Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The House Edge
The house edge is the advantage that the casino has over the player. In
the chart below, the “bet” is used in games where the variables change
and the person betting has a choice. For example, in Baccarat, you can bet
on either the player or the banker, and the odds, or house edge, are dif-
ferent for each. The house advantage also changes in blackjack, according
to the number of decks involved in the game.
Game
Bet
House Edge
Baccarat
Banker
1.06%
Baccarat
Player
1.24%
Blackjack
Single Deck
0%
Blackjack
Double Deck
.3%
Blackjack
Eight Decks
.6%
Caribbean Stud
5.3%
Craps
Pass/Don'tPass
1.4%
Craps
Don't Pass/Don't Come
1.4%
Keno
25%-30%
Let it Ride
3.51%
Pai Gow
2.5%
Roulette (single zero)
2.7%
Roulette (double zero)
5.26%
Slots
4.5%-9%
Video poker
-.77% to 5%
Wheel of Fortune. That cord is attached to a slot club card, which is stuck in the
slot machine or video poker machine to track how much money the player is
spending. Many casinos will also give credit to the cardholder when they play
table games, by recording the amount of time played and the average bet.
The slot club is a way of rewarding visitors for gambling on their property. The
cards are based on a point system, which varies by property, that measures the
amount of money you cycle through slot and video poker machines (note, it's the
amount of money you gamble, not the amount of money you win or lose). Once
a player has spent a certain amount of money gambling they start getting comps.
Lower-level comps include free buffets and coffee shop meals, and some places
allow players to trade their points for cash. The more you gamble, the more
comps you'll receive—free rooms, show tickets, and even airfare are common
incentives. The casinos offer different deals that double, triple, or some will even
go up to five times the usual number of points if you play there at a particular
time (see
www.lasvegasadvisor.com/greatdeals-slotpromotions.cfm
for which slot
clubs have the best promotions). That way, the casino keeps you coming back,
and you receive a token of their appreciation for spending your money there. The
slot clubs are what keep some of the professional gamblers going; because they use
