Payout Percentages Simplified

Ever wonder what a payout percentage is? It�s a calculation of how much a given casino game will payout to casino players over a period of time. All casinos use a payout calculation for all of their games, whether table or machine. This is how a casino makes their money.

The calculation is fairly simple. For instance, say a slot machine�s random number generator (RNG) is programmed to have a payout percentage of 95%. This means that over a period of time this machine will payout 95% of all the money it takes in. For example, a $1 per play machine is played 100,000 times in one year, taking in $100,000. So this machine paid out to players $95,000 within that year, but this also means that the casino made $5,000 off this machine in that year. This calculation takes in to account all wins and losses, so if a jackpot is hit 10 times for $5000 each in that year, that leaves $45,000 in winnings for the rest of the 99,990 plays. Not all players win and most winners win small.

Let�s take a certain game, say Black Jack, at a brick and mortar casino in Vegas. We have a $100 in our pocket and all we�re going to do is play Black Jack at an empty table (just us and the dealer) non stop. We play for 1 hour and now have $150. The payout percentage at that table for 1 hour would be 150%. Now let�s take the same situation, but say after playing for 1 hour we have $90 left. The payout percentage for 1 hour now is 90%.

Table game payout percentages are slightly different. At a brick and mortar casino the operators cannot �program� a human to deal cards or spin a Roulette wheel like can be done with a computer chip in a machine. Certain rules and procedures are followed to make sure that the casino will make money over the long run. Percentages fluctuate over a period of time. A �Hot� table could be paying players 150%, then the next day or hour only 50%. Players can greatly improve their payout percentage with table games by their knowledge and skill of the game they are playing.

Online table games such as Roulette and Craps use a RNG to determine where the ball will land, or how the dice roll due to their computerized nature and are programmed to pay out at a certain percentage. However, online card games like Black Jack and Poker must adhere to rules of how many cards are in the deck and percentages will fluctuate like their brick and mortar cousins.

Also note that the higher the payout percentage the less $�s you will win.

The author, Joel W. Cook is the webmaster and creator of The Gamblers Enquirer. Need free content for your website or newsletter? For free reprint rights of this article or other articles please click here