How To Choose A Casino Game
Statistically, in Canada gaming and gambling are very popular activities. Not only do Canadians enjoy playing at the best Canadian online Casinos and Bingo websites, but they also frequently buy lottery tickets and place bets on sports games and horseraces. The graph below looks at data from a study on Internet Gaming in Canada by the Canadian Gaming Association and shows the percentage of the population who participate in different gambling activities.
A study by the Canadian Gaming Association shows that the main motivation for gambling is enjoyment, whilst only a quarter gamble in order to win money.
The majority of Canadians gamble responsibly, either taking advantage of free games or Bonus offers, or by carefully managing their budget. Over 75% will always set a limit on how much they are willing to spend at a Casino, and will stop gambling after that money has been spent.
It is important to remember that gambling should first and foremost be an enjoyable activity, whether playing for money or not. With this in mind it is much easier to appreciate the entertainment value of an online casino and consider any winnings an exciting extra. Section 2 of the Guide goes into more detail about the benefits of playing for fun at an online casino.
There are various types of Casino Games:
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Card Games
- Blackjack: Blackjack is among the most popular casino games in the world, both online and offline. It’s often also called Twenty-One, a reference to the hand total that every player is trying to reach. The game is actually thought to have developed from a French game called Ving-et-Un, which means Twenty-One. Over the years many different variations of the game have arisen, but the same basic rules apply to them all and the aim is always a hand total or 21. Players will enjoy discovering the nuanced versions that are available at the casinos that we recommend, and finding their favourites.
- Video Poker: Video Poker is one of the newest casino games around, having been created in the 1970s when central processing units could produce the colours and graphics for the games. Since everything takes place on a screen, the games translated perfectly to online and mobile casinos where all games are shown on the graphic displays of whatever device is being used. Video Poker combines the immediate thrills of Slots games with the cerebral pleasures of traditional Poker games, and many players start their card playing careers off by getting familiar with Video Poker basics. With several variations, there’s something for everyone.
- Baccarat: The simple elegance of Baccarat makes the game a must for every player. It was first played in the noble houses of Italy and then France, and although it is much less exclusive today the game is as sophisticated as it ever was. The cards being dealt in Baccarat are down to chance, as is the case in Video Poker, Poker and Blackjack, but unlike in these games there is nothing that can be done in response to the hands that are dealt. Strategy in Baccarat is completely down to placing shrewd bets, and smart players can do very well.
- Blackjack: Blackjack is among the most popular casino games in the world, both online and offline. It’s often also called Twenty-One, a reference to the hand total that every player is trying to reach. The game is actually thought to have developed from a French game called Ving-et-Un, which means Twenty-One. Over the years many different variations of the game have arisen, but the same basic rules apply to them all and the aim is always a hand total or 21. Players will enjoy discovering the nuanced versions that are available at the casinos that we recommend, and finding their favourites.
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Roulette
Roulette is one of the great classic casino games. It’s based on betting where a ball dropped on a spinning wheel will land when the wheel comes to rest, so it’s another game that is determined completely by chance. Once again, all the strategy of the game comes in with the wagers that are placed.
Over the years a few different variations of Roulette have arisen, the most common being French, European and American. The rules for each of these differ very slightly, but this can have a huge impact on each game’s outcome, as the American version house edge is nearly double that of its European and French counterparts.
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Live Casino Games
For the ultimate in authentic experiences when playing online, many games can be played with Live Dealers. Trained croupiers manage the games using real-life casino equipment, and all the action is streamed directly to the player’s device. As long as the Internet connection is robust enough to support a video feed well, the action flows seamlessly and the atmosphere of a brick-and-mortar casino is beautifully recreated.
The most commonly found Live Dealer games are Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette, but there are several others to be found. The pace is different to non-live games, and they complement each other well.
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Slots Games
Slot machines require players to spin a series of reels in order to line up certain letters/icons/bonuses on the screen. They are intrinsically entertaining and players will find a huge range of styles and themes to suit any mood; from 3-Reel to 5-Reel Slots, classic fruit images to blockbuster movies, and some featuring incredible 3-D animations, Slots really are crowd-pleasers.
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Dice Games
Dice games are most likely the oldest form of gambling still in existence today. They are almost entirely based on chance and, as such, rarely require any skills. A player's chances at a dice game can, however, be improved by fully understanding the betting rules and optimising strategies in this respect. Craps is the most common Dice game found at Casinos and can bring much enjoyment to all level of player.
- Craps: This game is probably the most popular dice game in existence. The origins of Craps can be traced back to 18th century England when the game was still known as Hazard. So popular was this game that French nobles upon their arrival in the New World took it straight to their colony of choice – New Orleans. As was the case with many casino games that were brought over to the US all those years ago, the rate at which it spread was phenomenal and in no time, Craps was hot property at all the gambling hotspots of the day – Mississippi steamboats for one – eventually finding itself where it still resides today – the floors of Vegas and Atlantic City. The craps table might seem like a complex one with all its various bets and lines which is why we recommend that when you try out online craps, and that you do so in practice play mode first.
- Tripps: The lesser-known dice game, especially in the world of online casino games. Its origins are uncertain although some claim that the game was developed as a way to fill the gap during which nefarious activities were taking place – possibly when thugs and bootleggers were waiting on a shipment of liquor during prohibition. Tripps works with 5 dice pieces and while all sides of the dice are taken at face value – 3 is not. The aim of this game is to get the lowest score, hence the reason why five 3’s is the lowest score possible. An automatic win is also achieved when a player lands a total of five 6’s.
- Cee-Lo: Joining Tripps in that it’s not really big in the exciting world of digital, mobile and online gambling. It does however warrant being mentioned for a few reasons. Firstly, this game is popular, so much so in fact that Thomas Calloway, AKA Ceelo Green, took his stage name from this dice game. The origin of this game goes all the way back to ancient China. Today Cee-lo is available in a number of variations and always operates with 3 dice pieces. The best possible outcome when rolling the dice is a 4, 5, 6 combination, also known as a Cee-lo.
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Sic Bo: Traces its origins all the way back to ancient China and while the name itself implies two or a pair, this game is played with three dice pieces. In terms of availability, Sic Bo is available at many online casinos, including the ones you’ll find through us. This game has true international appeal as it can be found in the Philippines and Macau – the East’s answer to Las Vegas. This game comes with an interesting betting layout because it closely resembles that of Roulette and even offers similar bets like odds/evens. Bets are placed on triple digit outcomes.
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Bunco: This game is quite popular on the online/mobile casino scene and goes by the name Bunko and Bonko too. Once again origins to back to the original empire – Britain – back to the 19th century where the game was known as Eight Dice Cloth. Apparently, it was introduced to the United States by a professional gambler who travelled from the East Cost to the West Coast during the Gold Rush, stopping where required and letting people in on the game. It gained tremendous popularity with female players and this is still the case today. The game uses three deice pieces along with a score sheet for the recording of scores.
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What is the House Edge?
Definition
The House Edge is the percentage of each bet that the Casino, or the house, expects to keep for itself. To put it simply:
The House Edge is the difference between the true odds and the odds that the casino pays you when you win.
Commercial casinos set this limit themselves, so that even though they pay winners out, they come out on top over time. This means that the casino or house has the advantage. This means that the house is assured a percentage return over time, and that players are assured a percentage loss of what they bet.
A coin flip example:
When you flip a coin, the probability of it landing on Heads or Tails is 50%. True odds for this would be 1-1, meaning a bet of $1 could win you $1 profit. However, if the Casino decided to pay 95 for a winning $1 bet, this gives them a House Edge of 2.5%.
You could also consider a similar analogy in simply throwing a single dice:
The probability of calling the correct number is 1 in 6 (or 16.7%). This would give true odds of 5-1, so a winning bet should pay 5 times the amount wagered. However, a Casino in this situation might only pay 4 times the bet giving them a House Edge of 16.7%.
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Why is there a House Edge?
Odds are always calculated to benefit the house, not the player. Like any other business a Casino is looking to turn a profit, and their method of doing so is by building an advantage into the game. For certain options that require technique, the House Edge is not built in to the same extent, and if a skilled player delivers a perfect game, the house’s advantage approaches zero.
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Definition Versus Misconception
It is important to remember that the House Edge is the ratio of the average loss to the initial bet. It is not the ratio of the money lost to the total amount wagered. The main reason that it is defined in this way is to make it easier for players to estimate how much they will lose. Working with the initial bet amount helps you to apply and consider the advantage/disadvantage ratio in every situation. For example, if you were playing a game like Blackjack or Poker then you would be likely to raise your bet and thus be unable to predict how much your average wager will be.
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Understanding and Measuring Risks
Although it is useful in working out how much a game is likely to cost you, it is not accurate as a measure of risk for all games. For example, in Caribbean Stud Poker the House Edge is given as about 5.2% - roughly the same as Roulette. However, if you were to look at the ratio of the average money lost to the average money wagered then the risk could be understood as 2.56%, making it a far safer bet than Roulette.
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How to Use the House Edge to Your Advantage
The House Edge is, for the most part, the casino being open and honest about the built-in profit they expect to make from each bet, over the long term. This transparency is a good thing for players, as it forces online casinos to remain competitive, as they don’t want you wandering off to another site. It allows you to make an informed decision when choosing where to sign up, and in selecting games, as a quick comparison might prevent you from opting for a game with a sizeable disadvantage.
Practising and improving your technique at games that require a lot of skill can help you to narrow the House Edge. This specifically applies to options like Blackjack and Poker, when a strong strategy can reduce it to virtually nothing.
House Edge in Traditional Casino Games
Looking at specific games, the House Edge can vary greatly.
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Blackjack defies the House Edge
Blackjack is not simply a game of chance as with Roulette. The odds are calculated to consider the fact that they are fluctuating all the time as the advantage switches hands between the Casino and the player, and with each deal the odds for the remaining cards also changes. This is why players that can count cards accurately often win a lot of money.
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Roulette has a built-in advantage
A Roulette wheel features numbers from 1 to 36, and as such the casino pays out 35-1 odds. However, these odds are given without taking in to account that there are 37 possible outcomes on a single 0 table, and 38 possible outcomes on a 00 table. True odds should be 36-1 or 37-1, thus the Casino has an edge of 2.7% or 5.36% respectively.
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House Edge in Popular Games
To maximise winning potential players need to learn to manage the casinos advantage according to what they are enjoying. Here is a list of some of the most popular casino games, and the House Edge you can expect to be faced with (assuming the game is played properly).
Understanding How Casino Odds Work
If you’re new to the world of online casinos then you probably don’t know much about betting odds. Although an assortment of numbers and calculations can be tricky to get your head around at first, once you understand the basics you’ll soon find them a help, not a hindrance. Once you know how odds work and how they affect the games you play you’ll have a better insight into online gambling, and your chances of success will be greater. The more you know about a game, the better your chances are of placing a winning bet, and this is especially true in games that require skill and strategy, such as Blackjack.
Definition
Simply put, odds reflect the probability of a certain outcome. All possible outcomes in any event will add up to 1, or 100%. Odds refer to the ratio of money that could be won to the money that is bet.
EXAMPLE: If the odds are 2-1, for every $1 you bet you could make $2 profit
To truly understand odds, you also need to understand probability, so let's clear this up for you too.
At the most basic level, betting on any casino game provides you with the chance to try and predict the outcome of an event, such as the roll of the dice in Craps, or the turn of a card in Blackjack. If your prediction happens to be correct, you’ll win money, and if it’s not, you’ll lose. For any event there are a number of outcomes that may occur and you can wager on one, or in some cases, on several. When you roll a dice for example, there are 6 different outcomes that may occur, so the probability of landing the number you bet on is one in six. If you understand how probability works and how it relates to odds, you’ll find that making a bet is so much simpler, and you stand a better chance of winning.
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Calculating the Odds Calculator
Odds are always calculated according to outside factors and as such will differ between Casino games. Games that require a level of skill will probably give you better odds when playing. Here are some examples of the basic ways in which casino odds are calculated:
EXAMPLE #1: Blackjack
Blackjack odds are calculated by the probability that you will go bust if you ‘hit’ on any particular hand value. Your chances of going bust increase as the value of your hand increases. Also, the fewer packs that are used in the game, the easier it is to work out the chance of any certain card be dealt. Learning basic strategy and applying it in Blackjack is essential to winning, but knowing how the odds work and how to calculate them will also give you the edge.
EXAMPLE #2: Craps
Craps is played by rolling two dice and betting on the total outcome. 2, 3, 11 and 12 are the least likely outcomes, whilst 7 can be achieved through the most combinations and therefore is the most likely to be rolled. A Pass Line bet therefore has the highest odds, which makes it a very popular bet with players. Craps, unlike Blackjack, is very much a game of chance and there’s little you can do to change the outcome when rolling the dice, but by placing the bet with the best odds you can maximise your chances of winning. Now that you’ve got to grips with odds and probability, use your new-found knowledge when playing at Canada’s best online casinos and win big!
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Choosing a Game with Good Odds
There are plenty of good reasons to choose a Casino game. It might be down to the entertainment value, to try out something new, or even because you feel lucky. One of the best reasons for choosing a particular game is that you have a decent chance of winning. Selecting a game with good odds and a small House Edge on certain bets can limit your losses so that you walk away with a wallet full of winnings and a smile on your face.
By knowing which games offer a lower house edge or how you can use skill and strategy to reduce the house advantage, you can maximise your winning chances. Some bets also have a lower house edge than others, so it’s important that you know what bet is best so that you stand a greater chance of winning. Some games such as slots have an outcome that relies purely on chance, but table games and video Poker both offer players the chance to place wagers that have great odds. The following hands may require you to learn a complex strategy in order to achieve the lowest possible House Edge:
Countdown of the Top 5 Online Casino Bets
The Player Bet at Baccarat
The House Edge on this bet is 1.24%. Baccarat is fun and easy to learn, so this is an excellent bet for a beginner. The probability that the Player’s hand will win in Baccarat is incredibly high, so wagering this way is never a bad option.
The Banker Bet at Baccarat
The House Edge at this bet is 1.06%. Very similar to the above bet, but bettors back the Banker, not the Player, which gives slightly better odds. In Baccarat there are only 3 outcomes to bet on, the Player, the Banker and the game being a tie. Although a tie bet may sound like the most likely result, it has a house edge of 14.36%, and it’s advised that players rather steer clear!
Video Poker Full Pay Jacks or Better Strategy
When playing Jacks or Better its always suggested that you bet the maximum amount of 5 coins per hand. Full pay betting offers a return of 99.54% of a bet; assuming optimal strategy has been applied.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
Perfectly executing the Basic Strategy in Blackjack will leave you with a House Edge of merely 0.28%. As a game that requires skill and strategy, you don’t have to leave the outcome of a hand of Blackjack to chance.
Pass, Don't Pass, Come,
Don't Come with Odds at Craps. The Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, Don’t Come bets have about a 1.4% House Edge each. However, adding Odds to the initial bet can significantly reduce the advantage as this portion of the bet is paid at true odds. By adding single odds, the House Edge falls to 0.83%, Double odds drops it to 0.61%, whilst 5 times odds reduce the House Edge to less than 0.04%.
Choosing Between Download OR Instant Play
Most online casinos in Canada allow you to choose how you want to access their games, whether to downloaded and install the casino as a program, or to play in browser with an instant play format. Instant play casino games might be flash or HTM5-based, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both of these. Rather than looking at that right now though, we’re going to focus on whether you should be playing instant play games in the first place, or rather choose to download and install the online casino software that you want to play at in Canada instead. We’ve put together the pros and cons of both options for you right here.
Advantages of Download Casinos
- Some casinos offer the download option only, and have worked hard to perfect it and ensure it is 100% safe. If you choose these online casinos, you can trust that you’re in great hands.
- Downloaded casino games tend to run faster than their instant play counterparts, and to have better graphics and sound quality too. This is because nothing is being drawn from the Internet; everything is already embedded within the software.
- After successfully downloading your chosen casino you’ll be able to access its games instantly.
- Additionally, downloading casino software usually gives you access to a greater number of games and features.
Disadvantages of Downloaded Casinos
- They can take up a lot of memory space on your hard drive. This becomes even more of a problem when you want to play regularly at more than 1 online casino.
- Uninstalling the software can be very difficult and time-consuming; the casino doesn’t want you to leave so they won’t help you do so.
- Your computer is exposed to viruses.
- The software is only accessible on the device on which the casino is installed.
Advantages of Instant Play Casinos
- No clogging up your hard drive.
- It might be the only option if you use certain operating systems or devices.
- You can access your online casino account from any machine that has Internet access, and can therefor play across devices, as preferred.
Disadvantages of Instant Play Casinos
- The sounds, graphics and overall functionality are often not as good as they are in the downloaded applications.
- Game variety and volume are usually considerably smaller than in installed casinos.
- Banking facilities may be minimal.
Make Your Decision With Ease
You’ve probably noticed that the advantages of downloaded casinos are the advantages of their instant-play counterparts, and vice versa. This means that the different options will work better for different players with different options, so take the time you need to make this decision properly. If you share your computer with others, for example, installing your chosen casino software might not be possible or fair since it would take up more than your share of available memory space. If, on the other hand, you’re interested in a very rare game or in several differently nuanced variations of a single game such as Blackjack, you might need the fuller capacity that a download offers.
For mobile players in particular, or players who want to try several different online casinos and who generally visit many various platforms, instant play casino games might be the obvious solution. Many players try online casinos out in their instant play formats, and then move on to downloading and installing them when they feel satisfied with what they have to offer. It all depends what works best for you and your current situation, and it’s important to remember that you can always change your mind. While uninstalling the software might be a little tricky, it can definitely be done! Focus on what you need to make the best of your online casino experiences now.
