House edge, game by game
Which table game has the best odds?
Of the games on this site, blackjack played with basic strategy has the lowest house edge: about 0.41% in a six-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17 and blackjack pays 3 to 2. Next come the craps line bets at 1.36% to 1.41%, with odds behind them at no house edge at all, and single-zero roulette's even-money bets with la partage at 1.35%. Ultimate Texas Hold'em, at 2.19% per Ante with perfect play, is the lowest of the poker-style games.
The rules matter as much as the game. The same blackjack game costs 1.99% at a 6 to 5 table where the dealer hits soft 17, and a double-zero roulette wheel costs almost twice what a single-zero wheel does.
The main bet in every game
Sorted from lowest to highest. The best play is assumed throughout: basic strategy in blackjack, the book's strategy in the poker games.
| Game and bet | Rules and strategy | House edge | Per | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craps, odds | Behind a pass, don't pass, come or don't come bet | 0% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| Blackjack | Six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, 3 to 2, double after split; basic strategy | 0.41% | Initial bet | Model |
| Blackjack | The same, dealer hits soft 17 | 0.63% | Initial bet | Model |
| Free Bet Blackjack | Six decks, dealer hits soft 17, 3 to 2; free-bet strategy | 1.07% | Initial bet | Model |
| Roulette, even money | Single zero with la partage | 1.35% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| Craps, don't pass | Also don't come | 1.36% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| Craps, pass line | Also come | 1.41% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| Craps, place 6 or 8 | Pays 7 to 6 | 1.52% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| Face Up Pai Gow | Every hand set the best way against the dealer's face-up hand | 1.86% | Bet | Estimate |
| Blackjack | Six decks, dealer hits soft 17, blackjack pays 6 to 5 | 1.99% | Initial bet | Model |
| Ultimate Texas Hold'em | Perfect play; our preflop chart gets the same figure | 2.19% | Ante | Exact |
| Casino War | Six decks, go to war on every tie | 2.33% | Bet | Exact |
| Heads Up Hold'em | Our preflop chart, best flop and river play | 2.65% | Ante | Estimate |
| Roulette | Single zero, any bet | 2.70% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| I Luv Suits | The book's strategy | 2.71% | Ante | Exact |
| Three Card Poker | Play queen-six-four or better | 3.37% | Ante | Exact |
| Crazy 4 Poker | The book's strategy | 3.42% | Ante | Exact |
| Let It Ride | The book's strategy | 3.51% | Base bet | Exact |
| Mississippi Stud | The book's point-count rules (4.91% with perfect play) | 4.92% | Ante | Exact |
| Roulette | Double zero, any bet but the top line | 5.26% | Dollar bet | Exact |
| Face Up Pai Gow | Set the house way, ignoring the dealer | 6.14% | Bet | Estimate |
| Roulette | Triple zero, any bet | 7.69% | Dollar bet | Exact |
Per Ante is not per dollar bet
Poker-style games ask for raises after the deal, so a house edge "per Ante" counts what a hand costs against the first bet only. Measured against all the money you put out, the same games look lower: Three Card Poker is about 2.0% of all money bet, I Luv Suits about 1.59%, Crazy 4 Poker about 1.09%, and Let It Ride about 2.9% of the money that stays in action. So a per-Ante figure and a per-dollar figure are not a straight comparison. Per Ante tells you what a hand costs you for the size of bet you sit down with.
Side bets cost more
Almost every side bet carries a bigger house edge than the main game it sits beside. A few, on the tables shown in each trainer: Three Card Poker's Pair Plus at 7.28%, Let It Ride's and Mississippi Stud's 3 Card Bonus at 7.10%, Crazy 4 Poker's Queens Up at 6.78%, I Luv Suits' Flush Rush at 5.30%, and Casino War's Tie bet at 18.65%. In craps, Any 7 is 16.67%. Each game page lists every side bet and paytable we cover, with its own house edge.
How these numbers were made
- Exact. Counted over every possible deal or roll for the rules and payouts shown.
- Model. Blackjack comes from our solver, which works from a full shoe, removes your first two cards and the dealer's up card, and allows one split. Close to a real game, but deeper shoes, resplits and other rules can change the answer.
- Estimate. Face Up Pai Gow comes from a 10 million hand simulation, plus or minus about 0.05%. Heads Up Hold'em's preflop chart comes from sampled flops, each solved exactly.
The full method for every game is on how our odds are calculated. The house edge is what a bet costs on average over many hands; it says nothing about any one session, and no strategy removes it.
Practice before you play
Every game above has a free trainer with play money and a coach that shows the right move. Start with blackjack, craps or Ultimate Texas Hold'em, or see all the games.