Casino hacks you can use to reduce the house edge
Casinos might be fun places to visit, but for the owners, they are highly profitable businesses. The truth is that the house always wins in the long run, and this fact has nothing to do with luck or skill. Casinos stack the odds in their favour, and this in-built house edge allows them to make a steady and predictable profit. However, that doesn’t mean that a savvy and switched-on casino visitor can’t swing things in their favor. The house edge is not consistent across all games, or even across every aspect of an individual game. If you know where the edge is at its weakest, you can use the following hacks to improve your odds, and in some cases, gain an upper hand.
Blackjack: Always choose the 3:2 tables over the 6:5 tables
With a house edge as low as 0.5%, its little wonder why so many casino visitors choose the blackjack table to sip a complimentary cocktail and try to get that magical number 21. However, many casinos are now tilting the odds further in their favour by moving away from the traditional 3:2 payout, towards payouts of 6:5. Although it doesn’t sound that big of a deal, this switch adds a rather hefty 1.39% to the house edge, letting the casino whittle your bankroll down that much quicker. When you visit the casino next time, ask the blackjack dealer what the table payout is, and make sure you only play at tables offering 3:2.
Slot machines: Choose games with a high payback percentage
In general, slot machines offer the worst odds in the casino. With no skill required whatsoever, the machine software alone decides whether you win or lose. Sure, you could get lucky and win all the money put in there by previous losing players. But with payback percentages as low as 83%, if you play the slots long enough, you will go home empty-handed. However, not all slots have their payout odds set as low as that. Some can go as high as 95%, allowing you more time to stay in the game and get closer to that winning spin. Certain slot machines, both in land-based casinos and online, are connected to group jackpots, which let you compete with other players to win prizes in the millions. For more slot tips, you can download this free slot guide which covers how to choose the best-paying slots.
Poker: Watch out for high house rakes and side bets that make no sense
Since Poker is a skill-based card game where you compete against other players, instead of betting directly against the house, it offers some of the best chances to win at the casino. Still, the casino does take a cut, or rake, from each pot, so for a player to come out ahead, they must beat the other players by enough to cover the margin lost to the house. Some casinos charge as little as $3 a pot, but others rake in as much as $5. This difference might not sound like much, but if you play enough hands, this can really eat into your expected profitability. Make sure to ask what the rake is at each table and only play at the table with the smallest amount set aside for the house. Meanwhile, beware of Caribbean Stud. This is a poker-themed game where the player does compete against the house, and features a house edge of 5% or more. This edge is bad enough, but Caribbean Stud also often comes with a tempting side bet for a progressive jackpot, which can potentially net the player thousands of dollars in profit. What the casino won’t tell you is that these side bets come with a mammoth 25% edge tilted towards the house. Needless to say, if you are looking for any kind of advantage at all, you need to politely turn down these side bets.
In craps, learn how to throw like The Dice Dominator
Craps is a simple enough game played with two dice, but what sets it apart from other casino games, is that the house actually allows the player to throw the dice on their own, technically making it a game of skill. The only rule of a valid throw is that the two dice must hit the other side of the table. Sounds easy enough, but the sides of the table have grooves and bumps which make the dice bounce like crazy, making the end result rather unpredictable. With a house edge of just 0.8%, any player who could influence the roll of the dice would quickly build up an advantage. But can anyone really control the roll of the dice, even for just a few throws? Well, some believe that it is possible, and a certain Dominic LoRiggio believes he can train you to do so. For the bargain price of $149.99, Dominic (or The Dice Dominator, as he likes to call himself) will teach you his throwing technique, which allows you to control which numbers are rolled. The technique looks pretty damn strange though, so even if you do master it, your biggest problem might be concealing it from the casino staff. Still, the Dominator’s technique makes for a pretty awesome party trick!
So, there you have it. The infamous house edge isn’t an insurmountable barrier to success in the casino. If you choose your game, avoid the traps, and up your skill level, you can significantly reduce the house’s edge, giving yourself a real chance of beating the casino. Why not try some of these hacks next time you are in the casino, and let us know if they helped you bank some money?
