The phrase ‘the house always wins’ is commonly used to describe the casino’s advantage in different table games. This is true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t mix in a few strategies to decrease the house edge. If you want a more enjoyable gaming experience, find out all about house edges and how they work in live casinos here at Casino Days India.
What does the house edge mean?
Every casino has a house edge that’s unique to it. The house edge acts as a guaranteed percentage of loss incurred by the player that goes to the casino. So, without knowing about it, your chances of winning can be even lower than it seems. This is because you can’t formulate a strategy to circumvent this considerable disadvantage.
Blackjack house edge
Beginners in blackjack should know that the house edge can go for as low as 0.5% and a standard advantage rate of 2%. This house edge stems from the face-down card that belongs to the dealer.
For instance, when a player bets $1,000, the casino will gain $20 as profit. But, if you’re inclined to decrease the house edge for blackjack, there are ways to do it. If you use specific strategies, you’re going to reduce that percentage to 0.5%.
Basic blackjack strategies to curb the house edge
There are optimal strategies for different hands a player and dealer gets. The decisions you make should depend on your cards and the single card the dealer shows. Here are the different options that you can do in blackjack:
- Double down
A double down is an act of adding a stake to get an additional card. If you do this, you must be confident that your hand will reach closer to 21 or blackjack itself.
- Split
A split is decided when two cards of the same value are drawn. Generally, a pair of aces and 8s are the best way to split.
- Hit
A hit is an option given to players on whether or not they should draw another card from the deck to improve their hand. Generally, it’s advised to hit when your hand is below 11 as you can never bust. A hand that’s above 12 will give you a tougher decision to make since you can risk busting out of the round.
- Stand
The stand is simply ending your turn, not doubling down or hitting. This means that you have a great hand that’s incredibly close to 21.
Now that you have a clear understanding of the different actions you can do, here are the tables that visualise the strategies you can do to decrease the house edge for each possible hand:
Hard hand
A hard hand means that you don’t have any aces. This gives you no flexibility in hitting because you can’t choose between a one and an 11.
| Player’s hand | Dealer’s hand is 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 | Dealer’s hand is 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A |
| 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | Hit | Hit |
| 9 | Double down | Double down |
| 10 and 11 | Double down | Double down if the player’s hand is greater than the dealer’s. |
| 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 | Stand | Hit |
| 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 | Stand | Stand |
Soft hand
A soft hand means that you can switch between a one or an 11 when you’re lucky to land an ace. This gives you the incentive to hit since you can decide to go for a one on your ace if the count busts.
| Player’s hand | Dealer’s hand is 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 | Dealer’s hand is 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A |
| 13, 14, and 15 | Hit | Hit |
| 16, 17, and 18 | Double | Hit |
| 19, 20, and 21 | Stand | Stand |
Roulette house edge
The house edge of roulette varies depending on the type. American roulette has a high 5.26% edge that gives the house a more significant advantage in general than the player. On the other hand, European roulette has a house edge of 2.7%.
If you want a higher chance of winning in roulette tables, make sure to pick the European roulette. This only has 36 pockets that you can take advantage of and one green pocket.
This is considered a house edge because the house only accounts for the 36 pockets despite having 37 in total. Players only get paid for the 36, and the single green pocket is how the house takes advantage.
Baccarat house edge
Baccarat has one of the lowest house edges in all casinos. This means that you have a higher chance of winning in this game. But you can even make it lower.
The regular house edge in most baccarat casinos is 1.06%. To help you further, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- If the player wins, there is a 1.36% house edge.
- If the banker wins, there is a 1.17% house edge.
- A tie results in a 14% house edge.
The basic strategy to keep in mind when playing baccarat is to avoid betting on a tie. This may have the highest payout, but it’s the riskiest out of the three.
Betting on the banker is the best way to increase your chances of winning big in baccarat. The caveat of betting on the banker is that the return isn’t a straightforward 1:1. Instead, you only get 95% of your original stake.
Increase your odds in live games at Casino Days India!
It’s incredible how simple mathematics can make all the difference. Now’s your chance to prove to the house that you’re a real game. What better way to test this newfound knowledge than playing a live casino game at Casino Days India? Immerse yourself in the best games provided here!