Who decides the House edge when you play at a casino? Well, on one level, the House does, since each game in the casino has a built in edge. The casino can choose which games to feature and which rules to follow, but in general, the House edge is already decided.
Or is it? Is there a way for the players to decide the edge? On one level there is. By choosing games with the most favorable rules, playing only the most favorable bets and using the correct strategy, players can decide what kind of edge they will face in various games. Here are some examples.
Craps
Any craps player can decide to play the exotic bets that payoff at 7-to-1, 9-to-1 or 30-to-1. However, if one does, he will be taking on a House edge of anywhere from 10 to over 16 percent. If instead the player sticks to pass line and come bets, with odds on both, he can enjoy a House edge of less than one percent.
Roulette
An American roulette wheel has a zero and a double zero, which means virtually every bet on the layout gives the House a 5.26 percent edge. Those zeroes create the House advantage, so decide on a European roulette wheel with only a single zero instead and minimize the edge to 2.7 percent.
Baccarat
In baccarat, all the decisions are made for you except one -- whether to bet on the player, the banker or a tie. Avoiding the tie is a no brainer -- the edge is over 14 percent.
Since the banker acts last, the banker always has an edge. Even though players must pay a five percent commission on winning banker bets, these bets still come out ahead of the player bets, which offer a 1.24 percent House edge instead of the 1.06 percent edge the banker bets offer. Decide on the banker and take the lower House edge.
No matter what game you decide to play, take the time to learn all the rules and the best strategy. This can help you choose the path that will lead to the lowest House edge possible and improve your chances to win.
Or is it? Is there a way for the players to decide the edge? On one level there is. By choosing games with the most favorable rules, playing only the most favorable bets and using the correct strategy, players can decide what kind of edge they will face in various games. Here are some examples.
Craps
Any craps player can decide to play the exotic bets that payoff at 7-to-1, 9-to-1 or 30-to-1. However, if one does, he will be taking on a House edge of anywhere from 10 to over 16 percent. If instead the player sticks to pass line and come bets, with odds on both, he can enjoy a House edge of less than one percent.
Roulette
An American roulette wheel has a zero and a double zero, which means virtually every bet on the layout gives the House a 5.26 percent edge. Those zeroes create the House advantage, so decide on a European roulette wheel with only a single zero instead and minimize the edge to 2.7 percent.
Baccarat
In baccarat, all the decisions are made for you except one -- whether to bet on the player, the banker or a tie. Avoiding the tie is a no brainer -- the edge is over 14 percent.
Since the banker acts last, the banker always has an edge. Even though players must pay a five percent commission on winning banker bets, these bets still come out ahead of the player bets, which offer a 1.24 percent House edge instead of the 1.06 percent edge the banker bets offer. Decide on the banker and take the lower House edge.
No matter what game you decide to play, take the time to learn all the rules and the best strategy. This can help you choose the path that will lead to the lowest House edge possible and improve your chances to win.
