Casino Games Odds
Blackjack, the most popular of all table games, offers the skilled player some of the best odds in the casino. The house advantage varies slightly depending on the rules and number of decks, but a player using basic strategy faces little or no disadvantage in a single-deck game and only a 0.5% house edge in the common six-deck game.
Introduction
What Casino Game Has the Worst Odds? Odds of winning at casino slot machines varies from game to game. Some games have better odds than others. However, the general truth is that slots are some of the games with the worst odds. It really isn’t a surprise because you could win a lot of money on a single small bet on a slot game. Slots have been given the nickname “one-armed bandits” for two reasons: They used. This type of odds occurs more in sports betting than on casino games, some time the odds can be jotted down as decimals, for example:9.0. As a rule of thumb each casino games’ odds differ.
The house edge is defined as the ratio of the average loss to the initial bet. In some games the beginning wager is not necessarily the ending wager. For example in blackjack, let it ride, and Caribbean stud poker, the player may increase their bet when the odds favor doing so. In these cases the additional money wagered is not figured into the denominator for the purpose of determining the house edge, thus increasing the measure of risk. For games like Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em and Crazy 4 Poker, where there are two required initial wagers, the house edge is based on one of them only. House edge figures are based on optimal or near-optimal player strategy.
The table below shows the house edge of most popular casino games and bets.
Casino Game House Edge
| Game | Bet/Rules | House Edge | Standard Deviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baccarat | Banker | 1.06% | 0.93 |
| Player | 1.24% | 0.95 | |
| Tie | 14.36% | 2.64 | |
| Big Six | $1 | 11.11% | 0.99 |
| $2 | 16.67% | 1.34 | |
| $5 | 22.22% | 2.02 | |
| $10 | 18.52% | 2.88 | |
| $20 | 22.22% | 3.97 | |
| Joker/Logo | 24.07% | 5.35 | |
| Bonus Six | No insurance | 10.42% | 5.79 |
| With insurance | 23.83% | 6.51 | |
| Blackjacka | Liberal Vegas rules | 0.28% | 1.15 |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | 5.22% | 2.24 | |
| Casino War | Go to war on ties | 2.88% | 1.05 |
| Surrender on ties | 3.70% | 0.94 | |
| Bet on tie | 18.65% | 8.32 | |
| Catch a Wave | 0.50% | d | |
| Craps | Pass/Come | 1.41% | 1.00 |
| Don't pass/don't come | 1.36% | 0.99 | |
| Odds — 4 or 10 | 0.00% | 1.41 | |
| Odds — 5 or 9 | 0.00% | 1.22 | |
| Odds — 6 or 8 | 0.00% | 1.10 | |
| Field (2:1 on 12) | 5.56% | 1.08 | |
| Field (3:1 on 12) | 2.78% | 1.14 | |
| Any craps | 11.11% | 2.51 | |
| Big 6,8 | 9.09% | 1.00 | |
| Hard 4,10 | 11.11% | 2.51 | |
| Hard 6,8 | 9.09% | 2.87 | |
| Place 6,8 | 1.52% | 1.08 | |
| Place 5,9 | 4.00% | 1.18 | |
| Place 4,10 | 6.67% | 1.32 | |
| Place (to lose) 4,10 | 3.03% | 0.69 | |
| 2, 12, & all hard hops | 13.89% | 5.09 | |
| 3, 11, & all easy hops | 11.11% | 3.66 | |
| Any seven | 16.67% | 1.86 | |
| Crazy 4 Poker | Ante | 3.42%* | 3.13* |
| Double Down Stud | 2.67% | 2.97 | |
| Heads Up Hold 'Em | Blind pay table #1 (500-50-10-8-5) | 2.36% | 4.56 |
| Keno | 25%-29% | 1.30-46.04 | |
| Let it Ride | 3.51% | 5.17 | |
| Pai Gowc | 1.50% | 0.75 | |
| Pai Gow Pokerc | 1.46% | 0.75 | |
| Pick ’em Poker | 0% - 10% | 3.87 | |
| Red Dog | Six decks | 2.80% | 1.60 |
| Roulette | Single Zero | 2.70% | e |
| Double Zero | 5.26% | e | |
| Sic-Bo | 2.78%-33.33% | e | |
| Slot Machines | 2%-15%f | 8.74g | |
| Spanish 21 | Dealer hits soft 17 | 0.76% | d |
| Dealer stands on soft 17 | 0.40% | d | |
| Super Fun 21 | 0.94% | d | |
| Three Card Poker | Pairplus | 7.28% | 2.85 |
| Ante & play | 3.37% | 1.64 | |
| Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em | Ante | 2.19% | 4.94 |
| Video Poker | Jacks or Better (Full Pay) | 0.46% | 4.42 |
| Wild Hold ’em Fold ’em | 6.86% | d |
Notes
| a | Liberal Vegas Strip rules: Dealer stands on soft 17, player may double on any two cards, player may double after splitting, resplit aces, late surrender. |
| b | Las Vegas single deck rules are dealer hits on soft 17, player may double on any two cards, player may not double after splitting, one card to split aces, no surrender. |
| c | Assuming player plays the house way, playing one on one against dealer, and half of bets made are as banker. |
| d | Yet to be determined. |
| e | Standard deviation depends on bet made. |
| f | Slot machine range is based on available returns from a major manufacturer |
| g | Slot machine standard deviation based on just one machine. While this can vary, the standard deviation on slot machines are very high. |
Guide to House Edge
The reason that the house edge is relative to the original wager, not the average wager, is that it makes it easier for the player to estimate how much they will lose. For example if a player knows the house edge in blackjack is 0.6% he can assume that for every $10 wager original wager he makes he will lose 6 cents on the average. Most players are not going to know how much their average wager will be in games like blackjack relative to the original wager, thus any statistic based on the average wager would be difficult to apply to real life questions.
The conventional definition can be helpful for players determine how much it will cost them to play, given the information they already know. However the statistic is very biased as a measure of risk. In Caribbean stud poker, for example, the house edge is 5.22%, which is close to that of double zero roulette at 5.26%. However the ratio of average money lost to average money wagered in Caribbean stud is only 2.56%. The player only looking at the house edge may be indifferent between roulette and Caribbean stud poker, based only the house edge. If one wants to compare one game against another I believe it is better to look at the ratio of money lost to money wagered, which would show Caribbean stud poker to be a much better gamble than roulette.
Many other sources do not count ties in the house edge calculation, especially for the Don’t Pass bet in craps and the banker and player bets in baccarat. The rationale is that if a bet isn’t resolved then it should be ignored. I personally opt to include ties although I respect the other definition.
Element of Risk
For purposes of comparing one game to another I would like to propose a different measurement of risk, which I call the 'element of risk.' This measurement is defined as the average loss divided by total money bet. For bets in which the initial bet is always the final bet there would be no difference between this statistic and the house edge. Bets in which there is a difference are listed below.
Element of Risk
| Game | Bet | House Edge | Element of Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | Atlantic City rules | 0.43% | 0.38% |
| Bonus 6 | No insurance | 10.42% | 5.41% |
| Bonus 6 | With insurance | 23.83% | 6.42% |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | 5.22% | 2.56% | |
| Casino War | Go to war on ties | 2.88% | 2.68% |
| Crazy 4 Poker | Standard rules | 3.42%* | 1.09% |
| Heads Up Hold 'Em | Pay Table #1 (500-50-10-8-5) | 2.36% | 0.64% |
| Double Down Stud | 2.67% | 2.13% | |
| Let it Ride | 3.51% | 2.85% | |
| Spanish 21 | Dealer hits soft 17 | 0.76% | 0.65% |
| Spanish 21 | Dealer stands on soft 17 | 0.40% | 0.30% |
| Three Card Poker | Ante & play | 3.37% | 2.01% |
| Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em | 2.19%* | 0.53% | |
| Wild Hold ’em Fold ’em | 6.86% | 3.23% |
Standard Deviation
The standard deviation is a measure of how volatile your bankroll will be playing a given game. This statistic is commonly used to calculate the probability that the end result of a session of a defined number of bets will be within certain bounds.
The standard deviation of the final result over n bets is the product of the standard deviation for one bet (see table) and the square root of the number of initial bets made in the session. This assumes that all bets made are of equal size. The probability that the session outcome will be within one standard deviation is 68.26%. The probability that the session outcome will be within two standard deviations is 95.46%. The probability that the session outcome will be within three standard deviations is 99.74%. The following table shows the probability that a session outcome will come within various numbers of standard deviations.
I realize that this explanation may not make much sense to someone who is not well versed in the basics of statistics. If this is the case I would recommend enriching yourself with a good introductory statistics book.
Standard Deviation
| Number | Probability |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | 0.1974 |
| 0.50 | 0.3830 |
| 0.75 | 0.5468 |
| 1.00 | 0.6826 |
| 1.25 | 0.7888 |
| 1.50 | 0.8664 |
| 1.75 | 0.9198 |
| 2.00 | 0.9546 |
| 2.25 | 0.9756 |
| 2.50 | 0.9876 |
| 2.75 | 0.9940 |
| 3.00 | 0.9974 |
| 3.25 | 0.9988 |
| 3.50 | 0.9996 |
| 3.75 | 0.9998 |
Hold
Although I do not mention hold percentages on my site the term is worth defining because it comes up a lot. The hold percentage is the ratio of chips the casino keeps to the total chips sold. This is generally measured over an entire shift. For example if blackjack table x takes in $1000 in the drop box and of the $1000 in chips sold the table keeps $300 of them (players walked away with the other $700) then the game's hold is 30%. If every player loses their entire purchase of chips then the hold will be 100%. It is possible for the hold to exceed 100% if players carry to the table chips purchased at another table. A mathematician alone can not determine the hold because it depends on how long the player will sit at the table and the same money circulates back and forth. There is a lot of confusion between the house edge and hold, especially among casino personnel.
Hands per Hour, House Edge for Comp Purposes
The following table shows the average hands per hour and the house edge for comp purposes various games. The house edge figures are higher than those above, because the above figures assume optimal strategy, and those below reflect player errors and average type of bet made. This table was given to me anonymously by an executive with a major Strip casino and is used for rating players.
Hands per Hour and Average House Edge
| Games | Hands/Hour | House Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Baccarat | 72 | 1.2% |
| Blackjack | 70 | 0.75% |
| Big Six | 10 | 15.53% |
| Craps | 48 | 1.58% |
| Car. Stud | 50 | 1.46% |
| Let It Ride | 52 | 2.4% |
| Mini-Baccarat | 72 | 1.2% |
| Midi-Baccarat | 72 | 1.2% |
| Pai Gow | 30 | 1.65% |
| Pai Pow Poker | 34 | 1.96% |
| Roulette | 38 | 5.26% |
| Single 0 Roulette | 35 | 2.59% |
| Casino War | 65 | 2.87% |
| Spanish 21 | 75 | 2.2% |
| Sic Bo | 45 | 8% |
| 3 Way Action | 70 | 2.2% |
Footnotes
* — House edge based on Ante bet only as opposed to all mandatory wagers (for example the Blind in Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em and the Super Bonus in Crazy 4 Poker.
Translation
A Spanish translation of this page is available at www.eldropbox.com.
Written by: Michael Shackleford
Home > Online Casinos > Casino Articles > Which Table Games Offer Best Odds?
Slot machine games are the most-popular games in both land-based and online casinos. But if you want the best opportunity to beat the house, you should choose table games.
Several table games feature a house edge under 2%, which gives you a good chance to win.
But what are these games? Find out below as we discuss which table games offer you the best odds.
1. Blackjack
Blackjack has long been hailed as one of the most-favorable casino games for players. This is especially true in online casinos, where you'll see player-friendly rules that push the house edge down around 0.5%.
The main rules to look for include you being paid 3:2 on natural blackjacks (instead of 6:5), and the dealer being forced to stand on a soft 17 (instead of hitting). These two rules alone can lower the house edge by 1.6%.
Other rules that work in your favor include being able to double down after splitting, doubling down on any two cards, re-splitting up to 4 hands and late surrender.
Be careful in land-based casinos, though, because some of these rules can be skewed towards the house. And if enough bad rules are in place, you could be facing a 2% house edge or higher.
It's easier to find good land-based blackjack games where there's a lot of competition. Las Vegas is the perfect example because the Alamo Casino (0.14% house edge) and El Cortez (0.24%) both offer beatable, single deck blackjack games.
No matter what type of blackjack table you find, make sure to learn basic strategy so that you lower the house advantage to its lowest point. Otherwise, blackjack can be as difficult to beat as slots for a bad player.
2. Craps (With Odds)
Craps already has some of the best bets in casino gaming because pass line and come bets offer a 1.41% house edge, and don't pass line and don't come wagers feature a 1.36% house advantage.
But you can lower the house edge even more by placing an odds bet behind your pass line or don't pass line bets. An odds wager has a 0% house edge and is placed after the point number is established.
In the case of a pass line bet, you put your odds bet behind your pass line chips, and you win if the point number is rolled before a seven. If you instead make a don't pass line bet, your odds wager wins if a seven is rolled before the point number.
In both instances, odds pay 2:1 on points of 4 and 10, 3:2 on points of 5 and 9, and 6:5 on points of 6 and 8.
The odds bet is capped at a multiple of your pass line/don't pass line bet. Depending upon the casino, you can make an odds bet worth anywhere from 2x to 100x your pass line/don't pass line wager.
It's to your advantage to make higher odds bets because this decreases the overall house edge that you're facing. Look at the following to illustrate this point:
1x odds w/ pass line = 0.848% house edge 1x odds w/ don't pass line = 0.682% house edge 2x odds w/ pass line = 0.606% house edge 2x odds w/ don't pass line = 0.455% house edge 3x odds w/ pass line = 0.471% house edge 3x odds w/ don't pass line = 0.341% house edge
3. Baccarat
If you want a simple casino experience that still gives you a good chance to win, then baccarat is your game.
All you need to do in baccarat is bet on the banker hand to win. Even with the 5% commission that's taken out for winning banker-hand bets, you still only face a 1.06% house edge.
The other reasonable bet that you can make in baccarat is the player hand, which carries a 1.24% house edge. But considering that the banker hand already gives you a better chance to win, there's no reason to wager on the player hand.
Whatever you do, though, avoid betting on both hands tying since this wager carries a 14.36% house edge.
4. French and European Roulette
We lumped these two under the same category because they're the same game, but with one minor twist.
Beginning with European roulette, this wheel features 37 numbers and a single zero. Every bet in European roulette carries a 2.70% house edge, which is good when compared to most table games.
French roulette is played on the same single-zero wheel, except that it features either the la partage rule or en prison rule.
La partage pays half back on any losing even-money bet that lands on zero. En prison gives you a chance to win back your losing even-money bet on the next spin.
NNo matter whether the la partage or en prison rule is used, the house edge is just 1.35% in French roulette.
5. Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker hands begin with players being dealt seven cards, which you split into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand.
If both of your hands beat both of the dealer's hands, you win. If you win one hand and lose the other, your bet is a push. Assuming you lose both hands, then you lose the bet.
The house gains its edge through two ways: 1) taking a 5% commission out of winning bets and 2) the dealer wins all tie hands (e.g. you and the dealer's two-card hand is ace-jack).
With perfect strategy, you can lower the Pai Gow poker house edge to 2.84%.
But you can lower the house edge to 1.46% by acting as the bank when it's your turn. The reason why the house advantage drops so much when you're the banker is because you win all ties this way.
6. Sic Bo
Best Casino Game Odds
The Sic Bo board is a minefield for bad prop bets that carry house edges as high as 29.2%. But as long as you make the right bets, then Sic Bo is actually one of the best table games that you'll find.
The two bets that you want to concentrate on are Big and Small because they both have a 2.8% house edge.
The Big bet is found at the top right-hand corner of the board, and this offers you a 1:1 payout when the 3-dice dice combination is worth anywhere from 11 to 17.
The Small wager is found in the top left-hand corner of the board, and this pays you 1:1 if the dice combination is worth anywhere from 4 to 10.
Keep in mind, though, that the winning combination can't be formed by a triple (same three numbers).
Here's an example of a triple: you make a Big bet and the three dice all come up 4s. This equals 12, which would normally win, but you lose since it's a triple.
Two other bets that aren't always available, but also offer good value are Odd and Even wagers.
An even bet involves wagering that the dice combination will be even, and an odd wager sees you bet that the dice combo will be odd. Both of these bets also feature a 2.8% house edge.
7. Texas Hold'em Poker
Texas Hold'em has always been intriguing to gamblers because it doesn't have a house edge. Instead, the house takes a small cut of each cash-game pot/tournament fee, and players compete against each other for the rest.
If you're a skilled Texas Hold'em player, you can make a lot of money through this game. Unfortunately, this works the other way too because bad players will lose a lot over time.
The best way to ensure the latter doesn't happen is by studying poker strategy, which can be done through articles, coaches, training videos and Twitch streams.
It's also important to analyze your own play in order to fix consistent mistakes that you're making.
Conclusion
Outside of Texas Hold'em and blackjack card counting, the house always holds an edge in casino games. But your chances of winning improve dramatically when you play the table games that we discussed above.
Casino Odds Game Show
Which game(s) you choose will depend upon your preferences.
Blackjack, Pai Gow and Texas Hold'em are good for anybody who likes using strategy to improve their odds of winning.
If you'd rather play without thinking about strategy, craps, baccarat, French/European roulette and Sic Bo are all simple games that don't require extra effort to lower the house edge.
In any case, playing the seven games that we discussed gives you an opportunity to win money, or at least stretch your bankroll further.