Which is the best online casino game? The question is often asked, especially by new casino players. Ultimately it boils down to a personal choice because each player has his or her own set of objectives and criteria. But the two most commonly accepted criteria are average rate of return to player and payout ratio on bet amount. Based on a combination of these one can argue that video poker has an edge over other online casino game categories.

There are three online casino games categories that provide an average return of about 99%. These are baccarat, blackjack and video poker. So it becomes necessary to differentiate between them on the basis of the payout ratios. Online baccarat offers payout ratios of even money and even money less 5% for the two main bets. This means you have to grind it out in order to build a bankroll. Online blackjack is marginally better. The regular win pays even money and the blackjack win pays 3 to 2. There are side bets offered in both online blackjack and online baccarat that pay much more but at a significantly lower average return.

Online video poker should always be played with five coins in the bet. In this situation the maximum payout for a royal flush is usually 800 to 1. The lowest payout is usually even money. Therefore online video poker offers the chance of winning significantly higher payouts as compared to baccarat and blackjack, without sacrificing the average return in any way. You have to keep in mind that the higher payouts will be won less frequently than the lower ones. Online video poker has higher volatility. You have to take higher risks for higher returns. So, video poker is the best of the three.

There are other online casino game categories to be considered. One of the most popular is roulette. Roulette offers a maximum payout of 35 to 1. The average return to player in European Roulette is about 97.5% and in American roulette it is even less. Online slots offer the most attractive payouts. A top payout of 500 to 1 is routine. It even goes up to 10,000 to 1 in the most volatile slot machines. The average return, however, is about 96%. Video poker is better than roulette on both criteria. As compared to online slots it is better on one count and worse on the other.