Some Las Vegas visitors do not want to learn strategies or think much during their gambling vacations. While many pure luck games have massive house advantages, some options do not require any strategy to receive the best return. Avoid the side bets in these games as the house edge is likely 10% or higher.
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Craps
Several craps bets have a house edge around 1% or less. The Pass Line and Come hold 1.41% when no odds are taken. However, the percentage drops substantially when taking full odds. The list below shows the house edge when taking full odds at every opportunity for every maximum available in Las Vegas:
- 2x: 0.6%
- 3x: 0.47%
- 3-4-5x: 0.37%
- 5x: 0.33%
- 10x: 0.18%
- 20x: 0.1%
The Don’t Pass and Don’t Come are slightly better for the player. The main bet holds 1.36%. However, taking maximum odds drops that.
- 2x: 0.47%
- 3x: 0.35%
- 3-4-5x: 0.28%
- 5x: 0.23%
- 10x: 0.13%
- 20x: 0.07%
Buying the 4 and 10 is another craps value. Most casinos give players a free buy on bets $20 and higher. In $20 increments, the buy 4 and 10 hold 1.19%. If you bet $25 or $50, the house usually rounds the commission down, making the house edge 0.99%.
Crapless craps
Crapless craps does not have Don’t Pass or Don’t Come bets. The player cannot lose on the come out roll. A 7 wins and all other numbers become the point. As great as that sounds, the house edge is much higher when compared to traditional craps. The Pass Line and Come bets hold 5.38%. Odds bring that down some but traditional craps is always better. Here are the returns when taking max crapless craps odds:
- 2x odds: 2.02%
- 1-2-3-4-5x: 1.33%
- 2-2-3-4-5x: 1.31%
- 3-3-3-4-5x: 1.26%
- 5x: 1.04%
- 10x: 0.58%
Buying the 4 and 10 works the same at crapless craps as it does at craps, as described in the previous section. Crapless craps brings four new numbers into the spread since the 2, 3, 11, and 12 may be points. Buying the 2 and 12 for $25 or $50 holds 0.67%. Betting $20 increments holds 0.83%. Buying the 3 and 11 for $25 and $50 holds 1.33%, while $20 increments have a 1.67% house edge.
Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the best options for players looking for a pure-luck game. The banker bet offers the lowest house edge in the game at 1.06% at traditional games with a commission. The player holds 1.24%. If the baccarat table is commission-free, the banker bet likely holds 1.46%, depending on the house rules. The player bet remains the same.
European Roulette
European Roulette is found in most luxury Las Vegas Strip salons and in the pits at Bellagio and MGM Grand. It only has one zero. Even money bets like red, black, odd, and even, get half the bet back when the pill lands in the zero pocket. The house edge on those bets is 1.35%. All other bets hold 2.7%, which is still lower than many pure luck table games. Standard single zero roulette also holds 2.7%.
Face Up Pai Gow Poker
Most Las Vegas pai gow poker tables are now dealt face up. This takes all skill out because players know what house hand they must beat. Most Las Vegas tables are Face Up Pai Gow Poker. A few are Dealer Open. In Face Up Pai Gow Poker, the house pushes on an ace-high pai gow. At Dealer Open, the house wins with two or more jacks. The house hold is nearly identical between the two games. The house edge at Face Up Pai Gow Poker is 1.81%. Dealer Open is 1.82%.
U1 Keno
U1 machines are found at Dotty’s, El Cortez, Emerald Island, Rampart, and Tuscany. These are the best keno machines in Las Vegas. The higher the bet, the lower the house edge becomes. The screen shows the return-to-player percentage as bets increase. Returns run as high as 99% on large bets.
Slots A Fun Reels
If you prefer slot machines, Slots A Fun, a small casino attached to Circus Circus, has dollar coin slots that return 97.4% to players, as advertised on signs. Slots A Fun also offers quarter and five-dollar coin slots.
Casino War
Casino War is only found at Cosmopolitan and Wynn. The house edge when accounting for doubling bets on a tie, also known as the element of risk, is about 2.15%.
