Everyone is looking for the best games online or at live casinos. Sadly, not every casino is willing to talk about house edges – but we don’t mind here at Bovada. We want you to be aware of how every single game works, especially online, so you can get the most value out of your entertainment dollar. Did you know that casino house edges in a game like Blackjack are calculated by running trials of around 10,000 hands? These edges are serious business; it’s very important to get them right before making a play game available to the players.
That’s because casinos are built for entertainment and the only cost you pay for that entertainment is the house edge built into your play wagers. In case you’re not familiar, the house edge is the average percentage of money that the house collects from play wagers over the long run. All casino games have a house edge attached, but some games offer lower one than others. If you’re interested in getting the best odds possible, this comprehensive games guide will help you.
Craps House Edge
When you play Craps at Bovada, low casino house edge is built right in. The Pass Line bet comes with a 1.41% casino house edge, and the Don’t Pass Line comes with a 1.36% house edge. The Pass Line is the most common bet in Craps. You start with the come-out roll, which is an automatic win (at even money) if you throw a 7 or 11, and an automatic loss if you roll a 2, 3 or 12. Any other number establishes the point; start rolling the dice again, and if you throw that point again before rolling a 7, you win. Roll a 7 first, and you lose. Easy play game.
Craps is also one of the only casino games that offers a bet with zero house edge attached: the odds bet. First, you need to bet on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line. Once a point has been established, you can increase your original bet by either taking odds (for the Pass Line) or laying odds (for Don’t Pass). At Bovada, you can bet 3X your Pass Line bet when you take odds, and 6X your Don’t Pass Line bet when you lay odds – all without any extra house edge. You’ll get the best casino odds for Craps by betting the full 3X or 6X whenever you take or lay odds.
Blackjack House Edge
Bovada offers a series of online Blackjack games with the lowest edges players will find. The biggest indicator of house edge is the number of decks included. Playing Single Deck Blackjack optimally brings the house edge down to 0.037%. Double Deck Blackjack offers a higher house edge of 0.424%, and the standard six-deck variant has the biggest house edge of the bunch: 0.535%.
Bringing the edge down to these tiny levels requires learning the optimal Blackjack strategy for players' chosen game – something that’s relatively easy to do when players play online Blackjack at Bovada Casino. In the 1950s and 60s, computers were used to figure out the best move to make for every situation; players can find Blackjack charts on the internet and use them while players play, just like the special strategy cards players can buy at many bricks-and-mortar casinos. Six-deck Blackjack is the standard when players play live, so if they're already familiar with this game, give it a try with Bovada's games. Specific rules (like the Dealer hitting on soft 17) are listed in the game description, so they can get the right Blackjack strategy to play their online game optimally.
Baccarat House Edge
Baccarat is a very easy online game with a very low house edge. All you do is bet on one of three outcomes: the Banker, the Player or the Tie. When playing Baccarat online, you’ll be playing the punto banco baccarat version, with all the strategic decisions made for you. Both the Banker and Player are hoping to make nine points instead of 21. Aces are worth one point, Tens through Kings are worth zero, and all other cards have face value. After the Player and Banker get their two cards, a third (and last) card may or may not be drawn automatically, depending on the scores.
To make an informed gambling decision on which outcome to bet on, you need to know the house edge for each Baccarat bet. The lowest edge online at Bovada comes with the Banker, which is only 1.06%. The next lowest edge is with the Player, which costs 1.24% over the long run. Ties offer big payouts because they’re pretty rare, happening just 9.5% of the time. At Bovada, Tie bets pay 9:1, which translates to a 4.93% house edge. Beware of casinos paying only 8:1 for Tie bets; the house edge jumps to 14.44% for these bets.
Video Poker
Video poker games are much like the most popular slot games online at Bovada, but the house edge is usually much lower – provided you play the games optimally. The video poker games themselves are easy: It’s 5-Card Draw, where you get dealt five cards, then have one opportunity to throw away as many cards as you want and draw new ones, all in the hope of making the best poker hand possible.
Just like with Blackjack games, you can find video poker strategies online, but keep in mind these online strategies can get very complex. A simplified play video poker strategy will get you most of the way there; for example, the optimal strategy for Jacks or Better will narrow the house edge down to 0.46%, while a simplified video poker strategy might generate a house edge of 0.54%.
Tri-Card Poker
Generally speaking, the more complex the game and/or strategy, the smaller the house edge will be. Tri-Card Poker is a simple game – just make the best 3-card poker hand possible. And it has an incredibly simple strategy: If you have Queen-Six-Four or better, hit the Raise button to double your bet, otherwise, hit Fold. The house edge for Three Card Poker is 3.37% when you play optimally at Bovada Casino. If you prefer a simple game and don’t mind the house edge, 3-Card Poker is for you. If you want the best casino odds possible, try one of the other four games on this list: video poker, craps, baccarat, 3-Card Poker, and best of luck at the tables and at any of the games you play.