All casino games are slanted in the house's favor, but the best ones are within a few percentage points of being even. Blackjack, craps, slots and video poker are the ones that give the house the lowest edge. (Another game called baccarat belongs on this list too, but it's a game few Westerners play.)

If those few games offer players the best shot, why are all those other games on the floor? Because they're extremely efficient at parting suckers from their cash, that's why. They have giant house advantages.

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if the game is a traditional one, or sounds like something a casino invented in order to break out something new. If the game seems like something you wouldn't expect to find in a casino, stay away from it. There are few things you can count on in life, but one of them is that anything a casino invents has NOT been created to give you a good chance at winning.

This means games like Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride and — we're not kidding about this — War should be avoided, or played only with small budgets for fun.

Sucker tables in disguise

Over the last few years more and more 21 tables have been cropping up that feature a 6:5 payoff on blackjacks instead of the traditional 3:2. Since it doesn't seem like much of a difference, and because the 6:5 tables are often low-limit, many people play them.

Don't do it. That one little change gives the house almost 1.5 percent more of an edge.

Walk away from 6:5 blackjack tables. Do the same thing for games with names like "SuperFun 21" and "Spanish 21" while you're at it. Playing these games is just one step away from Chevy Chase in "Vegas Vacation" gambling on "Guess What Number I'm Thinking Of."