While all gambling games seem very random at first look, the reality is that they are all based on mathematics and the casinos know very well how big of an edge they have. Roulette is one of the most popular gambling games, and the odds for it are well known.
On a regular, or European Roulette, the house maintains a 2.7% edge over the player, which stems from the single green 0 number. On an American Roulette, this edge doubles to 5.4% because there are two zero numbers. If you are betting red/black for instance, you are getting paid 1/1 but there are one or two more losing numbers than winning numbers.
In this article, we look at some other gambling games and compare the house edge and your winning odds on roulette to these other games to find out what the best game to play actually is.
Video Slots
Video slots are easily the most popular type of games in both online and live casinos around the world. However, despite being a single category of games, the house edge on video slots can vary quite a bit. Some slots in online casinos only maintain a 2% edge, while others will go as high as 10 or even 15% in live establishments.
Generally speaking, roulette players have better odds of winning than video slots players on most games. However, video slots players get to bet very small amounts per spin, with just a few cents per bet being the minimum, compared to much higher minimum bets on roulette wheels both live and online.
Blackjack
Blackjack is probably the best of all gambling games in terms of house edge and player winning odds. The house edge on blackjack games falls well below 1% in some cases, especially if you are using the absolute best strategy, or the optimal strategy for the particular type of game.
With such low house edge and minimum bets similar to those of roulette, you will probably be better off playing optimal strategy at blackjack than betting roulette. However, many players prefer the thrill of the spinning wheel and are willing to risk the slight edge for the additional thrill.
Baccarat
Baccarat is another extremely popular gambling game, especially among Asian players. The house edge of betting on the Banker or the Player in this game are 1.06% and 1.24% respectively and 14.36% on a Draw. For this reason, betting Banker or Player is more profitable than betting roulette, while betting Draw is close to complete madness.
If you like the game of Baccarat, make sure to avoid the Draw bets and if you are simply looking to gamble it up, roulette is still a viable option, as long as you remember to play the European version instead of the much lower value American Roulette.
Arcade Games
While they may seem like fun and games, Arcades offered at various casinos are actually the absolute worst value. You will often encounter 7%, 10% and even 20% house edges in arcade games that are meant for recreational gamblers to play.
Playing roulette is always much more profitable than delving into the arcades, so if you are thinking of playing the arcade games like Keno, Casino War or Big Six, just remember that you are losing out a lot compared to roulette, and there is really not too much of a reason to play them instead.
Where Should I Play
There are quite a few great online casinos and sites where you can enjoy all of the games mentioned. You can check out https://www.yourate.com/sports-betting/operator/paddy-power/ to find some of the best online gambling sites where you can test out the odds of all the games and use the information you learned in this article.
Remember, online casinos also provide generous deposit bonuses, so you can make the best of those and play with the additional money awarded by the casinos. In addition, stay away from the high house edge games so as to improve your odds of actually walking away with cash in hand.
By: Zsolt A.
To get the best free roulette systems that really work, see the top 5 proven roulette systems and the video series below. It's the best 100% free information for winning roulette you'll find. It's written by professionals who are really earning a living from roulette. |