Goldfish
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- Founded Date October 1, 1940
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What Is the Casino’s Advantage?
The Built-In Advantage of the Casino
Ever heard the phrase “the house always wins”? This saying describes the house edge, casino the core principle upon which all casinos operate. It represents the average percentage of a player’s bet that the casino expects to keep over the long run. Grasping this concept is essential for anyone who wants to gamble intelligently.
How is the House Edge Calculated?
The edge comes from the gap between a bet’s actual probability and the payout the casino gives for a winning bet. Roulette provides a very clear illustration.
A European Roulette wheel has 37 pockets (numbers 1-36, plus a single 0).
If you place a bet on a single number, your true odds of winning are 1 in 37.
However, if you do win, the casino pays you out at 35 to 1, not 36 to 1.
This discrepancy between true odds (36:1) and payout odds (35:1) is the house edge.
In this case, the house edge is 2.7%. This means that for casino every $100 bet on the wheel over a long period, the casino expects to make an average profit of $2.70.
House Edge in Different Casino Games
Not all games are created equal; the house advantage can be very different depending on what you play.
| Game | Typical House Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | Less than 1% | The player’s skill level has a massive impact on the house advantage. |
| Baccarat (Banker Bet) | Around 1.06% | The ‘Banker’ bet is one of the best bets in the entire casino due to its very low house edge. |
| Craps (Pass/Don’t Pass) | Under 1.5% | The game offers some great bets and some terrible ones. |
| European Roulette | 2.7% | This is a constant, unchangeable edge. |
| American Roulette | 5.26% | The ’00’ significantly increases the casino’s advantage. Always choose European if possible. |
| Slots | 3% – 10% (or more) | This is highly variable and depends on the specific game. It’s the inverse of the RTP percentage. |
What It Means for You as a Player
Winning is still possible, as the edge only applies over a huge sample size. Short-term results are all about variance. Anything can happen. By picking low-edge games, casino you improve your long-term prospects and stretch your entertainment budget.