20 Jan

The Real Odds you can Win at Online Casinos

Win at Online CasinosIf there’s one thing that holds people back from playing at internet gambling sites, its uncertainty. Uncertainty that the operator can be trusted, that their deposits are secure, and that the games aren’t rigged to lose. Such thoughts often lead us to question whether it’s even possible to win at online casinos.

No one seems to doubt the responsibility of land-based casinos. When a person walks into the Bellagio in Las Vegas, they observe sheer opulence. Instead of thinking, ‘This place has won so much money from players they can afford to build this’, people think ‘Wow, this is awesome, if I play here I can become rich like these guys’.

Sounds ridiculous, right? But it’s true. And while big land-based casinos can be trusted not to rig their games, it’s the regulatory oversight that demands their compliance with the law. Truth is, the online casino industry is subject to the same strict regulation and oversight.

If an operator were to refuse to pay players, fail to provide secure payment systems, or rig their games, regulators and intermittent auditing of the software would uncover it quickly enough. Just like that, the online casino would be out of business. Thus it wouldn’t wok to their benefit to cheat players.

How to Win at Online Casinos

There’s one very important lesson to be learned here. Winning online casino games takes skill. Thus playing games that don’t incorporate any measure of skill is counter-productive to that goal.

It doesn’t take a genius to press a button and spin the reels on the pokies. It doesn’t take a savant to pick a number on the roulette wheel. These are pure games of chance, and they don’t carry good odds for the player. One could place better wagers than others, but there’s no adept skill that will increase your chances of winning these online casino games.

That’s not to say that playing skill-based games with an expert strategy will guarantee a win. Online casinos, just like the land-based variety, always have the ‘house edge’ on their side.

In blackjack, the dealer plays by a specific set of rules designed to give the casino an edge over the player. There’s no way to eliminate that edge, but applying a perfect strategy can reduce it down to almost nothing.

Thus blackjack is considered the easiest game to beat by hard core strategists, but even they aren’t immune to losses. The key is to incorporate a proper strategy, and proper bankroll management.

Casino Games with the Lowest House Edge

To give yourself the best chance to win at online casinos, you’ll want to find skill-based games with the lowest house edge, and study the strategies that go along with them. You can find strategy guides pretty much anywhere, online or at your local library or book store.

Note: The following games / house edge comparisons are based on specific rule sets with proper strategy applied. See ‘Notes’ section of chart for additional details.

Game House Edge Notes
Single Deck Blackjack 0.28%
Spanish 21 0.40% Dealer stands on soft 17
Jacks or Better Video Poker 0.46% Full Pay 9/6
Spanish 21 0.76% Dealer hits soft 17
Baccarat 1.06% Bet on Banker
Craps 1.36% Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bet
Pai Gow Poker 1.46% Played with cards
Pai Gow 1.50% Played with tiles