Ask any experienced gambler, he’ll tell
you: some casino games give players a better chance at
winning than others.
Whether it is because of the different house edge certain games feature,
or because the nature of the game favors players more,
the fact remains: some casino games are “more equal” than
others.
The game which features a very high house edge, and thus
leaves players in the dust when it comes to winning, is
keno.
Even though it’s an interesting game to play, I wouldn’t
suggest you do it, if it is your goal to walk away with some
cash from the casino.
Roulette is a very interesting example in this sense too.
There are two variants, the American and the European one.
With the addition of “00” slot to the wheel, in order to increase the
house edge,
I suppose there should be no doubt in your mind which one of
these variants you should choose when playing.
In addition to this difference, there are certain rules (like “in prison”)
in certain online and offline casinos
that further lower the advantage the house has on its players.
From the point of view of the house edge, roulette is indeed
one of the more complex games.
How much that edge will amount to, depends on a whole bunch of factors
( I already pointed out those that have nothing to do with
actual gameplay.) among which the type of bet you make,
takes up an important place.
Because there are multitude of bets one can choose to make at roulette,
knowing which and when to play can be considered strategy.
Lots of folks will argue that there is no such thing as a winning roulette
strategy, and frankly, I agree with them.
That doesn’t mean however, that there aren’t strategies to
reduce the house edge.
Slots are – likewise – considered an exclusively luck-based
game. Indeed – at first glance - there’s not much one can
achieve strategy-wise.
Especially that these newer-generation slot machines are
based on electronic random number generators
so calculating odds for different combinations is
impossible. There are however certain things that you can do
in order to diminish the edge the house has on you. Playing
maximum coins to be eligible for jackpots, playing machines
with certain pay-lines, playing machines with a certain
number of reels, proper bankroll management, are all things
you can do to improve your game.
At the top of the casino game list – at least as far as I’m
concerned – are games where the odds are in the player’s
hands.
To a certain extent, video poker would be an example here, but real
live poker or online poker are the best possible
specimens.
There is a hefty element of skill involved in video poker to
second the luck factor.
Whenever skill gets to put in a word, the house edge takes a
serious blow.
Online
poker has so much of this skill factor in it, that it
wouldn’t make any sense for the house to directly go up
against players.
In
poker , it is impossible for one of the involved parties
to secure a lasting edge, one that is not based on skill.
As such, the games that can be the most lucrative from a
player-perspective are the ones that are mostly based on
skill.
With that clear, here’s the equation: the less skill a game
requires, the easier it is for you to play it.
The house however, sanctions this easiness with a high
house-edge.
The more skill it requires to master a certain game, the less the house
can do to impose its edge.
These games however, take a serious investment in time and energy to
master.
The decision to trade in accessibility and ease of operation
for the high house edge, is something that every gambler has
to make for himself.
