Introduction
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.
Casino War is hands down the easiest table game to play. It works like this. You get a card, the dealer gets a card. Whoever has the highest card wins. In case it’s a tie, it’s W-A-R, flip! As a casino game Casino War has been around since the 1990s. It’s also one of the most popular games in Las Vegas casinos. Some casino table games have the best odds of winning money by playing them. Be aware that table games have higher odds of winning than the famous slot machines. Most table games require special knowledge to win, unlike slot machines, which depend on luck. Blackjack is the most popular table game due to its low house edge and simple gameplay. In many Asian countries, meanwhile, players love the simple game of baccarat or popular dice.
Casino Table Games Most popular online casinos for craps, blackjack and roulette Casinos are fun and exciting places. Online casinos and the many free resources afford novices an inexpensive way to learn and increase their knowledge on specific table games. Online casino games generally break down into two categories: machines and table games.
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
Top Table Games Online
When it comes to gambling, most players drift towards one of two options: the slots or table games. It’s a matter of preference. Slots machines rely on pure chance, and online slot apps rely on random number generators and pure chance.
Find In This Article:
What Are Table Games?
These are accessible and exciting games of chance where the payout changes on the game. The other standard option is table games.
Table games are still games of chance. They still rely on, often quite literally, the cards you are dealt with and therefore depend on luck. In casinos, this means using a live croupier or dealer. When referring to online table games, this means employing electronic tables, with players playing against the house.
Online table games still include all the classics such as roulette, blackjack, craps, and baccarat. These use dice, random number wheels, or cards to keep the game fair and based on chance.
It is important to remember when gambling with games of chance and using online table casinos to check their credentials and verifications. This is quick and easy.
Do a quick website search, read some player reviews, and visit the frequently asked question sections of your casino of choices website. Or, better yet, check out our compiled list of the top table game online.
Slots vs. Table Games
Everyone has a preference. Do you like multiple players? Do you like more complicated rules and complex playing strategies? Do you like feeling in control of your gambling and using skills to win?
If you answered yes to these questions, you would probably favour table games. There is less choice online than mobile and online slot games, but there is more complexity and challenge in table games.
Many players spend their early gambling years exploring the different game styles of different online table games and then settle on one game that they enjoy best. This is a good move considering some table games have a ton of strategies, rules, and theories behind them.
On the flip side, like all gambling, the games can be as simple or as complex as you desire, and many online table games will even have difficulty or experience levels options meaning you never have to feel too overwhelmed or out of depth.
What Kind of Table Games are Accessible Online?
Nowadays, everything is accessible online, and most come with table games bonuses. You heard right. Table games casinos are always looking to attract and secure new players to their platform and will hand out payouts and table games bonuses to convince you they’re the right place for you to spend your money and time.
Table games casinos attract players of all different experience levels, and even entry-level players will find table games bonuses can stretch a long way if approached right and with research.
To stop you wasting your gaming time trying to hunt the best tables games casinos and table games bonuses, we’ve compiled a list for you! Remember to gamble sensibility and use your bonuses as wisely as you can!
There are many types of table games to be played online. The most popular are Blackjack, Baccarat, and Roulette. You can play these live online or use ‘fun modes’ to try out different game types free. But how do you play these games?
Here’s the overview of what you can find as table games online, as well as what you can try your luck on and for free in our lobby.
Playing Roulette
Have you heard the phrase ‘put it all on black’? Then you’ve heard of roulette. It’s fairly simple and a pure chance game. It lacks the skill and complexity I was talking about earlier but keeps all the fun.
It begins with a wheel, with numbers around the rim and a red-black pattern. This wheel is spun, and your job is to guess where it will land. For example, you can guess the colour (either red or black), you could guess a single number (which lowers the chances of guessing correctly, but would mean a bigger reward), or you could guess a combination of numbers.
The more specific the guess, the lower the chance to be right, and the bigger the payout. Remember online table casinos have mathematicians dedicated to calculating what odds will be tied to what rewards are possible. And casino mathematicians will make sure the odds are always in favour of the casino, or the so called house.
There are different types of roulette. French roulette, European roulette, and American roulette all have different returns to player percentages, and it’s worth reading about these before you commit to a particular table type.
Playing Blackjack
This game does take more skill. The game seems simple, but this is, as we discussed earlier, a game that is only as complex as you want to make it. When you sit down at a virtual game table, bets will be placed, and you will be dealt 2 cards, to begin with.
You want to get to a combined value of 21, or as close to it. The dealer will also deal themselves 2 cards and place a card face up in the middle of the table. Players can choose not to take more cards (this is called stand) or take another card (this is called hit).
If you go over 21, you’ve gone bust, and you’ve lost whatever bet is placed on the table. The dealer has a different goal. They want to keep dealing cards to himself until he reaches 17 or more.
Most online table games will allow you to walk through or practice blackjack before expecting you to lay down your cold hard cash. There are plenty of terms that are almost exclusive online table casinos jargon.
Phrases like doubling down, face cards, hole cards, insurance (bet), and soft hands will start to crop up, especially in table games casinos that allow live chats. Don’t be alarmed by these. Like all hobbies, the jargon will become second nature as you get to know blackjack.
To help get to know this online table game, it may be worth investing in table games casinos that offer the best and most lucrative table games bonuses. Check out our list to gather some ideas.
Baccarat
Baccarat is a game of chance but a very fast-paced game. In general, players have a one in three chance of winning, so this is a game with high potential player payouts.
What are the Benefits of Playing Online?
For one, you can gamble in your pyjamas, or while the tv is on in the background. Pure and simple table games casinos are some of the most convenient ways to play on the play. Table games bonuses are also a big benefit.
These bonuses mean first time or returning players have the chance to stretch their deposits for longer and more consistent gameplay. In addition, table games casinos are great places for beginning table gamblers to learn.
You can keep a web page of instructions open, play on free mode, and enable walkthroughs to help you get your head in the game.
What are the Cons of Playing Online?
There is a lot to be said for body language and ‘reading’ other players when it comes to table games. To help inhibit this limitation, most online table games are automated, so you’re not really missing out on not seeing the dealers or opponents (often because they’re actually just software)!
This also minimizes chances of cheating and corruption so you can approach table games casinos with confidence and security.