LIST: Waste Your Money – 8 Casino Games With Worst Odds

Do you want to learn more about the casino games with worst odds? This is a smart idea because the odds are one of the things that can help you understand whether you want to play some casino games or avoid them.

Most people practice cooking as a hobby, but for me, it’s a job. I am a chef in a restaurant as such I had to look for another hobby. It turns out that gambling is the right fit for me. Of course, when I am playing casino games I like to know everything about them including which casino games have the worst odds and which ones have the best odds.

With this guide that I have prepared for you after extensive research, you will find out more about:

  • The rules of casino games with worst odds
  • Specific facts about these games
  • How to take advantage of these games

Keep in mind that the casino games with worst odds can be found on any casino site. If you are wondering why the answer is simple – there’s more than one indicator that determines whether the game is good or not. In other words, I am not advising people to stay away from these games, I am suggesting that should be careful.

Now let’s check the list of 8 casino games with worst odds. Keep in mind, that I’ve taken a few factors into account to determine these odds – their house edge, RTP, and specific gameplay of each game.

1. Video Poker

House Edge: between 0.5% and 5%

RTP: around 99%

Type of game: Electronic

Volatility: Medium to high

Invented: 1970s

Country of origin: USA

If you take a look at the average Return to Player percentage (99%), you might get an impression that our list of casino games with worst odds is weird. Before we go into details about the odds, let us introduce this game. Video poker is one of the most played casino games today even though it has a relatively long history.

In the 1970s when a few electronic games were revealed on the market, a few casino game developers from the United States have shown their first models of video poker games. In the 1990s, these were one of the first games on casino sites too. One of the good things about video poker is that you can find many different titles. Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Progressive, Tens or Better, Joker’s Wild and Double Bonus are just some of the games that belong to this collection.

You can find both single hand and multi-hand video poker games. As for the gameplay, you are not playing against a dealer or other players – you are just trying to make a winning hand. There are two rounds. In the first round, you will get five face-up cards. In the second round, you will get as many new cards as you want. A pair, two pairs, straight, flush, full house – all these poker hands can bring a prize.

As previously mentioned, video poker has decent numbers and percentages, but the truth is that the payouts are not that common. Even when you are winning, you can’t know how much you’ll get back because the prizes are very different – the highest prizes are attractive, but the most common prizes are equal or slightly higher than your initial bet. Don’t forget that landing a royal flush in this game happens once in 40,000 attempts (in theory).

Basic information about Video Poker

  • A type of casino game which was introduced in the 1970s
  • Good RTP
  • You can apply strategy

Pros

  • Skills and knowledge matter
  • Decent house edge
  • A great selection of different types of video poker games

Cons

  • You can’t expect regular payouts (at least not ones that will make different in your bankroll)

2. Craps (Prop bets only)

House Edge: between 1.4% and 5%

RTP: around 99%

Type of game: Dice

Volatility: High

Invented: at the beginning of the 19th century

Country of origin: USA

While it’s true that craps is one of the most exciting casino games, it’s also true that this is a casino game with some of the words odds you can find online at least when it comes to prop bets. The main bets have decent odds of winning. So, craps was invented at the beginning of the 19th century in the United States.

This game is based on the games of Hazard which was played by many Europeans in the States. Just like other casino games, this one has a few different versions, but most of them come with a so-called pass and don’t pass bets. The gaming round has two specific rounds – a so-called coming out round and a point round. In the first rounds, players can win right away if the dice make a combo that is worth eleven or seven.

On the other hand, the point round can bring you prizes if you hit the number that was rolled previously before the dealer rolls a seven. It’s the additional bets that make craps very exciting. The so-called prop (proposition) bets represent one-roll bets. You can either guess the right outcome on the next roll or you will lose your bet. The house edge for these bets is very high, but you can also expect high wins (15:1).

Basic information about Craps

  • A dice game
  • Invented in the United States
  • You can place different kinds of bets

Pros

  • Excellent RTP on some bets
  • A fast-paced game
  • You don’t have to develop a special strategy to be more successful

Cons

  • If you want to avoid bad odds, try to avoid prop bets

3. Caribbean Stud Poker

House Edge: at least 5%

RTP: around 97%

Type of game: Card

Volatility: High

Invented: 1982

Country of origin: USA

Surprise, surprise! One of the favorite casino games of modern players is also one of the casino games with worst odds. How can this be? Well, I’ve done my research and I can say that you should calm down before you decide to avoid Caribbean Stud Poker. The fact is that just like most poker games, it’s hard to determine the true odds of poker games because they vary from game to game and from situation to situation.

Some poker games allow side bets, others allow more players to play at the table and against each other, etc. The odds of winning depend on your skills, experience, and knowledge too. Caribbean Stud Poker was played for the first time on a Caribbean cruise ship in 1982. At that time, this poker game didn’t have the same mechanics as modern Caribbean Stud Poker, but the basic rules were the same.

Obviously, the game was developed for poker aficionados who were using cruise ships in the Caribbean. Basically, this is a 5-card draw poker game where the first round begins when the participants place their ante bets. Every player can use a side bet and play for the progressive jackpot. These bets affect the odds of winning, typically in a negative way. But, we must say that the prizes are great.

When the ante bets are on the table, the players and the dealer get five cards. The difference here is that the players can see all the cards except for the dealer’s card (you can see just one at the start of the game). As the game makes progress you can reveal all their cards and find out whether your hand is better than the dealer’s hand.

Basic information about Caribbean Stud Poker

  • A very exciting type of poker
  • Based on 5-card draw poker
  • Played on many casino sites, land-based casinos and casinos found in cruise ships

Pros

  • You can play for the progressive jackpot
  • A more thrilling version of classic poker
  • You can use your skills to improve your chances of winning

Cons

  • The odds of winning the progressive jackpot are extremely low

4. Video Slots

House Edge: between 1% and 8%

RTP: between 93% and 99%

Type of game: Electronic

Volatility: Low to high

Invented: 1975

Country of origin: USA

It was quite a surprise for me to hear that the first video slot game was introduced in 1975. Of course, I knew that even the first casino site had a few titles that belong to this category of games. Nowadays, all kinds of players are using these games as a way to kill their free time and to get a chance to win prizes.

There are literally hundreds of different slot games out there made by dozens of reputable software providers. On many casino sites, the pages focused on slots have the highest number of titles. It’s easy to tell why people love playing online slots – they are fun, easy to play and promise great rewards. Some of the highest casino wins were made on online slots.

From football, animals, and mafia to ancient civilizations, horror and war – slot games are covering a wide range of themes. But, what’s even more important is that they have special features and bonuses that you can’t find in many casino games like free spins, bonus games, multipliers, and wild symbols. To play these games, you have to place a bet and use the spin button.

Obviously, this is one of the simplest games that you can play. Even though the house edge is very low and the RTP percentage is very high, most slot games are volatile. There is also a very big difference between the lowest and highest payouts. In addition, progressive jackpots are given at random, but it sometimes takes years for these jackpots to be awarded.

Basic information about Video Slots

  • They were invented in 1975
  • A popular casino games found in all land-based casinos and casino sites
  • Many different kinds of slots to choose from

Pros

  • You can play classic slots and slots with a modern design
  • You can enjoy great graphics and sounds
  • Decent RTP and house edge

Cons

  • It takes some time to win high prizes

5. Pai Gow Poker

House Edge: 2.5% and higher

RTP: around 97%

Type of game: Card

Volatility: Low

Invented: 1985

Country of origin: USA

I have decided to add another poker game on this list of casino games with worst odds because I really enjoy this poker hybrid. But, why would someone want to play a casino game with really bad odds? Well, as I said before, the odds are bad only in specific situations.

Pai Gow Poker was invented in the United States in 1985, by an experienced poker player and owner of a card club. This is a truly original form of poker which includes some elements of the ancient dominoes game that comes from China – Pai Gow.

Some people know this game as Double Hand Poker due to the specific gameplay that this casino game has. The name of this game might sound complex, but the gameplay is quite simple. There’s just one deck of playing cards in play. The deck includes 52 regular cards and one joker. As a player, you have to get two poker hands that are better than the dealer’s hands.

In other words, you are trying to be better than the dealer not the rest of the players. You will use seven cards – one hand with five cards and another with two cards and only if you have two hands with better values you will win the round. Besides regular bets, you can also place bonus bets and these bets have unfavorable odds.

Basic information about Pai Gow Poker

  • A unique type of poker
  • Invented in 1985 in the US
  • Playing against the house

Pros

  • You can use different bets
  • You can use your poker skills and knowledge
  • A very simple poker game

Cons

  • If you want to stay on the safe side (but, lose the chance for big wins) you will have to avoid bonus bets

6. Keno

House Edge: up to 25%

RTP: around 94%

Type of game: Lottery-style

Volatility: High

Invented: ancient times

Country of origin: China

Next, on my helpful list of casino games with worst odds, I have listed Keno. This is a very interesting lottery-style game which doesn’t require special knowledge or skills from players. It was invented many centuries ago in China. Starting from the beginning of the 19th century, this game became available in North America and Europe.

It was bingo that “stole” the popularity of this game among casino players. Yet, with some research, you should be able to find many casino sites where you can play keno. The odds of winning are not fixed and depend on the type of keno game you are playing – 80-ball, 75-ball, 60-ball, etc. In addition, the selection of games that you’ve made has an impact on the outcome too.

In most cases, people are playing 80-ball keno. However, it’s usually up to them to choose the amount of numbers(balls) that they are trying to predict. For instance, it’s not the same if you have picked one number out of 80 and 5 numbers. In the first case, the odds of winning are 1:4 and in the second case, the odds are 1:1550.

Some of these keno games have special progressive jackpots and as expected, winning these jackpots is not easy. Keno is a quite interesting game that every casino player should try. But, if you are looking for games with the best odds, then you should think twice before buying a ticket for this game.

Basic information about Keno

  • This game was invented in Ancient China
  • It’s a lottery-style game
  • You can play different versions of this casino game

Pros

  • A very simple gameplay
  • You can control the odds of winning by selecting your bet
  • Some of these games have a progressive jackpot prize

Cons

  • High house edge which usually means more difficult to win a turn

7. 3-Card Poker

House Edge: 1.5% and more

RTP: around 96% (doesn’t apply to bonus bets)

Type of game: Card

Volatility: Medium

Invented: 1994

Country of origin: USA

Simple and easy – these are the two words that I use to describe this special type of poker. The main reason why I’ve placed 3-Card Poker on this list of casino games with worst odds is simple – there are bonus bets involved in this game. Even though 3-Card Poker was invented in 1994, it took three years for its creator, Derek Webb, to patent his discovery.

Derek was working on a new, modern version of poker with simple and fast gameplay which provides a few extras. That’s how 3-Card Poker was born. The result was great – a game with a decent house edge, good RTP and fun gameplay. However, I should point out (one more time) that this game has some really bad odds on certain bets. 3-Card Poker is especially popular among players who are looking for fast-paced casino games.

At the start of each round, players have to place ante bets. With this part of the round completed, the dealer gets three cards and provides three cards to the players too. Every player can see the cards of the rest of the players which is quite logical because they are playing against the dealer. On the other hand, the dealer keeps his cards face down. This is the moment when you have to decide whether you will fold or raise. The bonus bets I’ve mentioned before is called Pair Plus.

Basic information about 3-Card Poker

  • A casino game which was invented in 1994
  • A form of poker with a fast gameplay
  • You are trying to beat the dealer

Pros

  • Decent RTP which depends on the bets
  • You can use your poker knowledge and skills to make better calls
  • Easy to master

Cons

  • The bonus bets have worse odds

8. Scratch Cards

House Edge: –

RTP: around 95%

Type of game: Lottery-style

Volatility: High

Invented: 1974

Country of origin: USA

You’ve probably heard the saying “It’s like winning the lottery” when people are trying to explain something extremely difficult or almost impossible. Yet, this doesn’t stop me from playing this game although I’ve listed it as one of the casino games with worst odds. So, what makes scratch cards interesting?

Well, scratch cards are one of the simplest forms of gambling that everyone can understand. There is no need to take training lessons or to practice these games for a long time before you understand how things work here. Before I reveal the details about the mechanics, let me say that scratch cards were made in the United States in 1974.

Today, these games are played on casino sites with the help of specially designed software which generates symbols on virtual scratch cards. Modern online scratch cards have a different number of positions/fields that have to be scratched. Typically, there are six or nine of them. To win a prize, you will have to match at least two or three symbols on a line, but there are cards that pay prizes in more than one way.

Winning a prize here is not difficult, but it will take a lot of time to win some decent prizes while playing this game. What most players like is that online scratch cards have interesting themes and that you just have to click on the button to reveal the symbols.

Basic information about Scratch Cards

  • A game which was introduced in 1974
  • A lottery-style game
  • A game that any casino player can play without practice

Pros

  • A relatively high Return to Player percentage
  • A good selection of themes
  • A fast gameplay

Cons

  • Winning small amounts of money is easy, but getting higher prizes is quite difficult