Lowest House Edge Casino Games Online
Most profitable online casino games, and where to play them.
Casino games can be a lot of fun. They are, in fact, intended to be a form of entertainment, just like any other pay-to-play activity. As kids, many of us went to the local arcade, where we spent rolls of quarters to play games. Or, depending on your age, you may have paid high prices for PC or console video games. Now, as adults, online casinos offer a similar experience. The difference is, you could actually win something back – sometimes even more than you paid to play.
If we look at gambling as another form of entertainment, and manage our money properly, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with losing. So long as you feel you’ve gotten your money’s worth in entertainment value, it’s perfectly reasonable. However, there’s also nothing wrong with maximizing your odds of winning!
Most Profitable Online Casino Games
The best way to accomplish this goal is to seek out the lowest house edge casino games online. Bear in mind, most of them will require some form of strategic game play to achieve that house edge. Choose wisely, based on how much time you wish to invest in learning the right strategies.
Without further ado, here’s a list of the 5 most profitable casino games by house edge. For your convenience, I’ll include where to find the games, and a strategic difficulty rating for each.
#1 All Aces Video Poker
You probably expected to see Blackjack in the #1 position, but that’s not the case. Microgaming’s All Aces Video Poker has a lower house edge than any other online casino game. With the right strategy, it comes in at a measly 0.08% house edge! That’s an expected value, or theoretical return to player (RTP) of 99.92%!
Where to Play:
You’ll find All Aces Video Poker available at all Microgaming-powered online casinos.
Strategic Difficulty: Moderate
A precise strategy must be followed, but there’s no rush since you’re playing online. The moderate difficulty comes from the extensive time it takes to memorize a perfect strategy, or input the value of each hand into a strategy app as you go.
#2 Blackjack, Single Deck
Here it is! Yes, blackjack comes in at #2 on our list of lowest house edge casino games online. The single deck games generally have the lowest house edge, so long as all other rules correspond to the players favor. Microgaming‘s Vegas Single Deck Blackjack has the lowest house edge of any online casino variant I’ve come across (and that’s saying a lot!). With the right strategy, the house edge is just 0.31% (RTP 99.69%)
Where to Play:
Look for Vegas Single Deck Blackjack at all Microgaming-powered online casinos.
Strategic Difficulty: Basic
In a land-based setting, card counting is a viable strategy, and is much more difficult. However, you can’t count cards online, because the deck/shoe is reshuffled after each hand. Thus a basic blackjack strategy chart is all you need.
#3 Jacks or Better Video Poker, 9-6 Full Pay
Jacks or Better is one of the easiest video poker games to play, but you must find one with a pay table that reflects “9-6 Full Pay”. The 9-6 Full Pay refers to the payout for a Full House being 9x, and a Flush being 6x. These games offer a fantastic house edge of 0.46% (RTP 99.54%).
Where to Play:
The best known online casino software suite to offer Jacks or Better with Full Pay is BetSoft. It’s also available in a multi-hand power poker edition, with up to 20 hands per play. Visit any BetSoft-powered casinos to play.
Strategic Difficulty: Moderate
A precise strategy must be followed, but there’s no rush since you’re playing online. The moderate difficulty comes from the extensive time it takes to memorize a perfect strategy, or input the value of each hand into a strategy app as you go.
#4 Spanish 21 (aka Pontoon)
Spanish 21 is another blackjack variant with a few interesting twists. Most notably, there are no 10’s in the shoe (Jacks, Queens and Kings remain). This reduces the player’s odds of landing a natural blackjack by 25%. However, the trade off is more player-friendly rules, like Late Surrender, Double after Split, Player always wins 21, Player Blackjack beats Dealer Blackjack, etc.)
The biggest difference to look for in the rules is whether the dealer stands or hits soft 17. If the dealer stands, the house edge is 0.4%, but that version is incredibly rare. I haven’t come across it at any online casinos. If the dealer hits soft 17, the house edge is 0.76% (RTP 99.24%).
Where to Play:
You can the 0.76% house edge version at most online casinos, including those powered by Microgaming.
Strategic Difficulty: Basic
Like traditional blackjack games, the strategy is pretty basic. Simply look up a Spanish 21 or Pontoon chart, make sure the rules align, and follow it without err.
#5 Baccarat
If your goal is to play a game that involves absolutely no strategy at all, Baccarat is the way to go! Your only decision is whether to bet on the Banker hand, the Player hand, or a Tie. Since you’re looking for the most profitable online casino games, even that decision is made for you. The house edge per bet is:
Banker = 1.06%
Player = 1.24%
Tie = 14.36%
Where to Play:
Baccarat is available at every online casino known to humankind. You can even play the game at Live Casinos, melding the experience of a land-based game with the convenience of desktop and mobile play.
Strategic Difficulty: None!
Based on the above ranking of house edge, it’s pretty obvious which way you should go. Bet on the Banker always, and enjoy!
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