Playing on any online casino eventually leads to diving deeper into game mechanics and becoming more familiar with the rules. Mastering any game takes time and experience, but it’s possible to get the basic info by researching the casino’s house edge. Wins and losses are all a natural part of any casino, but the question is how much? Strictly speaking, house edge represents how much of an advantage the house (casino) has over the player and thus the name house edge. For the players, it’s best when the number is lower, but sometimes it’s more complex, as different games can have oscillating percentages.
1. Baccarat
The finest example of low house edge and high fluctuation is Baccarat (Punto Banco). Casino players often skim past this great game in favor of the more popular ones, but Baccarat has one of the lowest house edges in the casino industry, where it can be as low as 1% and ranges up to around 14%. Why does this percentage variate so much? In Baccarat, players can bet on:
- the Player,
- on a Tie,
- on the Banker.
The safest and more expensive bet is on the Banker, where the player has a 1% up to 1.25% edge. Players can explore their options in online casinos from the Baccarat sites that Jaehoon mentions, where online casinos have Punto Banco as their promotional game, giving players a great alternative to Blackjack and an opportunity to experience something new.
As for the high fluctuation of the house edge in Baccarat, it’s because when a player bets on a tie, the house edge skyrockets to anything between 14% and 14.5%. When the player bets on himself, the house edge is very similar to a tie, around 1.25%, so the casino will often charge an additional 5% fee when betting on a Banker, to promote betting on a player.
2. Blackjack
Baccarat and Blackjack have similar rules and house edges. In Baccarat and Blackjack, both the player and the dealer are dealt a set of cards. While the player bets on which hand will win in Baccarat, in Blackjack, there are more options, and the house edge varies again. The house edge can be as low as 0.5% or 1.5%, depending on the casino house rules, such as:
- What is the number of decks used?
- Does the casino allow for split doubling down?
- Does the game pay out in 3:2 or 6:5?
These factors directly influence the house edge in Blackjack games, and doubling down is allowed in most casinos but only when the player has 10 or 11 combined in card value. When doubling down is allowed, the house edge is around 0.4%. And some casinos can allow for further doubling down, making the house edge go down each time. Appreciating and researching the game analytics will let players decide the optimal combination and move sets for games.
For example, simple math and statistics say that taking payouts in a 3:2 win by Blackjack is better than splitting the wins 6:5 because the 6:5 ratio is smaller than 3:2, even if it seems like larger numbers are involved. Lastly, it’s always better for the player when a single deck is used in a game, as more decks increase the house edge towards the casino.
3. Slots
At first glance, players may be confused as slots are usually advertised with a high RTP, meaning return-to-player. In this case, the player only needs to subtract the RTP from 100. Thus, slots usually range from 1% to 2% house edge. As slots have around 98% or 99% RTP, they provide a high entertainment value to the player.
Online slots offer an option to choose the number of spins and even the number of slots the player wishes to play at any time. Because there is an incredible variation of skins and themes for slots, coupled with a low house edge, they rank high in games with a high advantage to the player. Slots are also the easiest to apply the house edge to, as they are pretty straightforward in rules and RTP scores.
Summary
House edge is a statistical value over a set period for all players involved. When playing, for example, one hundred games, it is statistically probable that you will win some and lose some in a given period. House edge is exactly that, explained in a numerical form. It offers players a much-needed clue when they are on the edge of which game to play, as the one with the lower house edge can be a better choice for the player.