June 26, 2023 by

The Best Casino Bets Maximize Fun

People love to play casino games either at an online casino or at a land-based casino.  Good time and money management are of great importance to making the gaming fun.  In terms of maximizing fun while reducing financial risk, making smart bets is crucial.  The best casino bets also increase gamers’ chances of winning.

Casino Gaming is a Tradeoff

Here at Slots Play Casinos we recognize that there are tradeoffs in casino gaming.  While everyone wants to win a big progressive jackpot, the odds of winning a million-dollar jackpot are not high.  But playing for that possibility is fun!

Similarly, while making only even-money bets in roulette may be financially sound, it could get boring which would reduce the fun side of gaming.

Seek Balance between Risk and Fun

So, all casino gamers should seek a balance as they look for which casino game has the best odds of winning.

Some gamers prefer the convenience of online casinos while others enjoy the atmosphere that obtains at land-based casinos.

Let’s see which are the best bets in online and land-based casinos.  We hope to provide valuable insights that will help you make informed decisions. In addition, we will talk about the healthy nature of small wagers and why some bets should be avoided altogether.

Classic “Best Bets” in Online and Land-based Casinos

Blackjack may be the oldest of all casino games.  Blackjack is a quintessential game of skill that offers a return to player rate of about 99.5% if the player uses the best strategy on every hand.

Online casinos offer more variations of blackjack because online casinos do not have space restrictions that land-based casinos have.  Each variation of blackjack has its own best strategy so gamers should use the casino’s free play mode to get the hang of a blackjack variation before placing a bet on the outcomes.

Online Blackjack is Often a “Better Bet”

In order to increase their profits from blackjack, many land-based casinos have reduced the payout for a blackjack to 6-5 instead of 3-2.  All of the casinos we have reviewed here at Slots Play Casinos pay 3-2 for a blackjack in all variations except Face Up 21 which is a variation in which the gamer sees both of the dealer’s cards!

The difference between 6-5 and 3-2 blackjack may seem small but 6-5 blackjack makes it functionally impossible for a player to have a winning session!

So, the best casino bet in blackjack is to play the game at an online casino!

Video Poker is a New Casino Game with an Interesting Best Bet

Video poker is a clear child of the digital era.  It is played at a terminal at land-based casinos and, as are all games at online casinos, video poker is totally digital.

Even though the random number generator determines all outcomes in video poker, the return to player rate cannot be calibrated to return less money to gamers as the RNG can be calibrated in slots.  This is because video poker is played with a single deck of cards.

Video Poker Strategy Involves Going for Higher Hands that Pay More

The best hand in video poker is a Royal Flush.  Here is where the “interesting best bet” comes in.

The best bet in video poker is to bet the maximum because there is a big extra payment for a Royal Flush.

Go for a Big Hand Even if You Have a Small Hand

Sometimes the best bet on a given hand is to break apart a wining pair in order to pursue a much better hand.  Four cards to a straight flush or a Royal Flush are prime examples.

If you have four to a straight flush or a Royal Flush and you also have a high pair, you can win the game by holding onto the winning pair.  But that takes away your chance to get a much higher paying hand.  So, the best strategy in this hand is to break apart the high pair and go for the better hand.

What if I Don’t Get the Better Hand?

In this case, there are still many possibilities of getting a hand that wins!  You can re-pair a high card and you can get a simple flush or a simple straight.

Online Video Poker is Often a “Better Bet”

Land-based casinos have a trick up their sleeves to maximize their profits in video poker where the return to player rate with best strategy on every hand is about 99.5%.

The trick involves paying 8 coins for a full house and 5 coins for a flush.  All of the casinos we have reviewed and recommended here at Slots Play Casinos pay 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush.

The two types of pay tables are called 9-6 which is de rigueur at online casinos and 8-5 which is fast becoming common at land-based casinos.

So, the best bet in video poker may very well be to play at an online casino!

Baccarat

Baccarat is a straightforward card game that carries an aura of elegance owing in large part to the James Bond movies of the 1960’s.  Baccarat is known for its low house edge. The two primary bets in baccarat are Player and Banker which offer very similar return to player rate.  There is also a tie bet that no one recommends!

Statistical analysis reveals that the Banker bet has a slightly lower house edge.

Craps and Roulette

We are putting craps and roulette together because they have a large number of available bets that often confuse new players.  For beginners, the best bets in these games are the even money bets in roulette and the pass/ don’t pass bets in craps.

It is important to note that there aren’t any pure even money bets in roulette because of the 0 and 00 wheel slots.  However, European Roulette has a house edge that is half the house edge in American Roulette since European Roulette only has only a 0 and not a 00 wheel slot.

There are three even money bets in roulette: even/odd; black/red; first 18 numbers/second 18 numbers.  if you stay with these bets, you will win a little at the end of a session or lose a little and you will have a lot of fun doing so.

Craps is an exciting dice game that offers bets with favorable odds. The Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line bets are among the best bets in the game, with a house edge of around 1.4%. Additionally, the odds bet, which can be placed after a point is established, has no house edge at all. We recommend that you pass up on the complex proposition bets in craps, because they carry a high house edge.

Slots

Slots are the most popular game at any casino!  The best bet in slots is the bet that stays withing your financial means and gives you the chance to finish a session close to even with the house.

You need to understand the idea of volatility in slots.  Volatility is independent of the return to player rate in that slot.  High volatility means fewer winning spins that pay out relatively high amounts.  Low volatility means many winning spins that carry relatively low payouts.

The return to player rate may be the same in a slot with high volatility and a slot with low volatility.  In the slot with low volatility, many more gamers will share in the return to player rate!

Finally, land-based casinos can have slots calibrated to have a low return to player rate and many do to increase profits so they can meet their massive operating bills.

Are There Any Bets to Avoid?

Basically, the bets to avoid are bets that you cannot afford to lose.  Side bets are also statistically not very good bets.  Insurance in blackjack is a poor bet.

Any bet that is based on the Gambler’s Fallacy is a poor bet.  The fallacy is that a certain outcome is due.  In any game at the casino, is independent of all previous bets except for bets in blackjack if you are counting cards.

Finally, bets based on betting systems such as the Martingale are very poor bets since eventually you have a losing streak of just a few spins or hands and the bet you need to make to win a small sum becomes astronomical.

The Healthy Nature of Small Wagers

Making small wagers on the outcomes of casino games can be a healthy and responsible approach to gambling. Small bets allow players to enjoy the thrill of the game without risking significant amounts of money. They provide an entertaining experience while maintaining control over one’s bankroll.

Making small bets turns gambling into gaming and gaming at the casino or at one’s dining room table with family or friends is fun!  Gaming then becomes a form of entertainment.

Slots Play Casinos serves the online casino gaming public.  While we also review land-based casinos, our main audience is online casino gamers.

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Laurie Renfield has been part of the casino scene for both print and virtual media outlets for over two decades. Renfield's research focuses on both land-based casino entertainment and online casino gambling. She is dedicated to making sure that, regardless of where a player decides to compete, they'll achieve the best gambling experience and the most satisfying rewards.

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