Best Odds, Worst Odds
Most everyone, from the total beginner on up to the professional, knows that casinos are an entertainment business that makes money off of its players. How are new billion dollar resorts built? From the combined defecit of the players. Every casino game has an inherent advantage for the casino known as the "house edge." This percentage represents how much the casino expects to make from every betting unit wagered. For example, the house edge in double zero roulette is 5.6 percent. So, for every 100 credits wagered, you can expect to lose 5.60. This may not seem like a lot, but several important factors must also be considered.

Let's say you're playing blackjack at 25 credits a hand, and the table is averaging 60 hands played per hour. Multiply 25 times 60 hands and you are playing through 1,500 credits an hour. Let's say you play for four hours. That means that you play through about 6,000 of which the casino expects to grab 0.8 percent - if you're playing perfect basic strategy. This amounts to a loss of only 48 credits - which isn't that bad - making Blackjack one of the better options for players. Consider how much the house would expect to gain by your playing Roulette for the same amount of time. Roulette is a slightly slower paced game, with maybe a round every couple minutes or so, and not many players are quite avid enough to spend four hours at a table. But, for arguments sake, we will examine that at a rate of 30 rounds per hour with a flat bet of 25 credits, playing for four hours, an online casino would expect to make 157.80 from your play. Again you might say, well that's not an overly exaggerated amount to expect to lose during a session at a casino, but keep in mind that it's playing over time that makes it add up. Twenty such sessions a year would set you back 3,156 credits and multiply that by the number of years you plan to play, and you'll see that it really does add up.

Great Expectations
Some people gamble at a casino for the fun and excitement that this unique form of entertainment delivers. That is perfectly fine, as gambling can be a very enjoyable hobby. This type of player doesn't mind parting with a small chunk of change because they can rationalize the experience in saying it was the price paid for a little fun. This is perfectly fine if that person is an occasional player, or if they hadn't ever really planned to devote the time to studying the games or taking steps to ensure you actually win money during sessions. However, the truth is that most players prefer to win, and there are proven ways to dramatically reduce your chances of losing - namely by not playing games with bad odds - like keno. Keno carries one of the highest house advantages of all games, weighing in at a hefty 25%. This is actually as good as the odds get for keno, with the odds varying from casino to casino. Next time you're at a casino, stop by the keno lounge simply to observe. Chances are you'll find a lot of tourists and other people who really don't look like they know how to play any real games, perhaps there for the comfy chairs, lottery-like appeal, and relaxing pace of the game. This is about all the game offers, so please don't waste any money on it.

Looking at the game chart (above and to the right), you'll notice that Craps, Blackjack, and Baccarat offer the smallest house advantage. These are the games you should focus on. Coincidentally, Craps and Blackjack are two of the most fun games to play (at least in my opinion), and this makes their study feel less like actual study and more like fun. If you already know a thing or two about blackjack, then you probably know that it is one of the only games where a skilled player can not only eliminate the house edge, but go a step further by creating a player's edge. How is this possible? Learning basic strategy to perfection is the first step. Next is becoming a knowledgeable and accurate card counter. Lastly, adjusting bets and hand decisions based on the count while masking your expertise to the dealer, pit personnel, and preferably other players. Unless you are already a natural genius at math, this will likely take hundreds of hours of practice. Few ever make it to the level of professional blackjack player. If you are able to someday acquire this elite status, you can expect to have an edge over the house at somewhere between 0.5 and 2 percent. Again, you might say this doesn't seem like a lot. It's time my friend, time that makes things add up. A professional player can expect to make in the neighborhood of 30 units per hour playing blackjack, depending on betting level. This is a lot more than minimum wage, but it is not a salary by which millionaires are made either.

This is just an example of one way to make smart play work for you. Instead of giving up a big advantage to the house playing a game like keno, try learning basic Blackjack or Craps strategy and you'll likely notice a decrease in your losses and an increase in your winnings right off the bat. Focusing on low house edge games like online blackjack, craps, etc is the smartest play when it comes to online casino gambling.