Best Games To Play At Casino To Win
Everyone walks onto the casino floor or logs into their account with the same thought: how do I walk away with more money than I started with? While the house always has a mathematical edge, that edge isn't created equal across every game. Some games are designed to take your money fast with flashing lights and noise; others give you a legitimate fighting chance through strategy and favorable odds. If your goal is to preserve your bankroll and actually score a win, you need to ignore the bells and whistles and focus on the numbers. Here is where you should be putting your chips.
Blackjack: The King of Player Odds
If you are looking for the statistically best game in the building, blackjack is the undisputed champion. The house edge in a standard game hovers around 0.5% when you apply basic strategy—which is essentially a chart telling you the mathematically correct decision for every possible hand combination. Unlike slots or roulette, your decisions directly impact the outcome. A bad player can raise the house edge significantly, but a disciplined player keeps it razor-thin.
At operators like BetMGM or Caesars Palace Online Casino, you will often find Return to Player (RTP) percentages for their digital blackjack games listed right in the rules—often exceeding 99.5%. For US players, this is your safest bet. The key is sticking to tables with 3:2 payouts for a natural blackjack. Avoid tables paying 6:5 at all costs; that minor rule change nearly triples the house edge.
Video Poker: The Hidden Gem
Often overlooked in favor of slots, video poker is actually one of the best games to play at casino to win money consistently. Games like "Jacks or Better" or "Deuces Wild" offer tangible odds. A full-pay "Jacks or Better" machine, for instance, has an RTP of 99.54%. This means for every $100 you wager, the mathematical expectation is a return of $99.54 over the long run—far better than the 90-95% you see on most slot machines.
The catch is that you must play perfectly. You have to know which cards to hold and which to discard. Casinos like DraftKings and FanDuel Casino feature multi-hand variants where you can play up to 100 hands at once, increasing the volatility but allowing you to capitalize on a hot streak. If you enjoy the solitude of slots but want the agency of a card game, video poker is the middle ground you have been missing.
European Roulette vs. American Roulette
Not all roulette wheels are created equal, and knowing the difference is the simplest way to improve your odds. The American roulette wheel features a double zero (00) alongside the single zero (0). This nearly doubles the house edge to 5.26%. The European wheel, however, has only the single zero, bringing the house edge down to a much more palatable 2.7%.
If you are playing at a US casino online like BetRivers or Borgata, check the table game variants. Many top-tier sites now offer European or even French Roulette rules (which offer "La Partage," returning half your even-money bet if the ball lands on zero). This cuts the house edge further to just 1.35% on even-money bets like red/black or odd/even. That is a massive difference over the course of an evening.
Baccarat: Low Effort, Low House Edge
For players who want great odds without learning a complex strategy, baccarat is the answer. It is the preferred game of high rollers for a reason. You simply bet on the "Player," the "Banker," or a "Tie." The Banker bet has a house edge of just 1.06%, making it statistically safer than most bets in the casino. The Player bet isn't far behind at 1.24%.
The only real strategy here is to avoid the Tie bet like the plague—it carries a massive house edge often exceeding 14%. The game plays itself; you just place the wager. It is perfect for mobile play on apps like FanDuel Casino where you want to relax but still want the mathematical advantage of a high-RTP game.
Craps: The Best Bets on the Board
Craps looks intimidating with its complex table layout and shouting players, but the core math is incredibly player-friendly if you stick to the basics. The "Pass Line" and "Don't Pass Line" bets are where the value lies. The Pass Line has a house edge of 1.41%, while the Don't Pass Line is slightly better at 1.36%.
Where craps really shines is the "Odds Bet." Once a point is established, you can back your Pass Line bet with additional money at true odds—meaning zero house edge. No other game in the casino allows you to make a bet where the casino has no advantage. It is the only "free lunch" in gambling. Look for tables (or digital versions at sites like DraftKings) that allow high Odds multipliers (3x, 4x, 5x) to dilute the overall house edge on your total action.
Games to Avoid If You Want to Win
If your primary goal is profit, some games should be skipped entirely. Slot machines, while entertaining, generally have house edges between 3% and 10%. While high-limit slots may pay better, the speed of play means you lose money faster than at a table game. The "Big Six" wheel (Money Wheel) is another drain on the wallet, often holding edges over 15%. Keno is perhaps the worst offender in most casinos, with house edges sometimes soaring above 25%. Stick to the table games and video poker where decisions matter.
| Casino | Game | House Edge | Min Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | Blackjack | ~0.5% | $1 - $5 |
| DraftKings | Video Poker (Jacks or Better) | ~0.46% | $0.25 |
| FanDuel | European Roulette | 2.7% | $1 |
| Caesars Palace | Baccarat (Banker) | 1.06% | $5 |