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And one of my favorite questions is, what casino game has the worst odds? The casino game that has the worst odds is keno. You measure how good or bad the odds are in a casino game by how big the house edge is. The bigger the house edge, the worse the odds are for the casino gambler. Casino top games. In keno, the house edge varies from casino to casino, but it. This should be a snap, I thought. I can write this in my sleep. I immediately thought of the worst game, Keno, where the house edge is about 25 percent—which means you lose about 25 cents for every dollar you bet at the game. Surely that would be at the top of the list for the worst bets you can make in a casino. Below are the casino games with the absolute worst player odds. House Edge: 25%. Keno provides the worst betting odds of all casino games. There is a large house advantage to compensate for the square footage required to house a keno lounge. Casinos require players to choose a minimum of nine numbers from a pool of 80. Steve Bourie, author of the American Casino Guide, interviewed syndicated gaming writer John Grochowski for this video where John gives his picks for the fiv.
Just as it is important to know about the casino games that give you the best house odds, it is equally important to know and understand which games, as well as different bets, that are the worst when it comes to house odds. House odds, or house edge is the average profit from each bet. Casino games that have house odds of 5% or higher tend to be very hard for players to beat, however, this also sometimes means you have the biggest chance to hit huge (but unlikely) jackpots. There are always players that have won the big jackpot prize or were able to make it big on the penny slots, but those are rare occurrences that are taken into account by the casinos, including online casinos, when offering these games.
What is the house advantage?
First, it should be clear that the house odds or advantage do not refer to the probability of winning a single bet. It refers to the relationship or ratio between the probability and the actual payout. To visualize this, let’s look at roulette first. For example, the house has an edge because it pays out 35 to 1 on inside bets (betting on single numbers), but the odds of hitting an inside bet in European Roulette are 1 and 37. So the payout does not match the actual probability. If they actually paid 37 to 1, there would be no house edge or advantage, because every 37 times you should hit a number and get all your money back for the times you did not. This assumes that you run enough trials, in other words, if you play enough times. The more times you play, the more this will hold true.
However, since they only pay 35 to 1, over time, you will only recoup a portion of your total losses, giving the house the advantage.
Casino games and bets that have the worst odds:
• American Roulette
• Blackjack Insurance
• Live Keno
• Caribbean Stud Side Bet
• Craps Proposition Wagers
• Wagers based on hunches
• Blackjack Insurance
• Live Keno
• Caribbean Stud Side Bet
• Craps Proposition Wagers
• Wagers based on hunches
These games, as well as certain wagers offer you some of the worst odds among casino games. Allow me to explain why.
American Roulette
Many don’t realize how slight variations in games can have a huge impact on the overall odds. A great example of this is with roulette, where a slight variation in the game creates a huge increase in the casinos favor. While American roulette are not the worst odds at a casino, they are worth mentioning given that there are other roulette varieties that offer much better odds. In short, if they are available, you should play them instead of the American variation.
With American roulette the entire house odds are double those of European roulette, and it is all due to the fact that they include an extra slot, the Double Zero (00) slot, or number.
The house odds for the different roulette games are as follows:
• French Roulette: 1.35%
• European Roulette: 2.70%
• American Roulette: 5.4%
• European Roulette: 2.70%
• American Roulette: 5.4%
The house odds for American roulette are double that of European, putting it over the 5% bench mark. As we said before, anything above 5% for house odds is not very good for any player, so if you get the chance to play either French or European, there is no reason to play American roulette unless you just like to throw money away.
So why are the odds different? American roulette has 38 numbers (1-36, 0 and 00) where the ball can land, but the payout is only 35 to 1, this is where the casino finds its advantage. Whereas, European and French Roulette both only have 37 total numbers, however, the payout is still the same of 35 to 1. The difference between French and European odds is for the surrender feature, where if you bet on a number and the green 0 hits, you can take back half your bet.
Keno
Keno is a variation of the lottery where you would simply pick different numbers in a specific order in order to win. If you know anything about lotteries, it is that the odds of winning are incredibly low. With Live Keno, the house odds are at 25%, which is a very large amount. Any game that relies purely on luck, with little or no skill, should be avoided when playing at a casino for the most part – however, they still are quite entertaining and do bring upon a huge opportunity to win big online.
Largest casino in louisiana. Casino games in vegas. It should be noted there are very few casino games that offer such large jackpots for a relatively low bet, but again, the odds are very bad. Slots are the only game that come close.
Blackjack Insurance Wager
Blackjack itself is a fun and exciting table card game, where you need to reach 21 or close to it in order to beat the dealer (adding the card values). There are many different wagering options, such as Hit, Stand, Double, and Split. However, there is one option that is considered to be the Chutia Wager or sucker bet, and that is the Insurance bet. It is one of the most well known sucker bets offered at casinos.
The insurance wager takes effect when the dealer is showing an Ace, which gives them a possible blackjack if their second card is a ten or value of a ten (like the J, Q, and/or K). Insurance is basically a bet on the chances that the dealer will have a blackjack. You would wager half of your initial wager, and that would give you 1 to 1 odds.
Here is how it works:
• If you “win” the insurance bet, meaning the dealer does have blackjack, you will lose your initial bet, but break even with your additional bet. You are essentially no better off, but you risk another 50% to be in this position.
• If you place an insurance wager and the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose that wager, along with further chances of losing the rest of your wager during that hand.
You can either come out even or you could end up losing anywhere from 50% to 150% of your initial wager. There is no way that you would end up winning any money with this wager. The house odds for the insurance wager are 8%, and you really are not insuring anything other than the chance to lose more money; a suckers bet at best. Unless you want to give the casino easy money, never take this bet.
• If you place an insurance wager and the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose that wager, along with further chances of losing the rest of your wager during that hand.
You can either come out even or you could end up losing anywhere from 50% to 150% of your initial wager. There is no way that you would end up winning any money with this wager. The house odds for the insurance wager are 8%, and you really are not insuring anything other than the chance to lose more money; a suckers bet at best. Unless you want to give the casino easy money, never take this bet.
Caribbean Stud Side Bet
The side bet for the Caribbean Stud card game is a horrible waste of money and Rupees. The side wager is supposed to create a jackpot where you could end up winning a large amount of money, but in this case, the jackpot never reaches a high enough amount to ever be worth placing the wager.
Best Odds In Casino
The reason that many players get frustrated with this side bet is thanks to the fact that the house odds for this wager are at 26%. They don’t realize what a disadvantage they are to the casino.
Craps Proposition Wager
Proposition wagers when playing craps are the worst choice you can make. From the many different proposition wagers available, they can get up to 16.7% house odds. The proposition bets that many players like to place thanks to the chance at the high pay-outs, along with the house odds, are:
• One Roll Bets:
– Any Seven: 16.7%
– Any Craps: 11.1%
– Craps 2: 13.9%
– Craps 3: 13.9%
-Craps 12: 11.1%
– Any Seven: 16.7%
– Any Craps: 11.1%
– Craps 2: 13.9%
– Craps 3: 13.9%
-Craps 12: 11.1%
• Wager on Craps 11: 11.1%
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• Hard Ways:
– Hard 4: 11.1%
– Hard 6: 9.1%
– Hard 8: 9.1%
– Hard 10: 11.1%
– Hard 4: 11.1%
– Hard 6: 9.1%
– Hard 8: 9.1%
– Hard 10: 11.1%
As you can notice, the lowest the house odds get to is 9.1% and the highest 16.7%, making these wagers highly unlikely to occur, but the odds don’t adequately match the payout, giving the house a big advantage over you and other players.
Wagers Based on Kubara
Kubara, or hunches, are the worst way to play any casino game. This usually refers to casino games that rely on a certain percentage of skill in order to win, like Blackjack. If you simply use hunches to place your wagers when playing Blackjack, or other skill games, you will certainly find yourself losing a great deal of the time.
The house odds for this kind of punting are not exact, but from experience they can go from 20% and higher. This makes playing off of kubara very dangerous and risky. Playing for the feel and trying to use intuition can be exciting and entertaining, but the truth of the matter is there is no way to predict the future of these games of chance. Learning proper strategy for each game is the best way to mathematically give you the best odds of winning.
Knowing which is which can help make you a winner
by Frank Scoblete
This article began innocently enough. My editor, Len Butcher, sent me the following email: “Frank, I need a piece on the top 10 best and worst casino bets for the December Casino Player issue. Deadline is October 16. Thanks, Len.”
This should be a snap, I thought. I can write this in my sleep. I immediately thought of the worst game, Keno, where the house edge is about 25 percent—which means you lose about 25 cents for every dollar you bet at the game. Surely that would be at the top of the list for the worst bets you can make in a casino.
So I started writing, but then it dawned on me that something was amiss. In Keno, playing every game, maybe four games an hour at some casinos, betting one dollar, you lose about a dollar per hour. Now if we take a good bet like mini-baccarat’s “bank” bet (which has a 1.06 percent house edge) and you bet $10 per decision, and play 150 decisions (which is not unheard of), then you’d lose a whopping $15.90.
So which is the worse bet? In terms of the house edge, it’s Keno. But speed-wise, mini-baccarat is worse. Then I realized there’s another consideration. Some games are just not found in a lot of casinos. Some of the worst bets in all of casino history are at Sic Bo—where the house edge can soar into the 40 percent range. Should I count these bets among the worst, even if you might never see a Sic Bo game in your life?
And what about video poker, where there are so many machines that the entire article could be about these games?
To keep things simple, in this article I will use the “house edge” as the primary criteria of judgment, but I will mention the speed of the games as well, to give you a more complete picture. And I will limit my list to games that are found in almost all casinos. There are even worse bets out there, but they’re games that haven’t made it to most casinos (thankfully).
Worst Odds At A Casino
As for video poker, I’m not mentioning it among the “best bets” although some video poker machines can be positive expectation games if played properly, and others have house edges of between one-half and one percent or so. I’m limiting this list to table games; finding and playing the right video poker machines is another story unto itself. And, finally, I’m not going to bother mentioning the various “side bets” you’ll occasionally see at the tables. These bets come in many different forms, but they’re almost always a bad idea. Avoid them.
With that said, here we go—the worst first.
The 10 Worst Bets
1. Keno
Yes, this is probably the worst bet you will find in most casinos. The average house edge hovers around 25 percent, which is better than state lotteries, but that’s not saying much. Still, the pace of the game is slow and if you only make one bet per game you won’t lose much money.
Yes, this is probably the worst bet you will find in most casinos. The average house edge hovers around 25 percent, which is better than state lotteries, but that’s not saying much. Still, the pace of the game is slow and if you only make one bet per game you won’t lose much money.
2. Any Seven (Craps)
This is a one-roll bet that the next number rolled will be a seven. The house edge is a monstrous 16.67 percent. If you make this bet on every roll, even if you only wager a measly dollar, you can lose about $20 per hour!
This is a one-roll bet that the next number rolled will be a seven. The house edge is a monstrous 16.67 percent. If you make this bet on every roll, even if you only wager a measly dollar, you can lose about $20 per hour!
3. Progressive Slot Machines
Yes, those gigantic multi-million dollar jackpots sure are tempting, but progressive games are the very worst machines in the casino—no matter what the denomination is. The house edge ranges from 12 to 17 percent. This means you lose between $12 and $17 for every $100 you wager in the long run. Making the situation even more brutal is the fact that people tend to play these games very fast. How much can a $1 slot player lose on an inter-casino linked progressive? Upwards of almost $400 per hour. Yikes!
Yes, those gigantic multi-million dollar jackpots sure are tempting, but progressive games are the very worst machines in the casino—no matter what the denomination is. The house edge ranges from 12 to 17 percent. This means you lose between $12 and $17 for every $100 you wager in the long run. Making the situation even more brutal is the fact that people tend to play these games very fast. How much can a $1 slot player lose on an inter-casino linked progressive? Upwards of almost $400 per hour. Yikes!
4. Tie Bet at Baccarat
This bet comes with a house edge of around 14 percent. With traditional baccarat, played in the high roller rooms, the game is relatively slow; at mini-baccarat, however, the speed of the game is very fast. This bet is bad in both games.
This bet comes with a house edge of around 14 percent. With traditional baccarat, played in the high roller rooms, the game is relatively slow; at mini-baccarat, however, the speed of the game is very fast. This bet is bad in both games.
5. 2 and 12 (Craps)
Snake eyes (2) and boxcars (12) have house edges of 13.89 percent. These are one-roll bets for the unwary and unwise craps player.
Snake eyes (2) and boxcars (12) have house edges of 13.89 percent. These are one-roll bets for the unwary and unwise craps player.
6. Whirl or World (Craps)
This is a multiple number (2, 3, 7, 11, 12), one-roll bet that has a house edge of 13.33 percent. Steer clear of this one.
This is a multiple number (2, 3, 7, 11, 12), one-roll bet that has a house edge of 13.33 percent. Steer clear of this one.
7. The Horn (Craps)
Another multiple number (2, 3, 11, 12) one-roll bet that comes in with a house edge of 12.5 percent. There is a saying, “See a horn, bet a horn.” The real saying should be, “You have to be an idiot to bet the horn.”
Another multiple number (2, 3, 11, 12) one-roll bet that comes in with a house edge of 12.5 percent. There is a saying, “See a horn, bet a horn.” The real saying should be, “You have to be an idiot to bet the horn.”
8. 3 and 11; Hard 4 and Hard 10; Any Craps (Craps)
Ironically, the 11 has an 11.11 percent house edge, as do the rest of these bets. These bets should hold no interest for you, since making them on each and every roll will cost you $11.11 per $100 wagered.
Ironically, the 11 has an 11.11 percent house edge, as do the rest of these bets. These bets should hold no interest for you, since making them on each and every roll will cost you $11.11 per $100 wagered.
9. 5-Cent Slot Machines
The low denomination, non-progressive slot machines also have high house edges—around 10 to 12 percent—and most people play them fast, causing their losses to add up quickly.
The low denomination, non-progressive slot machines also have high house edges—around 10 to 12 percent—and most people play them fast, causing their losses to add up quickly.
10. Hard 6 and Hard 8 (Craps)
At this point we’ve left the double-digit house edges behind us, but these two bets are still pretty bad with a house edge of 9.09 percent. They are not active on every roll, which helps a little.
At this point we’ve left the double-digit house edges behind us, but these two bets are still pretty bad with a house edge of 9.09 percent. They are not active on every roll, which helps a little.
The 10 Best Bets
1. The Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, Don’t Come with Odds (Craps)
Some casinos in America are still offering craps games with 100X, 20X, 10X and 5X odds. Here, the house edge is a small fraction of a percent on these games if you utilize the odds bets. Without odds, the house edge on the above bets is about 1.4 percent—still very good. Also, not every roll impacts you, so that’s a good thing too. Most players will be on about 50 percent of the decisions betting this way.
Some casinos in America are still offering craps games with 100X, 20X, 10X and 5X odds. Here, the house edge is a small fraction of a percent on these games if you utilize the odds bets. Without odds, the house edge on the above bets is about 1.4 percent—still very good. Also, not every roll impacts you, so that’s a good thing too. Most players will be on about 50 percent of the decisions betting this way.
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2. Blackjack Basic Strategy
If the game you are playing is a traditional blackjack game with the house paying 3 to 2 for blackjacks, with the dealer standing on soft 17, and with the right to double on any first two cards, split and double after splits, the casino will have about a half percent house edge. That means you lose about 50 cents for every $100 wagered—a very good bet indeed. Blackjack is a moderately fast game, but with such a low house edge you still have a very good shot at winning some money on any given session.
If the game you are playing is a traditional blackjack game with the house paying 3 to 2 for blackjacks, with the dealer standing on soft 17, and with the right to double on any first two cards, split and double after splits, the casino will have about a half percent house edge. That means you lose about 50 cents for every $100 wagered—a very good bet indeed. Blackjack is a moderately fast game, but with such a low house edge you still have a very good shot at winning some money on any given session.
3. The Bank Bet at Baccarat
The house edge at this bet is 1.06 percent. Remember that traditional, high-roller room baccarat, where the players deal the cards, is a slow game. Mini-baccarat is a fast game.
The house edge at this bet is 1.06 percent. Remember that traditional, high-roller room baccarat, where the players deal the cards, is a slow game. Mini-baccarat is a fast game.
4. The Player Bet at Baccarat
The house edge on this bet is a mere 1.24 percent. See #3.
The house edge on this bet is a mere 1.24 percent. See #3.
5. Blackjack Pays 6 to 5 for Natural (Basic Strategy)
This new game is three times worse than traditional blackjack, as it pays only $12 to $10 for a blackjack as opposed to $15 to $10. Usually these games also have the dealers hitting their soft 17s. The house edge on these games is around 1.5 percent, depending on the casino’s rules.
This new game is three times worse than traditional blackjack, as it pays only $12 to $10 for a blackjack as opposed to $15 to $10. Usually these games also have the dealers hitting their soft 17s. The house edge on these games is around 1.5 percent, depending on the casino’s rules.
6. Place the 6 or 8 (Craps)
This bet must be made in multiples of $6. It pays $7 on a win since the house has a 6 to 5 edge on the bet. The house edge is 1.52 percent and the bet is active on 11 of 36 decisions, which means most of the time you will not have your money acted upon.
This bet must be made in multiples of $6. It pays $7 on a win since the house has a 6 to 5 edge on the bet. The house edge is 1.52 percent and the bet is active on 11 of 36 decisions, which means most of the time you will not have your money acted upon.
7. Spanish 21 (Basic Strategy)
In this variation of blackjack, the 10-spot cards are removed but there are all sorts of special awards for premium hands built into the rules. With the proper basic strategy, the house edge is around 1.8 percent, give or take, depending on rules of the casino.
In this variation of blackjack, the 10-spot cards are removed but there are all sorts of special awards for premium hands built into the rules. With the proper basic strategy, the house edge is around 1.8 percent, give or take, depending on rules of the casino.
8. Three Card Poker
There are two games in one here. The main game of ante and wager has about a 2 percent house edge. The secondary game, called Pair Plus, has about a 2.3 percent house edge. The game is relatively fast, so you might want to sit out some hands every so often.
There are two games in one here. The main game of ante and wager has about a 2 percent house edge. The secondary game, called Pair Plus, has about a 2.3 percent house edge. The game is relatively fast, so you might want to sit out some hands every so often.
9. Lay the 4 and 10 (Craps)
Here, you are betting that the 7 will appear before the 4 or 10. The house edge is 2.44 percent.
Here, you are betting that the 7 will appear before the 4 or 10. The house edge is 2.44 percent.
10. Caribbean Stud and Pai Gow Poker
Two of the first “carnival” card games are still going strong in casinos. The house edge is about 2.5 percent if you play your hands properly. These are relatively slow games.
Two of the first “carnival” card games are still going strong in casinos. The house edge is about 2.5 percent if you play your hands properly. These are relatively slow games.
Best Casino Odds For Players
So there you have it—the worst bets and the best bets you’ll encounter during your next trip to the casino. Good luck, and play smart.
Frank Scoblete is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. He is executive director of the Golden Touch advantage-play seminars in craps and blackjack. His websites are www.goldentouchcraps.com, www.goldentouchblackjack.com and www.scoblete.com in association with CasinoCityTimes.com. His recent books are The Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution! and The Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution! His new DVD is Golden Touch Dice Control DVD showing over 200 controlled dice throws – many in slow motion. For a free brochure or to order Frank’s products, call 1-800-944-0406.