Guide to casino odds: mastering the art of defeating the house advantage

An in-depth exploration of casino game probabilities.

• 

  Online Blackjack

  Blackjack has the esteemed reputation of being the casino pastime with the slimmest house advantage. Deploy your strategies flawlessly and you'll see that edge taper down to a mere 0.28%. Take a leap into the digital realm and you'll find that with thoughtful selection of your online game, you can further whittle that edge down - you'll be looking at an almost negligible 0.12% house benefit! It's all about choosing your battlefield with wisdom and precision.

  Every deck added to the game nudges the house edge up by a slim 0.02%. Therefore, your best bet would be to lay your cards on single or double deck blackjack games, mate. Look for games where the dealer's bound by the rules to stick on 17. It's a little-known tip that this rule flip the odds in your favour, shifting the house edge to a -0.13% and bestowing the upper hand on the player. Keep this in mind next time you're at a Kiwi casino, and make the game work for you, my friend.

  Discover more about Blackjack and train at no cost.

• 

  

  Online Roulette

  There's a significant dissimilarity between our Kiwi version of roulette and the European one that's noteworthy. The advantage to the house is a mere 2.7% for European roulette, whereas, in our local version, it skyrockets to a whopping 5.26%! This stark contrast is a testament to the intriguing fact that our own roulette wheel bears both a '0' and a '00' slot, while the European counterpart features only a single '0'. This peculiarity creates a dynamic roulette experience that's uniquely ours.

  That's precisely why your odds stack up to 48.6% when you place your bet on either red or black in European roulette, giving it a bit of a zesty twist, eh mate? However, if you wander into the realm of American roulette, your odds slightly dip to 47.4%, adding a touch of suspense to our game – such is the allure of risk!

  Always ensure you're getting the full bang for your buck when playing your favourite game - keep an eye out for that golden 35 to 1 payout for a single number! It's a sneaky trick of some less scrupulous casinos to adjust these payouts, banking on the hopes that no one would be the wiser. But you know better. Believe it or not, a measly adjustment down to 33 to 1 can double the house edge from a modest 5.26% to an alarming 10.53%. So stay sharp and stay informed, folks!

  Expand your roulette knowledge and engage in complimentary practice sessions. Train at no cost.

• 

  Online Baccarat

  Indulge yourself in the thrilling universe of online baccarat, New Zealand! Here, the scales of chance often tip towards the banker, just as they do in our brick-and-mortar casinos. In a standard game comprising eight decks, the odds for a banker's triumph stand at a heart-pounding 0.4586%. Meanwhile, there's a 0.4462% chance of the player turning the tables, stealing victory from the jaws of fate. This is sure to bring a rush of adrenaline, whether you're betting on the banker's luck or your own courage. Updated bonuses only add to the thrill, making every round a breathtaking affair. So, Kiwis, are you ready to face the odds?

  If the aim is to pocket a little extra change, it's savvy to steer clear of tie wagers. You see, even though there's an 8 to 1 payout that might seem tempting, the house advantage on a tie bet comes in at a chunky 14.36%. And that's no small potatoes! Contrastingly, when you place your bets on the banker, the casino's edge is whittled down to only 1.06% and on player bets, it's a meagre 1.24%. This bit of inside knowledge may be the deciding factor in you having a wee bit more jingle in your pockets!

  To maintain a bit of an advantage in the heart-throbbing, adrenaline-pumping game of baccarat, any successful stake on the banker comes with a modest 0.5% commission. It's like a slender thread of silver lining, ensuring that the house still holds a wee bit of sway. Now, isn't that a fascinating piece of the casino world right here in New Zealand?

  Discover more on baccarat and hone your skills at no cost

• 

  

  Online Casino Wars

  Casino Wars has undoubtedly captured the hearts of many Kiwis because of its sheer simplicity. It comes with an odds-based strategy that's as straightforward as the game itself. When you find yourself on equal footing with the dealer, the instinct might be to hoist the white flag. Yet, if you choose this path every time, the casino enjoys a 3.7% house advantage. But listen to this, mate! If you chuck caution to the wind and decide to go to war each and every time, that daunting house edge shrink down to a more manageable 2.88%!

  Ready to up the thrill factor? Dive into a game of Casino Wars, ideally one that serves up a juicy bonus for back-to-back ties! With these little golden rules in place, the house edge takes a tumble right down to a mere 1.24%, so your chances of triumph suddenly look a lot sunnier.

• 

  Online Video Poker

  It's common knowledge among the betting circles that video poker has garnered its popularity due to the fact that certain versions boast payout percentages exceeding 100%. Yet, this nugget of wisdom often slips under the radar - even without fine-tuning your strategy for video poker, you can still end up bagging a more bountiful payout from a video poker machine compared to any other pursuit at the gaming house. The allure of the poker machine, my friends, is more than meets the eye.

  In the splendid game of strategy, you'll be rewarded with a generous payout rate of 99.54% if your game plan is flawless. But hey, even if you're just getting your feet wet as a beginner, you can anticipate a pretty decent payout percentage of 99.52%. Quite the motivation, isn't it?

  One of the top tips to remember is setting your sights on video poker games which offer 'full pay' with 9/6 paytables, a golden ticket in the gaming world. When the goods come home with a full house paying 9 to 1, and a flush rewarding you with a 6 to 1 payout, it is as though you've hit the jackpot. Now, let's say a video poker game decides to trim the fat off a flush pay to 1 to 5, it's bound to have your heart sinking, as it shrinks the game's payout percentage from an enticing 100% down to a less appealing 95%. So, as much as you're driven by the thrill of the game, bear in mind to always keep your eye on those sweet, lucrative bonuses.

  Discover more about video poker and exercise at no cost. Exercise without any charges.

• 

  

  Online Slots

  Pokies are a true conundrum for those with a fondness for odds, as they remain the single casino entertainment where guessing your chances of victory is an exercise in futility. The results of these games are dictated by the whims of random number generators, and with every game boasting its own unique set of mechanics, it's a bit like trying to catch a cloud in a net. So, dive into this wonderfully unpredictable world of pokies with your heart ablaze with excitement, because in the end, aren't the best things in life simply a beautiful game of chance?

  As a general pointer, consider the dazzling complexity of a 5 reel online slot with 20 paylines and 10 symbols - it can produce an astounding 33.5 million unique symbol combinations. To put that into perspective, video poker pales in comparison, offering a relatively modest 2.6 million potential combinations. Meanwhile, single deck blackjack, a game treasured by many New Zealanders, provides just 1,326 possible starting hands. So, next time you're playing your beloved online games, remember the staggering odds and the thrilling unpredictability they bring.

  Discover more about online slots and engage in complimentary trials