Non Poker Odds Question

[SheetWise]

I agree with the AaronBrown. Theres a reason that Keno lounges are filled with little old ladies -- even with a 40% house edge, it can be the cheapest to play -- when you only have to play $1 every 10-20 minutes. Think about how much socializing you want to do.

[Cyrus]

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Going to Vegas next week - will be playing allot of poker, however I am sure we will end up at some table games as well. Just trying to limit the damage I do when not playing poker at the Bellagio.

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Consider the time factor, please, along with the correct odds, which are availabe practically everywhere you look on the net. (Try The Wizartd Of Odds for instance.)

If game A has a player EV of -5% per round of play and game B of -10%, but game A is played at 100 rounds per hour while game B at 10 rounds per hour, then (assuming betting an equal amount of money per round in the two games) you would be "limiting the damage" by choosing game B.

BTW, you should be able to calculate the cost of your "non-poker fun" through the figures of EV/round, your intended bets and rounds/hour.

[BruceZ]

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we should compare the games assuming an equal amount of money bet on each, which means comparing them on the basis of their house edge.

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This goes beyond probability into taste, but I disagree. I would hold the amount of fun (or whatever other reason you play casino games) constant. I happen to like blackjack, because I enjoy the small mental effort required to break even, and I don't like feeling that I'm paying an edge. In fact, I like to think I profit, due to the comps. I'd go crazy trying to get excited about a pure random event, like a roulette wheel or craps die. Another game I like is video Poker, with a good machine you can also get a slight edge if you pay attention.

But other people prefer not to make decisions. The nice thing about roulette is you can never make a mistake. You can play as well drunk as sober, you can bet your mood without loss of value, you can play your wife's birthday and get husband-points. I can't see ever playing red/black, but for a lot of people a relatively small bet on a single number gives more excitment per house edge than a much larger bet at craps or blackjack. Plus the slower pace means you make fewer bets.

Then there are others who like to throw the dice, and play with a table (almost) all pulling the same way. You can actually make friends at the craps table, something that's rare at roulette and blackjack.

My advice would be to pick which game you like to play the most, then adjust the stake to the amount you're willing to pay for your entertainment. Picking the game with the lowest house edge seems to me like ordering the drink in the bar with the lowest markup over the liquor store price. If you're going to gamble or drink, gamble or drink what you like, not what's cheapest.

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That's fine, but the OP's question asked "What table game has the most favorable player odds", and that was the question I was answering. If you have some constraint of fun which requires that you spend more money on a certain game, then of course factor that in. People can figure that out for themselves, but they need the house edge, which is what I provided. This is the probability forum after all, not the "how to maximize your fun" forum.

One thing that many negative EV gamblers find "fun" is to play a progression. You are much better off doing that with craps than BJ since the probability of winning your pass line bet in craps is almost 50%, while in BJ it is only about 41%, with about 50% losses.

[antifish225]

Wow Guys thanks - I actually like craps the best if I am playing table games (and Casino War of course....kidding) - the math outlined all makes good sense (especially the bets per hour part) - craps is just such as fast game that you are likley giving up more per hour than in BJ.....thanks again

[BruceZ]

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Wow Guys thanks - I actually like craps the best if I am playing table games (and Casino War of course....kidding) - the math outlined all makes good sense (especially the bets per hour part) - craps is just such as fast game that you are likley giving up more per hour than in BJ.....thanks again

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For the same bet size, that's true, but in craps you could just bet a dollar, right? I'm not sure, I've never spent much time by a craps table. Also, in BJ you need to play almost every hand to keep your seat, while in craps you don't have to bet every roll, and you could even just bet on the come out roll. Don't forget that if you can get someone to give you even money for a 6 or 8, you will have an advantage of over 9%.

[BruceZ]

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Don't forget that if you can get someone to give you even money for a 6 or 8, you will have an advantage of over 9%.

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That should be, get them to take even money on a 6 vs. a 7 or on an 8 vs. a 7.

[AaronBrown]

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That's fine, but the OP's question asked "What table game has the most favorable player odds", and that was the question I was answering. If you have some constraint of fun which requires that you spend more money on a certain game, then of course factor that in.

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I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that your original answer was incorrect. It was correct and clear, as always. I was hijacking the thread to a related topic.

I do have to question your "some constraint on fun" sentence. It sounds like Mr. Spock's answer if Dr. McCoy asked for gambling advice. Do you dislike casino gambling?