Game Selection Strategy: Picking Crypto Casino Games with the Best Payout Potential

Table of Contents

1. What “payout potential” really means
2. Quick picks: best-odds games by category
3. How to read RTP, house edge, and volatility
4. Table games that reward good rules (and basic strategy)
5. Video poker: where paytables matter most
6. Provably fair “originals” (dice, crash, plinko) in crypto casinos
7. Slots: finding legitimately high-RTP titles
8. Pacing your risk: expected loss per hour
9. A seven-point checklist before you bet
10. Responsible play, always

1) What “payout potential” really means

Payout potential is your long-run expected return. Two numbers drive it:

• Return to Player (RTP): the share of total wagers a game pays back long-term. For example, a 97% RTP implies a 3% house edge in the long run. UK regulators define and monitor RTP as a theoretical, statistically derived figure, not a promise for any single session.
• House edge: the casino’s built-in advantage on a bet or game. Canonical edges (e.g., roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps) are well documented by independent analysts.

Volatility describes how bumpy the ride is: a high-volatility game can deliver large but infrequent wins, even if its RTP is fine. UK rules also constrain slot design to lower harmful intensity (e.g., minimum 2.5-second spins; autoplay ban), which impacts how fast you cycle money through the game.

2) Quick picks: best-odds games by category

• Blackjack with 3:2 payout and dealer stands on soft 17 (S17): house edge can be under 0.5% with correct basic strategy; avoid 6:5 tables, which add about 1.39% to the edge.
• Baccarat Banker bet: ~1.06% house edge; Player ~1.24%; avoid Tie (~14% edge).
• Single-zero roulette: 2.70% edge on all bets; with French “La Partage” on even-money bets, edge halves to ~1.35%.
• Craps Pass/Don’t Pass: ~1.41%/1.36% on the line; the “odds” bet has 0% house edge.
• Full-pay video poker: 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with perfect play; rare paytables like 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17%) or full-pay Deuces Wild (100.76%) exist but are hard to find.
• Provably fair dice/crash/plinko “originals”: many crypto sites set dice to ~99% RTP (1% house edge); verify via each game’s provably fair page.

3) How to read RTP, house edge, and volatility

RTP is long-term; your session results depend on variance. Lower house edge and lower decisions per hour reduce your expected loss rate. UK slot rules slowing spins to 2.5 seconds reduce decision speed, which lowers average loss per hour at the same bet size.

4) Table games that reward good rules (and basic strategy)

Blackjack: rule quality is everything

Look for 3:2 on naturals and S17. The 6:5 payout alone adds about 1.39% to the house edge; S17 often improves the game by roughly 0.2% vs H17. Side bets usually have much higher edges. Use a trusted basic-strategy chart for the exact rules you’re playing.

Baccarat: keep it simple

Bet Banker (~1.06%) or Player (~1.24%). Skip Tie (~14% edge) and exotic side bets.

Roulette: pick your wheel wisely

Prefer single-zero (European) wheels at 2.70% edge. If you can find French rules with La Partage/En Prison on even-money bets, the edge drops to ~1.35% for those bets. Beware American double-zero at 5.26% and triple-zero at 7.69%.

Craps: line bets + odds

Pass/Don’t Pass are solid; always take/lay odds when allowed because the odds portion has 0% house edge. Steer clear of high-edge proposition bets.

5) Video poker: where paytables matter most

Paytables dictate the return. Full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with perfect strategy; 10/7 Double Bonus hits 100.17% (very rare); full-pay Deuces Wild peaks at 100.76% with expert play. If a casino offers weaker paytables (e.g., 8/5 JoB), your expected return drops notably. Use strategy charts or trainers to minimize mistakes.

6) Provably fair “originals” in crypto casinos

Many crypto-first sites offer in-house games like dice, crash, mines, and plinko with transparent, verifiable randomness. Dice commonly runs at ~99% RTP (1% house edge). You can check each roll’s seeds/hashes to verify fairness. Still compare RTPs—“provably fair” doesn’t automatically mean “best odds.”

Some live-dealer roulette variants add multipliers (e.g., Lightning/XXXtreme Lightning Roulette). These lower the base straight-up payout (e.g., 29:1 or even 19:1), yielding ~97.10% RTP on straight-up bets—slightly worse than standard single-zero roulette.

7) Slots: finding legitimately high-RTP titles

Slots vary widely. A few well-known titles publish high RTPs:

• Relax Gaming’s Book of 99: 99% RTP.
• Thunderkick’s 1429 Uncharted Seas: 98.6% RTP.
• NetEnt’s Mega Joker: up to 99% RTP when using the Supermeter/maximum-coin setup; the official game sheet lists a wide RTP range, reflecting how settings and play mode affect return.

Note: Progressive jackpots often come with lower base RTPs (you trade steady return for a shot at a large prize). Always check the game’s help page for the RTP version your casino is running, because many slots ship with multiple RTP settings.

8) Pacing your risk: expected loss per hour

Expected loss ≈ house edge × average bet × decisions per hour. Slower games or live tables reduce decision speed; slots are fast by design, though UK rules cap slot spin speed at a minimum 2.5 seconds and ban autoplay to reduce harmful intensity.

9) A seven-point checklist before you bet

1. Verify licensing and fairness: look for recognized regulators (e.g., UKGC, MGA) and independent testing seals (eCOGRA, GLI).
2. Confirm published RTP/house edge for the exact game version you’ll play.
3. Favor low-edge games: 3:2 S17 blackjack, Banker in baccarat, single-zero roulette (La Partage if available), craps with odds, full-pay video poker.
4. Avoid traps: 6:5 blackjack, tie in baccarat, American/triple-zero roulette, high-edge side bets, and mystery paytables.
5. For crypto “originals,” confirm the provably fair implementation and stated RTP.
6. Mind volatility: high-volatility games can bust bankrolls quickly despite decent RTP.
7. Control speed: slower pace reduces long-run loss; UK slots rules limit spin speed and ban autoplay for this reason.

10) Responsible play, always

Set hard limits, take breaks, and never chase losses. If gambling stops being fun, seek help. In the UK, see GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline; check your jurisdiction’s support resources as well.

Sources

• UK Gambling Commission – Remote Technical Standards updates; slot design changes (2.5-second spins; autoplay ban).
• Wizard of Odds (independent math analysis) – house edges for roulette, blackjack rule effects, baccarat edges, craps odds; video poker paytables/returns.
• Primedice/Stake – provably fair dice implementation and 99% RTP examples.
• Evolution-style live roulette variants – lightning multipliers and RTP mechanics.
• High-RTP slots from providers – Book of 99 (Relax 99%), 1429 Uncharted Seas (Thunderkick 98.6%), Mega Joker (NetEnt up to 99% per game sheet).
• eCOGRA & GLI – independent testing/certification frameworks for RNG and iGaming systems.