> Tags > casino house edge

Post about "casino house edge"

Best Books for Playing Blackjack

March 10, 2016 Category :General 0

Perhaps more than any other casino game, blackjack lends itself to discussion of strategy, tips, tactics, math and theory. Many alternative US online casino games lack the depth and complexity of online – or offline – blackjack and as such there are fewer books regarding them. There are literally thousands of blackjack books and probably hundreds of excellent ones, with only poker able to rival the literary back catalog of this brilliant game.

Unfortunately, most of us have jobs to work, kids to raise and casino games to play, so reading hundreds or even 10s of books on blackjack and casino strategy, not to mention more fictionalized or non-theoretical texts, just isn’t a viable option. Which is why we’ve whittled down millions and millions of words into just five must-read blackjack books, and here they are, in no particular order.

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich

This is perhaps one of the best known books around on blackjack, especially in the wider world away from serious blackjack and casino aficionados. The hit Hollywood movie “21” was adapted from this book and both tell the wonderful, colorful story of how a group of MIT students took casinos all over the world for millions of dollars over an extended period.

Try reading this book, which is largely factual with some embellishments, and not wanting to have a go at card counting, team player and indeed bringing down the house.

Hollywood Blackjack by “Hollywood” Dave Stann

Dave Stann is a colorful character who uses colorful language and this book is great for beginners wanting to give card counting a try. As well as a little math and practical tips, this fun book gives you plenty of theory but in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re at school.

Blackjack Wisdom by Arnold Snyder

Arnold Snyder was an original inductee into the blackjack Hall of Fame and this book is a fine collection of some of his thoughts, collected from magazine articles. It covers a range of topics and is great for those who like to read a little here and there.

Beat the Dealer by Edward O Thorp

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve read this described as the seminal text on card counting or a classic of the genre, I wouldn’t need to worry about playing blackjack. It’s true though, this is a great book and a must-read for those who love the game and its history.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gambling Like a Pro by Stanford Wong and Susan Spector

This superb book covers more than just blackjack but Wong is a Hall of Famer and the concise way this work details a range of topics and games makes it a must for this list.

If you want to learn and know more about Blackjack check out one or all of these books and your knowledge of blackjack will increase considerably. When your betting real money you should know as much as you can about the game your playing. Once you have peaked your knowledge use any USA online casino listed here and put your new found knowledge to the test.

Whether you live in the United States or anywhere else you can play online blackjack for real money at any of our recommended casinos. The latest in online blackjack is using a live dealer casino. Live dealer casinos allow you to play blackjack online like you would at a brick and mortar casino. There is an actual real person dealing the cards and running the game and you watch and play over a live streaming feed. See more about playing live dealer blackjack and the USA live online casinos we recommend playing at.

, ,

House Edge of Most Popular Casino Games

September 23, 2015 Category :Games 0

The house edge of a game at a USA online casino explains, in simple terms, the profit the casino expects to make from the game in the long term. Most casino games have a house edge of around 5%, meaning that statistically the casino expects to make around $5 for every $100 staked. Here we take a look at the house edge of some of the most popular online casino games around, starting with online slots.

Slots

The house edge in slots is quite high in relatively terms, but this reflects the fact that slots, especially progressive ones, give you the chance to win huge amounts relative to your stake. At blackjack, for example, the biggest payout is 6/4, whilst slots can pay thousands times your spin value, or even millions with the progressives. The house edge for slots is usually around the 5% mark, although it can vary from as little as 1% to as much as 15%. To get started see the best online casinos to play US online slots.

Roulette

Roulette has a house edge of 2.7% if you play the single zero, European/French version of the game, or almost double that, 5.26%, if you opt for the double version. That should make your choice pretty clear – never play the 0, 00 roulette variant. If, for whatever reason you do play American roulette (with two zeros) then never place a bet on the top line (0, 00, 1, 2 and 3) as that has an even higher house edge of almost 8%! Play roulette online at our top US online casinos.

Blackjack

Blackjack differs from the games above in that the player must use optimum play, or Basic Strategy, in order to reduce the house edge to the bare minimum. Using Basic Strategy the house edge can drop to less than 0.5%, although 0.7% is probably more typical and some variants of the game may have a house edge of much more than that. See the best online casinos to play blackjack online.

Video Poker

As with blackjack, the decisions made by the player impact the house edge and in order to keep the casino’s advantage as low as possible the player should use a video poker game guide. Again, as with blackjack, there are many variants of video poker and the house edge varies. Theoretically in certain instances it can be negative, meaning the player can expect to PROFIT, although in practice a house edge of around 0.5% is more common. Play video poker online at any of our top recommended USA real money online casinos.

,

Blackjack House Edge

August 26, 2015 Category :Games 0

The house edge is effectively the casino’s advantage over the player in any given game, with a house edge of 5% meaning that for every $100 you wager, the casino, on average, will win $5. One of the reasons blackjack is so popular at US online casinos is that it has a low house edge, with a figure of around 0.7% fairly common at the excellent blackjack sites we work with. That means that if you were to play 100 hands at $10 a pop you would expect to be down by just $7 given “normal” luck.

With loyalty points, casino bonuses and just a tiny slice of help from Lady Luck, it’s easy to overturn that tiny advantage, especially when you consider the house edge on other casino games. Slots can be as high as 15%, roulette more than 5% and sometimes as much as 35% on keno!

As said, this explains, at least partly, why blackjack is such a popular online game, especially with USA players. However, within the game of blackjack there can be quite a big difference in the house edge. The house can vary according to the type of blackjack you play and also depending on how you play. In order to obtain the lowest house edge with whatever ruleset you play you must adhere to basic strategy, however, playing a blackjack variant with favorable rules is just as important in achieving a low house edge.

One of the biggest factors that affects the house edge is the number of decks used. One deck is great for the player and the difference on fairly standard rules between using one, four or eight decks is shown below:

  • One deck – house edge 0.15%
  • Four decks – house edge 0.56%
  • Eight decks – house edge 0.63%

Another massive factor and one very easy to spot and avoid, is to make sure you only ever play blackjack that offers a full 3/2 pay for blackjack itself. Every USA online casino we feature here do exactly that but should you play at a casino that pays at 6/5, the house edge will jump from around 0.6% up to almost 2%.

Playing a blackjack variant with the lowest house edge possible, including rules that allow you to double after a split, double on any two cards and which offers re-splits, will increase your chances of winning, so always be aware of the rules before you take a seat! To get started and play blackjack online use any of our links to visit the USA online casino of your choice. All welcome USA players and offer a great blackjack experience. Also see the USA live online casinos which offer live dealer blackjack. If you are a serious blackjack player a live dealer casino is a must to check out.

,