Casino Games that Have the Lowest House Edge

Every casino game features something known as a house edge. This is the advantage that the online casino has over the player and it ensures they can turn a profit over the long-term, even if a few players win big in the short-term.

Your goal, as a player, is to be one of the short-term anomalies, the ones who walk away with a profit, and the easiest way to do this is to focus on the games that have the lowest house edge.

To help you do just that, take a look at this list of casino games with the lowest house edge, with tips on how to beat the casino and win consistently.

Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the best-known games with casino the lowest house edge. A game of Classic Blackjack can have a house edge as low as 0.5%, which means a little strategy and luck is all you need to tip the balance in your favour.

This may seem like an insanely low house edge for such a popular game. After all, if it really is that low, then why do casinos have so many Blackjack tables and how are they able to profit so much after paying for equipment, dealers, and other costs?

There are several reasons for this. Firstly, casinos often tweak the rules (introducing more decks, lower payouts, and side bets) to increase the house edge.

Secondly, and most importantly, while the most knowledgeable players will benefit from this low edge by playing tight and adopting a strict strategy, the casual player will go gung-ho, thus negating any benefits the house edge would otherwise provide.

By sticking to a strict strategy, playing patiently and safely, and focusing on Classic Blackjack, as well as low-edge variants like Switch and Double Xposure (available on casinos like Betway Casino), you can keep your payouts high.

Poker

Poker is one of the lowest house edge casino games because it’s rarely actually played against the casino. In games of Texas Hold’em, Five Card Draw, and several other formats, you compete against other players, with the house merely taking a small cut from each pot or buy-in.

This technically means there is no house edge. However, to get ahead in games of PvP Poker you need to follow a few basic rules, otherwise, skilled players will have the beating of you:

Hand Values: Learn Poker hand values before you sit down and play. These are the foundation of all Poker games, telling you which hands are strong and which hands are weak.

Tournaments: To win big bucks with small stakes, stick with large tournaments. Look for Guaranteed tournaments and if the buy-in is a little too heavy for your budget, win your ticket via a satellite tournament.

Patience is a Virtue: Patience is a player’s most important asset, allowing them to bide their time, study the table, and take advantage during key moments.

Bluff: By only playing when you have a strong hand, you’ll become predictable and good players will simply start folding, thus preventing you from winning big. Mix things up every now and then by bluffing—betting big when your hand is small.

Baccarat

The game of Baccarat comes in several forms, but the most popular, Punto Banco, is also one of the best in terms of its house edge. The goal is simple: Bet on the hand you think will win, choosing between the Player, Banker or Tie.

As is the case with Blackjack, this game is profitable for the casinos because many players don’t play with optimal strategies. For example, a knowledge player will never bet on the Tie, as it offers the lowest rate of return, with a house edge of 14.36%. This is massive for a card game, and would be pretty poor even for a pokie.

However, the Player bet has an edge of just 1.24% and the Banker is even more favourable at 1.06%. By sticking with these two bets and avoiding the Tie, you can keep the odds firmly in your favour and increase your chances of getting a consistent return.

French Roulette

Roulette is rarely the game that springs to mind when you think of low house edges. To an extent, this is justified, as variations of American Roulette have a house edge that is higher than 5%, which means you often have a better chance of winning with pokies, Caribbean Stud Poker, and other traditionally high house edge games.

However, if you stick with Online Roulette, you’ll get a return that offers 2.70% on average and reduces to 1.35% for the Even money bets. For a game of chance, this is fantastic, and suggests that Roulette isn’t as weighted toward the house as you first thought.

It’s all about the Zero square. These spaces serve to tip the balance of probability in favour of the casino; the more of them there are, the higher the house edge will be. French and European variants have just one Zero, while American versions have two, which is why the former is the better option.

Video Poker

Video poker is played against the house and not against other players. As a result, there is a house edge and the casino will profit the majority of the time.

Some of these games also have house edges that climb as high as 5%, which is definitely not ideal if you want the balance of probability on your side.

However, there are variants that drop to just 1% or less. To benefit from these odds, you need to play with a strict and patient strategy.

As with player-vs-player Poker, your first step is to learn hand values. Once you have those down, look for a game that allows you to secure a return with a low pair and pays a jackpot when you hit a big hand, such as a Royal Flush.

Video poker is an ideal way to pass the time between PvP Poker tournaments and cash games, allowing you to hone your skills and potentially earning you a few dollars in the process.