How to calculate the odds?
Some bets in the casino have a very high house edge. Slot machines are popular but they can have a house edge from 1-15 percent depending on the casino and/or location of the machines. Although some table games have a low house edge, there are some bets you should avoid. Here are some of the worst bets you can make. Do You Know the Best and Worst Roulette Bets? The outcome of every spin of the roulette wheel is independent of any other and is not influenced by prior spins. Even if you have ten black numbers.
To make a fair and accurate list, I’ll use the criteria of house edge with every game. House edge is a built-in advantage that every casino uses for most of their games. It gives them the advantage of always coming out on top and making money. For example, slot and roulette games have the best house edge, usually around 5%. This means that for every €1 you wager you will get 95 cents back as winnings.
With that being said, not all casino games have a house edge. Table games like poker don’t use a house edge. Instead, the casino is the dealer. It takes in a certain percentage of your pot with each turn or over a certain period of playing time. I’ve taken into consideration both the games that include the house edge and the ones that don’t and made a definitive list of casino games that have bad wagering odds.
Keno
Keno is, without any doubt the worst bet you can make when wagering your money. I wouldn’t recommend this game if you like fast-paced gameplay and quick turns. Is a relatively slow game and you can only make one bet per game. The house edge usually goes around 25%, making it one of the highest in the business, lower only than the state lottery house edge.
There are a few differences between land-based casino Keno games and online Keno games, but they all have the same principle: you are required to choose between 9 and 15 numbers from a pool of 80 numbers and have to match all of them in order to win. This is extremely hard to do, and the chance of you matching all of your chosen numbers is more than 1 in a million. This game offers huge potential payouts, up to 250,000 credits, but I wouldn’t recommend playing this game. There is no strategy that can help you beat it, and you could spend your money much better in a different online casino game.
Craps
Craps has the reputation of being one of the most complicated casino games in general. It offers the players a wide range of different bets that can sometimes be confusing to even the most skilled gamblers. Here are the bets I advise you to sidestep when playing Craps:
- Any Seven – The principle of this game is easy to understand and is actually the most popular option to bet on for many players. This bet works like this. You place a bet on the number 7 and wager at odds of 4:1. If on the next roll the shooter throws a 7, you win. With two dice, seven is the most commonly rolled number in the game, so this bet looks good on paper. Even though this being the case, I’m going to tell you why this isn't a good option to bet on. When you calculate the number of possible outcomes, you will get that the number 7 will get rolled 1/6 of the time in average, which gives this game a house edge of 16.67%, making it a very poor betting option.
- 2 and 12 Bets – Another popular option among players, Snake eyes (two ones) and Boxcars (two sixes) are actually very ill-advised betting options. They have a house edge of around 14%, so you might want to leave this option to the more unwise Craps players and give it a pass.
- Hard 4 and Hard 10 Bets; 3 and 11 Bets – These bets have a house edge of exactly 11.11%, which means that for every €100 round you play, you will lose €11.11 just for wagering the game. This is another trap that inexperienced players fall for, and I suggest you put no interest in it.
Baccarat and Roulette
These two games aren't that bad when it comes to odds, but they have certain features and mechanics that you would want to avoid if you're going to save your money:
- Top Line Feature in American Roulette – American Roulette is still a headliner in many land-based casinos and is gaining more popularity in online casinos as well. It’s a fun and exciting game that can bring you a very generous profit. The one feature I advise you to avoid if you decide to play American Roulette is the Top Line feature. The Top Line feature offers you miserable RTP and pretty average if not below-average profits. You can have just as much fun and make more money if you place your bets on other options instead of this one.
- Tie Bet in Baccarat – Baccarat is generally a good game to play and is more of a high-roller fast-paced The thing you should try and ward off is the Tie Bet since it comes with a house edge of around 14%.
Progressive Slots
Have you ever entered an online casino, just to be blinded by the multi-million progressive slot jackpots? We all have. What is important is that you don’t get fooled by these tempting numbers, as progressive slots are one of the worst machines you can play. The house edge can go anywhere between 12 and 20 percent, making it a steep obstacle to overcome. In terms of gameplay pace/ wagering limits, you can actually lose the most money chasing the progressive slots jackpot, upwards €400 per hour.
Don’t confuse progressive slots with online video slots. Video slots actually are one of the best games to play when wagering your money, which leads me to my next point.
Best Odds in Online Casinos
These were the five types of games I wouldn’t recommend to anyone who’s trying to meet their wagering requirements and earn some money. Now its time to move on to the fun part and talk about the best online casino odds. Gambling can be a fascinating and thrilling experience, especially if you have knowledge and luck on your side. I’ll share with you the casino games that have the best house edge and will give you the best chance of coming out on top.
- Craps – Remember when I said that craps offer the players a wide variety of betting options? Well, that’s completely true. With more than 100 betting options, there are a few good picks you can bet on. The two best options to go for when betting are the Pass Lines on double and single odds, which give you a house edge of 0.6% and 0.8% respectively. These two options give you the best chances of winning, as the casino doesn't have an advantage over you.
- Blackjack – Playing with a house edge of just around 0.8%, Blackjack is offered great odds to win but requires a lot of strategy and concentration. Playing at maximum efficiency, you can expect to gain around 40%-45% of every game. Personally, I find Blackjack to be the most fun and also the most lucrative out of all of the games as mentioned earlier, and I wholeheartedly recommend you try it if you like online gambling.
- Video Slots – This game genre falls on middle ground when it comes to casino odds. I still decided to give it a pass, since the house edge on important video slot games is around 2%-5%. Video slots are a tricky beast because they work on a random number generator, which you can't control. With slots, the more money you decide to wager, the bigger your chances of winning will be, and you will get good payouts more often. This also means that, on a bad night, you might end up quickly losing your playing budget.
Keep Your Eyes Open
I’ve listed the best and worst casino odds you will encounter while gambling. However, know that betting with the best odds is still gambling and you still might end up losing money at the end of the night. My final advice would be to play responsibly and set a playing budget that you can afford to lose, so that, no matter how it goes, you still have a good time and don’t wind up in the minus.
When you decide to play at an online casino or visit your favourite land-based gambling house, keep in mind these betting odds and casino games. Try to avoid the unfavourable games, and find a game that has good playing odds and suits your playing style. Remember my tips, and I'm sure you’ll have a very entertaining and profitable experience that will last you for a long time.
Home > Online Casinos > Casino Articles > Worst Game Odds
Some casino games do a great job in creating game variety, but the large house advantage makes them poor options for players hoping to win a little money. These games are fine choices for anyone merely looking for an exciting gambling experience, but beyond that they are probably best avoided.
The draw of bad odds casino games is that they tend to have the potential of paying huge sums of money. The main jackpot in keno can be astronomical, but your chances of winning it are similar to winning the state lottery. Below are the casino games with the absolute worst player odds.
Keno 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. The chance of matching all nine numbers is a little less than 1 in 1.3 million. These odds are even worse as you choose more numbers.
There are few differences when play keno at an online gambling site compared to a land casino. Variations include:
Online casinos require players to choose a minimum of 10 numbers rather than nine. Some even require 15.
Tickets can be bought for only one credit online, where as land casinos charge two credits.
While live keno jackpots can reach 250,000 credits, online keno jackpots are typically lower.
So which form of keno is better: live or online? The answer is simple: neither. The potential for a huge payout and the simplicity of this lottery-style game draw many players, but your money is better spent at other casino gambling games. There is no strategy that can increase your odds, so unless you truly enjoy the experience of play Keno, avoid this game.
Does Roulette Have The Worst Odds
Roulette Odds
House Edge: 5.26% (American)
House Edge: 2.7% (European)
Roulette is another game based solely on luck and is not influenced by strategy, other than placing the proper bets. Roulette is one of the most well-known casino games and offers the possibility of winning up to 35 times your initial bet. There are two versions of roulette: American and European. They are completely identical except American roulette has an extra green slot marked '00.' This is the reason behind the larger house edge of the American version.
The roulette wheel is divided into either 37 or 38 slots, depending on which version you play. The house edge is calculated like this:
Single Zero Roulette (European):
(35 - 36)/37 x 100 = -2.7%
Double Zero Roulette (American):
(35 - 37)/38 x 100 = -5.26%
Is Roulette The Worst Odds Game
The best bets to place in Roulette are 'even money' bets, or those with a payout ratio of 1:1. These include Red, Black, Even, Odd, High or Low bets. While you do not stand as much to gain from a win, your overall odds are better than the high-risk bets. For example, you stand a 48.6% chance of winning an even-money bet in European roulette, while a single number bet will only win 2.7% of the time.