Casinos House Edge in Casino Games: What for?

Many might have heard of the word Casino House edge but I bet very few people really know what it is or how it works in casinos. Well, what is a casino house edge? Many say it is simply the casinos advantage over the player. But comprehensively speaking, a casino house edge is the mathematical advantage that the casino house has over its customers or the players, normally expressed as a percentage of the player’s wager or bet. I bet you thought all online games against the computer, including the casino games, are 100% fair! Well, not all of them. Most casino games, if not all, are designed in that the casino has a higher chance of winning than player does. The main difference is the percentage of the house edge from one casino to another. This may be one of the major reasons why most experienced players, who understand the concept of house edge, prefer some casino gaming platforms (whether the brick and mortar or online) over others.

The casino house edges are majorly designed to the advantage of the casino. I mean, besides offering entertainment, excitement, fun and of course money to its players, the casino also has to make its own profits in order to ensure the smooth running of the casino and its maintenance. The casino edge therefore, is one of the ways of ensuring maximum profits for the casino.

There are two categories of casino edges, the fixed casino edge and the variable casino edges. Fixed casino edge basically does not change from one game to another. It applies to games like roulette where each set of play is totally independent if the next or previous sets of play. In roulette, the numbers on the wheel remains the same for every spin and therefore all the numbers have equal probabilities of being the winning number. As such the advantage remains equal and fixed for every player including the casino.

The variable house edge, on the other hand, changes from time to time and from game to game. It applies to games like Blackjack and Poker where the players’ skills come into play. Each draw of the card from the deck changes the composition of the remaining cards, thus the skills and experience of the player are very important for any player to be able to turn the casino house edge to his or her advantage. In Blackjack for example, the player is able to make hi strategies based on the quality of his cards as well as observing the cards lay on the table. This element makes Blackjack one of the most fair of all the casino games since both the dealer and the player are playing at similar levels with the same odds. From this, a very skillful player can actually shift the advantage (casino edge) from the casino to himself, unlike in games like roulette where games are based on pure luck and the player has no control over where the ball will land during a spin. Whichever way you look at it, casino house edge are designed to benefit the casinos but depending on your skills and prowess in the game you can actually use it to your advantage.