One thing that many players fail to take into consideration when they sign up to online casinos for real money is the house advantage. Why is it important and what role does it play in casinos as well as in games such as online pokies?
Although luck has a huge role to play in your gambling experience, the house edge players a pivotal role in making casinos lots of money. The house advantage takes to vary from one casino game to the next but knowing how to manage your bankroll correctly and making the right decisions, could help you lower the house advantage.
The House Edge is the measurable factor of how frequently the casino wins over some time. Since the house edge has a vital role in the way online casinos NZ run, this will affect you as a player and the way wins are achieved.
Today, we are dedicating an entire guide on how to lower the house edge to improve your chances of achieving big wins.
What is the house advantage?
Every casino game available at a kiwi casino has an in-built profit percentage on every bet. This is known as the House Edge/House Advantage, and it has been created to ensure that casinos make a profit in the long run.
Every bet you make has a 50:50 chance of either winning or losing. The same can be applied to the logistics behind the house edge. However, the lower the house advantage is on a wager, the bigger the chances of you winning over some time. Casinos see this as ‘applied mathematics’, so it is critical to understand how this concept works to secure a few wins.
That’s not all though. You also have to take into consideration the ability to make the right decisions when playing casinos games.
How does house advantage work?
Let’s imagine you are playing Live Roulette. The most significant majority if the players are more likely to place bets on black or red. Now, imagine that you are playing the game of European Roulette, that comes with 37 numbers including a green zero.
Theoretically, if you spin the Roulette wheel 37 times, you are likely to hit red 18 times, black 18 times and the green zero once. There is no guarantee that this will happen. We are just hypothesizing here.
Let’s imagine you are placing a $1 bet on each number on the roulette wheel, costing a total amount of $37. If you hit red 18 times, you are likely to receive $36 back, while the rest is lost. If you have placed a total amount of bets costing $37 and got $36 back, the house edge stands at 2.7%.
The same logic can be applied to the game of American Roulette, with additional green zero and two green zeros. The house edge of American Roulette stands a lot higher than its European counterparts, at 5.26%. If you place a total sum of $38 in bets, you are only likely to receive $36 back.
Casino games with the highest house advantage
Now that you fully comprehend how the house advantage works against you, you need to identify the games that are likely to leave a dent on your bankroll. There are no casino games whatsoever that come with a 0% house advantage, and even if you manage to lower it slightly, over a period of time, it is likely to catch up with you.
When it comes to the casino games with the highest house advantage, online pokies come to mind. Necessarily, games that require no decision-making process are the worst culprits.
When it comes to online pokies, the house advantage can start from as low as 3% going all the way to 20%. There is no way of knowing which online pokies have the lowest house edge but looking at the RTP of the game, can surely help.
Furthermore, pay lines in online pokies have a critical role to play. Since online pokies can offer a lower RTP, the casino is going to generate more money for itself. If you want to play online pokies, then you need to be smart when it comes to the slot games of your choice. In theory, the more paylines you select to play with, the higher the house advantage will be.
The same can be said about progressive jackpots. Since the prizes are lucrative and plenty more players are all chasing the same rewards, the house edge will be much higher than average. If you want to have a go at striking it lucky, we recommend some jackpot slots that have the best RTP. Games such as Hall of Gods, Arabian Nights and Mega Fortune Dreams by Net Entertainment are the best progressive jackpots to try your hand at.
In general though, if you want to play online pokies and not necessarily chase a jackpot, you should try to avoid them as the house edge works considerably against you.
Games such as Keno are also bad for your money, with the house edge standing at a staggering 40%.
Casino games with a Medium House Advantage
When it comes to games with Medium House Advantage, Live Roulette comes to mind. It all depends heavily on the variant of roulette you are going to play.
When it comes to American Roulette, the house edge is 5.26% since the additional double zero raises the house advantage considerably. On the other hand, the game of European Roulette has a single green zero, with the house edge standing at a mere 2.7%.
Another great alternative would be the French Roulette variant that comes with the ‘en prison rule’, lowering the house advantage further to 1.35%.
There is no skill involved when playing Live Roulette, though it always helps to have a strategy in place to ensure that you don’t deplete the bankroll in one go.
Casino games with a Low House Advantage
Live Blackjack is one of those rare games that have a lower house edge, provided you are smart when making decisions such as Hit or Stand. Depending on how many decks of cards are being used, the Blackjack variant and making the right decisions could lower the house edge to 2%.
Similarly, the game of Live Baccarat comes with a lower house advantage. The basic game states that you must place a bet on either the Player (1.2%) or the Banker (1%). We always recommend that you place your bets on the Banker due to the lower house advantage. Most importantly, you should avoid the Tie Bet since the house edge stands at a whopping 14% or a Pair, with the house advantage hovering over 11%.
House advantage: Importance of Strategy
Since games such as live Blackjack and Live Baccarat require some sort of decision-making process to boost your chances of wins, having a strategy in place will ensure that you play it safe.
It would be pointless recommending you playing online blackjack if you don’t know the rules or how the game is played. If you don’t know the basics of blackjack, the house edge will increase. Casinos thrive on inexperienced players who don’t know the general basics and rules of the game, especially when it comes to games such as the ones at real money online casinos.
Most importantly, have a bankroll management strategy in place, to help protect your bankroll and to have better control over your gambling finances. Have a win and loss threshold in place, and when you hit either one, call it a day. You can learn more about bankroll management here.
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