When you're reading about
casino games - and thinking about which one is for you - you'll
probably hear the term "house edge" over and over.
Blackjack has
a low house edge, you'll hear; online keno has a notoriously
high house edge. If you don't know what house edge really is,
these two games are good ways of explaining this term because
they represent polar opposites of the concept. The house edge is
an indication of probability - how much you can reasonably
expect to win and how much it will probably cost you to play the
game. Games of skill, like blackjack, traditionally have a lower
house edge, while games of pure chance, like online keno, have a
killer house edge.
The
Odds are Against you When you Play Online Keno
Technically speaking, house edges are percentages. If online
keno has a house edge of - gasp - 30%, it means that if you bet,
say, $100 on
online keno, the "house" (the online casino) will
take a whopping 30 bucks out of your pocket. Yes, it's kind of
hard to come out ahead at online keno, but at least you know
what you're up against. That's why house edges are always posted
in online casinos - no one who plays online keno can claim they
"didn't know." The blackjack house edge is much more attractive
but the great odds apply to those who really know their basic
strategy inside and out. The average online blackjack player may
not be up against staggering odds like in online keno, but he
won't walk away with the money that the pros will make. Games of
chance - like online keno - will always have a higher house edge
than games of skill. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.