decimal (0.50).

But this post is about odds. How do you convert a probability into odds.

You just compare the number of ways it can't happen with the number of ways it can.

In the coin flip example, this means the odds are 1 to 1, or even odds.

Here's another example:

You're rolling a single six-sided die. You want to know the odds of rolling a 6.

You have 6 possibilities. Only one of them is a 6. The other 5 are NOT 6.

So the odds of rolling a 6 are 5 to 1.

What Are House Odds?

One way of looking at house odds is in terms of the payoff for a bet. If the house pays off at odds less than your odds of winning the bet, over time, they're going to show a profit.

Here's an example:

You're at a casino which offers you a 4 to 1 payoff if you bet on a single number on a roll of a six-sided die. The odds of winning are 5 to 1.

You bet $1 every time, or a total of $6.

On 5 of those rolls, you lose a dollar. That's -$5.

On 1 of those you rolls, you win $4. (The bet pays off at 4 to 1, remember?)

$4 minus $5 results in a net loss of $1.

Of course, in the short run, you might win a few in a row or lose a few in a row. But in the long run, your actual results will start to resemble your theoretical results.

What Are True Odds?

True odds are the actual odds of winning the bet. The difference between the true odds and the payoff odds is where the house gets its edge against the players. This is how the casino makes a profit on a consistent basis.

Here's another example:

You're playing roulette, and you place a single number bet on the number 2.

There are 38 numbers on a roulette wheel, each of which has an equal chance of coming up.

You have 37 ways to lose this bet and 1 way to win this bet.

The payoff for this bet is 35 to 1.

The true odds for this bet are 37 to 1.

Let's look at a theoretically perfect example where you place 38 roulette bets in a row. You win one of those bets and get $35. But you lose $37 on the other $37 bets, for a net loss of $2.

All casino games work in this manner. The casino pays off the bets at less than your odds of winning the bet. Over a large enough number of trials, the casino is almost certain to make a profit that's very predictable for each game.

What Is a Payback Percentage?

Another phrase that gets thrown around a lot when discussing these kinds of issues is 'payback percentage'. This is a metric used to describe gambling machines. Table games almost always get talked about in terms of their 'house edge', but video poker and slots are measured by their payback percentages.

The payback percentage is just the percentage of each bet that the casino expects to pay out in winnings over a long period of time. It's 100% minus the house edge.

Here's an example:

A casino at a bar in Las Vegas is programmed to have an 80% payback percentage. This means that every time you put a dollar in, you get 80 cents back.

But that's not literally true. You might win $2 on a spin, then win $20 on another spin, then lose 30 spins in a row.

But over time, the odds on that machine are programmed in such a manner that they'll add up to 80 cents on the dollar.

And the long run happens with slot machines faster than you think, actually. Most slot machine players make 600 spins per hour—sometimes more.

Imagine a casino with 1000 slot machines, all getting 600 spins per hour, 24 hours per day. That's over a million spins a day. At that rate, the casino expects to see actual results that resemble the expected results very closely indeed.

In What Other Situations Are Odds Used?

One of the most common uses for payoff odds vs. actual odds analysis happens in poker. It's not a casino game, and players play against each other. Poker players use a concept called 'pot odds' to help them decide whether or not to call certain bets.

Here's an example:

You're playing Texas holdem, and you have 4 cards to a flush. The odds of filling your flush are around 2 to 1.

There's $10 in the pot, and it will cost you $2 to stay in the hand.

If you hit your flush and get paid off, you've made a 5 to 1 payoff.

Since your odds of winning are 2 to 1, this is a profitable situation.

On the other hand, if the pot only had $2 in it, and you had to put in $2 to stay in the hand, the situation wouldn't look nearly as good. You're getting an even money payoff if you win, but you don't have even odds of winning.

But this is one of the reasons that poker is a game where you can get an edge. You can fold in those situations where it's not profitable to put money in the pot. All you have to be able to do is analyze pot odds versus the odds of winning the hand and act accordingly.

Best Odds Casino

Conclusion

House odds and true odds aren't hard concepts to understand. They're fundamental to gambling games, though. Casinos make their profits by paying bets off at less than the odds of winning. This holds true for every bet in the casino.

Understanding how odds work is a fundamental step in becoming an educated gambler.