- Best Gambling Odds In Vegas
- Best Odds Of Winning In Vegas
- Best Games To Play In Vegas
- Worst Odds In Vegas
- Best Table Odds In Vegas
- Vegas Games With The Best Odds College Football
You’ve been looking forward to this for months — you’re off to Vegas for what you hope will be a week of winning, good eats and good fun. You’ve been saving your pennies for this trip and throwing them away just isn’t in the cards. So how do you make them go further when you’ve got endless casinos and games that will be more than happy to take them off your hands? How do you find the best odds in Vegas?
Knowing how to bet on football is a key part of the game, and it’s a question that is asked all the time. NFL football is the most popular and the best sport to bet on. There are only 16 games played, which is far fewer than any other sport. With a week between the games, you’ll have plenty of time to gather information and analyze the data. With video poker, it’s not hard to find games where the house advantage is less than 1% in large competitive markets like Las Vegas. But again, it all depends on the game and the pay table. If poker or craps are your cup of tea, it turns out some of the best odds in Vegas are at those games when they’re played properly.
Avoid the slots.
“They’re an awful form of gambling. The odds are terrible,” says Michael Shackleford,
“That’s why 60% of the casino floor is devoted to slots. People like them, but the rate at which you lose money is quite fast.”
He’d know. He’s made a career of analyzing casino games to gauge their value to a player and runs the numbers on new games for casinos and game developers. He has also helped design many of the popular slot machines on the internet. So for the best odds in Vegas, he’s our man.
He launched his site, The Wizard of Odds, more than 20 years ago while working as a government actuary in Baltimore.
“There were no good gambling sites in 1996,” he says. “They were banner farms for internet casinos. I think in one day I made the best gaming site on the internet.”
He’d always enjoyed gambling — and is the first to admit he’ll bet on anything, and it doesn’t have to be in a casino. Case in point: as an American, he often likes to make bets with his dinner companions about whether their waitress will be able to name the capital of Canada.
He knows the odds are in his favour that they can’t.
“I’m good in math and computers, so I have the perfect skills to analyze casino games. I felt it was like my destiny choosing me.”
He quit his government job in 2000 to turn to the site full time and has called Las Vegas home since 2001. His site offers up mathematically correct strategies and information for the best odds in Vegas casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette and hundreds of others that can be played at online casinos.
No surprise, it’s become one of the most recognized authorities in the world for accurate playing strategies.
So do people realize how bad their odds are while playing slots?
For the most part, no, Shackleford says.
“And when you tell them, they just don’t care. They like slots and they don’t care if they lose more. They’re there for the enjoyment. I have been preaching ‘don’t play slots’ for 20 years now and I don’t think I’ve made a single convert.”
Since its inception, the site’s philosophy has been that if you’re going to gamble you should have the best information possible so you can have the best chances of winning — and can minimize your losses if you do lose.
To that end, the good news is that when it comes to the best odds in Vegas, not all slots are created equal. Some ARE better than others.
“If you must play slots, you should play a nice simple slot machine like Cleopatra, Let’s Go Fish’n, Fiesta Chihuahua or Da Vinci Diamonds. Your money will last longer if you stick to a more simple game.”
Where the odds get awful is with big, brand name games like Breaking Bad, Wonder Woman and Sex and the City.
“Those machines are set to pay back about 85%, whereas with the more generic machines, its between 90% and 92%,” says Shackleford, who has taught casino math at the University of Nevada.
“They have huge monitors, seats that vibrate — they’re works of engineering, I give them credit. But ultimately it’s the player that pays for that. With so many people looking for a piece of the pie, it leaves less pie for the player.”
When it comes to the best odds in Vegas, practically everything depends on the game, he says. But lately it also depends on where you are and the amount you’re betting.
“As a rule of thumb, the nicer the casino, the tighter the slots. And the more you’re betting at a time, the better the odds.”
Best Gambling Odds In Vegas
Wherever you choose to play, getting the best odds in Vegas means you can’t believe what you’re telling yourself in the process. You can’t know when a machine is about to hit — no matter what your gut might be saying. Nor are your odds aren’t going to get better the longer you sit there — so by all means, don’t hold off on bathroom breaks.
As it turns out, your odds are the same every time you pull the lever or push the bet button.
“I think 99% of slots players believe that (the longer they play the better their chances). That’s what keeps them at the machine,” Shackleford says.
“It’s called the gamblers fallacy. It’s probably the biggest myth in a game of independent trials that if something hasn’t happened, it’s overdue. The past doesn’t matter and it has no sympathy.”
Ouch.
Want to up your chances of winning? The best odds in vegas are found playing blackjack, video poker or Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Shackleford says on average, the typical blackjack player is going to give back one half of a percent of their original bet.
“It’s what’s called the house advantage and it’s a lot thinner, so your money lasts a long time.”
By comparison, that advantage rises to 5.62% playing roulette.
With video poker, it’s not hard to find games where the house advantage is less than 1% in large competitive markets like Las Vegas. But again, it all depends on the game and the pay table.
If poker or craps are your cup of tea, it turns out some of the best odds in Vegas are at those games when they’re played properly.
![Vegas Games With The Best Odds Vegas Games With The Best Odds](https://www.bestuscasinos.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Slots-Actually-Offer-Some-of-the-Best-Odds-in-Vegas.jpg)
The problem?
“Most people play terribly,” Shackleford says. “Gut feelings? They don’t help you. I don’t believe in premonitions. Bet on whatever number you want to, but they’re not going to help you.”
If you’re not interested in the best odds in Vegas and are in a hurry to burn through your money, video Keno is where it’s at.
“They’re the worst. With these machines you can bet so quickly. At least with a table game a human being has certain steps to go through (so it slows things down),” he says.
While the return of video Keno is about 90%, compared to about 70% in live Keno, the rate of play is much faster in video Keno and the losses per hour are probably greater, depending on the exact speed and amount bet per game.
Despite the bad odds people are up against, ultimately, Shackleford thinks people get addicted to the adrenaline of it all or they’re there to escape the real world for a little while. They get drawn into the machine and don’t want to be bothered.
Moderation is key, he notes, but there’s no magic system to determine when to call it a day — or improve your odds, for that matter.
“But when it’s no longer fun, that’s a good time to walk away.”
Many people will be visiting a casino this summer, whether on a trip to Vegas, on a cruise ship, or just at a local casino during a 'staycation.'
But before you go, you may want to know which games give you the best chance of winning.
So we went behind the scene at two casinos, and spoke with the game managers, to find out which games give you an edge.
Table Games Your Best Bet
Jay Bean, a Caesar's floor manager, agreed to sit down with us and talk about the games with the best odds.
He said many people don't realize that table games have much better odds than slots. They are intimidated by thoughts of card sharks taking their money, with images of an intense Texas Hold 'Em tournament in their minds, and so they stick with the safe games: the slots.
Best Odds Of Winning In Vegas
But they are doing themselves a disservice, he said.
Bean's advice? After you've spent some time on the slot machines, move on to the Blackjack table, and start by just observing.
1. Blackjack
Blackjack has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1 percent in most casinos, Bean said.
Plus, you are playing against only the dealer, not hooded poker champions.
Best Games To Play In Vegas
'Blackjack is one of our easiest games to play,' Bean said. 'You're just looking for a number that beats the dealer's number without going over 21.'
If you're a novice, Bean said to sit down during a less busy time, such as the afternoon, and the dealer will walk you through the game.
But the same is not true with poker: You should practice the game with your friends first, at home, Bean said, until you are comfortable with it. Bean said novices are best off passing on the poker tables, where yes, the competition can be tough.
You can find out more information about the game of blackjack at the following link:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/
http://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/
2. Craps
So from the Blackjack table, he suggests moving on to the dice game Craps, the game with the second best odds, also nearly 50-50.
The Craps table can be a bit intimidating for the beginner with all the boxes on the table, Bean admitted. But it's really not tough, and it has one of your best chances of winning. In the end, all you are really doing is betting on a dice roll.
For more information on craps, visit:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/
http://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/
3. Roulette
Bean said your next stop should be the Roulette wheel. It's simple, and pays fairly well.
'So you bet on your favorite numbers,' Bean said. 'The dealer spins, and if your number comes in you win.'
If you stick to betting on just Reds or Blacks, you have nearly a 50-50 chance of walking away a winner. If it lands on red when you choose red, you will double your bet, Bean explained.
While it may seem you have an even chance of winning by simply choosing a color, there is one catch that gives the house its edge: the extra green 0 and 00 position on the wheel. It's on all American roulette wheels.
Or, if you feel lucky, play just one number. It's hard to win, but if you do it pays out 36 to 1.
For more information on roulette, visit:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/roulette/
http://wizardofodds.com/games/roulette/
Worst Odds
Your worst odds? The casinos, understandably, did not want to talk about games with poor odds.
So we turned to Forbes Magazine, which in a report about Best Bets at the Casino, said two popular games -- the Wheel of Fortune and the ever-popular slot machines -- have the lowest odds of winning, with a house edge of 10 percent or more.
New bonus codes. The Experts Agree
Professor of Analytics Michael Magazine has crunched the numbers, and agreed that blackjack is the best way to go home with money in your pockets. He said if you take a little time to learn the game, you have the best odds of winning.
'You are somewhere between 44 percent to 48 percent in every single hand of winning,' he said, noting that no other casino game gives you odds that good.
But Magazine cautioned that he's not promoting gambling, because he said even games with the best odds still favor the house.
Worst Odds In Vegas
'Play it long enough and you will lose. In the long term the house doesn't lose,' Magazine said.
Best Table Odds In Vegas
If You Love The Slots..
Finally, if you really enjoy playing the slots, here is some good information to know, from state casino reports we examined.
With slots, the more money you put in per bet, the higher your chance of winning. If you put the max in a penny machine, which is usually around 50 cents, you have much better odds than if you put in 2 cents.
In addition, penny slots have the lowest odds, with $1 and $5 slots paying much better.
Vegas Games With The Best Odds College Football
Always gamble responsibly, and don't waste your money.
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You can learn more about specific odds of slots machines in each state that has casino gambling by visiting the American Casino Guide.
Don't Waste Your Money is a registered trademark of the EW Scripps Co.
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