If you are a regular casino player then you have probably heard a lot about the casino house edge or house advantage and you know what it is. If you don’t know what a casino house edge is here is a quick definition:
What is casino house edge
According to Wikipedia:
Casino House edge is defined as the casino profit expressed as the percentage of the player’s original bet.
Wikipedia
However, we feel that this definition is not clear enough and needs some adjustments. So according to bestuklivecasinos.co.uk:
Casino House edge is defined as the ratio of the average loss to the initial bet or the statistical advantage the casino holds in the long run in any given game.
bestuklivecasinos.co.uk
What this means is that the house edge is applicable only if the player keeps playing a casino game long term.
For example, if you sit on a roulette table and place a couple of bets on red and you win both times, then the house edge is not applicable. This is also the case if you play on a blackjack table and play only 2-3 hands.
The casino house edge is applicable only when you play a lot of hands/place a lot of bets. In other words the longer you play, the closer you get to the house edge percentage. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will always lose in the long term as this will also depend on other factors like luck, skills, strategy and discipline. The house edge is just a statistical edge.
At the end of the day, it is gambling we are talking about so sometimes you win, sometimes you lose!
The point is that there is a house edge that casino players need to be aware of and ideally play more games that have low house edge if they want to increase their chances of beating the house.
How to reduce the casino house edge
There are a few casino games that you can play with strategy and reduce the casino house edge to the minimum. For example, if you play blackjack with optimal strategy charts that dictate when to hit when to stand, when to split etc then you are minimising the house edge which is to your advantage of course.
If you play with no strategy and you are just making decisions based on intuition, then the house advantage is higher.
Savvy gamblers know that the best way to preserve and increase their bankroll is to make bets on casino games with the lowest house edge.
Live Casino Games House Edge
Let’s have a look now at the casino house edge for live casino games. The house edge percentages we are showing below are for main bets only and don’t include any side bets.
| Live Casino Game | Casino House Edge |
|---|---|
| Live Baccarat | Banker – 1.06% Player – 1.24% Tie – 14.36% |
| Live Blackjack | From 0.48% to 0.65% (depending on casino rules) |
| Live Caribbean Stud Poker | 5.22% |
| Live Roulette | European – 2.7% American – 5.26% |
| Live Sic-Bo | From 2.78% (for bets on big/small) to 33.33% (for bets on double) |
| Live Three Card Poker | Pair Plus – 7.28% Ante & Play 3.37% |
| Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em | 2.43% |
| Live Casino Hold’em | 2.16% |
Let’s have a look at the casino house edge for the most popular games in more detail.
Casino House Edge in Live Blackjack
Blackjack is a very popular casino game and it has the advantage that the house edge can be minimised if you play with strategy. By using a basic Blackjack strategy the house edge for live Blackjack can be as low as 0.48% – 0.65%. This is based on an 8 deck live blackjack table and can vary depending on house rules.
For example, Playtech live blackjack games have around 0.48% house edge while Evolution has around 0.72% house edge on these games.
| Software Provider | Casino House Edge | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Evolution | 0.72% | 8 |
| Playtech | 0.48% | 8 |
| Pragmatic Play | 0.72% | 8 |
Live Roulette Casino House Edge
The live Roulette house edge is more set and depends on the style of the game you choose to play. French roulette has the lowest house edge at 1.35%, European roulette has a house edge of 2.7% while American roulette has nearly double house edge at 5.26% because of the extra pocket of 00 that it has. Unfortunately in live roulette, there is no strategy like in Blackjack that can bring that house edge down.
Why does French Roulette have such a lower house edge compared to European Roulette?
The reason that French Roulette have a lower house edge compared to European Roulette despite the fact that the wheels are exactly the same is down to the two additional rules that this table has. These rules are:
- En Prison – If the ball lands on 0 and you have a bet on even money, then you can freeze your bet which will run on the next round. If you win you can get your stake back.
- La Partage – In La Partage, similar to en prison, when the ball lands on zero, any bets made on even payouts you get half of your stake back.
| Roulette type | Casino House Edge | Why |
|---|---|---|
| European | 2.7% | – |
| French | 1.35% | En Prison/La Partage Rules |
| American | 5.26% | Extra 00 pocket |
Live Baccarat Casino House Edge
Baccarat is another casino game that there is no strategy that can reduce the house edge. You can bet on Player Wins, Banker Wins and Tie. The Tie has the biggest house edge. If you are playing with 6 or 8 decks the house edge can be as low as 1.06% for Banker Wins and 1.24% for Player Wins while the Tie has a house edge between 14.44% – 14.36%. So you can see that the casino has a huge advantage when you are betting on the Tie.
| Decks | Player Wins | Banker Wins | Tie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1.24% | 1.06% | 14.44% |
| 8 | 1.24% | 1.06% | 14.36% |
Summary
When it comes to the best live casino game with the lowest house edge, this is Blackjack, with a casino house edge below 1% if you follow the optimal strategy. When it comes to casino games that there is no optimal strategy than betting on Banker Wins in Baccarat is your best bet with a casino house edge at 1.06%.
On the other hand, betting on the Tie in Baccarat gives a big house edge for the casino at a huge 14.36% -14.44% which is the highest you will find in live casino games.