There are hundreds of different ways to wager your money in a casino.
The odds of success for various wagers vary. Some are equivalent. We get that only some enjoy the same types of entertainment. However, nearly everyone we know would like to increase their financial standing. Avoiding casino’s worst bets is the primary strategy for achieving this goal. Here is a list of bad casino bets that you should never make.
All kinds of bets on an American roulette wheel
Wheels used in the United States of America feature both a double zero and a single zero slot.
Neither the French nor the European roulette wheel layouts feature a double zero. As for the house edge, it sits at 5.26 percent on American roulette wheels. Compared to these wheels, the others only have a 2.7% advantage.
Betting on black in roulette carries the same house edge as betting on any of the other colors, any of the columns, any single number, any pair of numbers, or any odd number.
If you are betting $100 every spin and losing $5.26 on average, you’re losing $5.26 and giving away over $200 every hour if you play at a rate of 40 spins per hour.
If you ever feel the urge to gamble but are only presented with an American roulette wheel, pass it up and look elsewhere.
A casino employee should be able to tell you where you may find either a European or French wheel.
Craps hard way bets
In craps, a hard-way bet is a wager placed on the roll’s outcome that includes two doubles. Hard-way wagers can be made on 4, 6, 8, or 10 as the final tally.
If both dice show 2, your “hard way” wager on “4” is a winner. For a challenging way to roll a 6, both dice must show a 3. The only way to win a hard way eight bets is to roll a pair of 4s, and the only way to win a hard way ten bets is to roll a pair of 5.
Bets on the 6 and 8 hard ways have a house edge of over 9%, while bets on the 4 and 10 hard ways have an edge of over 11%.
Baccarat tie bet
Do not allow the bigger possible payout of the tie bet to deceive you; the house edge on the other two wagers on the baccarat layout is alright. When betting on a tie in baccarat, the house has an average edge of almost 14%.
The difference between this bet and the other two is over 13%.
Casino war tie
Casino war’s tie bet is a worse proposition than baccarat’s. The house edge in a game of war tie is greater than 18.5%. Regularly, only keno has lower payouts than other games.
The good news is that you may play keno for as little as a dollar per draw, and the bad news is that the drawings only happen a few times an hour. Casino war is played significantly faster and with a bigger minimum stake than regular war. You are losing (on average) more money than you would if you played keno instead.
Blackjack insurance
Although insurance may appear prudent, it is a sucker’s bet unless you know how to count cards. In most cases, you will lose money even if you count cards.
A side bet known as “insurance” is placed on whether or not the dealer is displaying a ten-value card. Nothing you or anyone else has done has anything to do with it.
When the dealer’s down card is a 10, you win two to one on your bet. Although appealing on the surface, this is a risky proposition.
The deck contains 13 unique card values, from 2 to ace. Only four of these cards have a value of 10, while the other nine do not.
The odds of the down card being a ten-value card must be 2 to 1 for a wager with a 2 to 1 payoff to be a break-even bet. Nine to four is only two and a quarter to one.
Bets on video poker games that are less than the max
The standard betting range for video poker games is between one and five coins every hand. The payout tables itemize the various coin values and the corresponding payouts.
Despite the low frequency with which the maximum payout is won, the lower house edge that results from, the larger sum won when it is won is worth it. If you are not betting maximum coins, you are giving the casino an unfair edge.
Assuming you are playing Jacks or Better with the maximum number of coins, the house edge is as low as 0.09%. The return to player percentage increases by 1.24% when playing with maximum coins.
Always avoid betting on any game you do not understand
In all likelihood, this is the worst gamble on the table. Casinos are constantly releasing brand-new games in search of the next big thing in the gambling industry.
The problem with trying a new game at a casino is that you need to know the optimal technique to play it to minimize the house edge, and you have no way of knowing how large that edge is.
The gap between winning and losing when using an optimal strategy and not using an optimal approach when playing blackjack might be as high as 2-3%. While this may not seem like much individually, it can add up fast.
Make sure you are familiar with the regulations of any game you decide to try before placing the minimal bet.
Once you figure out the optimal way to play and the house’s edge, try new games. The slots are unique. There is no need to hang around if slot machines are more your speed. You may never find out the house’s edge, and most strategies will not help you beat the house. Do not hesitate to dive into a new slot machine when the urge strikes.
Conclusion
Any of the seven bets described above should be avoided in casinos at all costs. Regardless of which casino you are playing, even if casinoreviewers rated it. Your money will be gone too quickly, and you will not have a good shot at winning with any of them.
Games like blackjack allow you to walk away a winner between 25% and 50% of the time. Even though you will end up on the losing end of things in the end, it is wonderful to depart sometimes. Hard-way craps bets, baccarat bets, and war tie bets rarely result in a push.
