House Edge Comparator
Compare the mathematical cost of casino games across categories.
Compare Two Games
All Games (25)
| Game | Category | House Edge | RTP | Skill Impact | Volatility | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Video Poker - Jacks or Better (Optimal) Full pay 9/6 Jacks or Better with perfect strategy. | Video Poker | 0.46% | 99.54% | High | High | 1 |
Blackjack (Basic Strategy) Optimal play using basic strategy charts. Skill can reduce edge to ~0.5%. | Card Games | 0.50% | 99.50% | High | Medium | 2 |
Baccarat (Banker Bet) Best baccarat bet with 5% commission on wins. | Card Games | 1.06% | 98.94% | No Skill | Low | 3 |
Baccarat (Player Bet) No commission bet, slightly higher edge than banker. | Card Games | 1.24% | 98.76% | No Skill | Low | 4 |
Craps (Don't Pass) Slightly better edge than pass line, "wrong" bettor. | Craps | 1.36% | 98.64% | Low | Medium | 5 |
Craps (Pass Line) Main bet in craps with low edge. | Craps | 1.41% | 98.59% | Low | Medium | 6 |
Blackjack (Average Player) Typical player making occasional strategy errors. | Card Games | 2.00% | 98.00% | High | Medium | 7 |
Video Poker (Average Player) Typical player using suboptimal strategy. | Video Poker | 2.00% | 98.00% | High | High | 8 |
Pai Gow Poker Slow-paced poker variant, banker option. | Card Games | 2.50% | 97.50% | High | Medium | 9 |
European Roulette Single zero wheel with 2.70% edge on all bets. | Roulette | 2.70% | 97.30% | No Skill | Medium | 10 |
Craps (Field Bet) One-roll bet with moderate edge. | Craps | 2.78% | 97.22% | No Skill | High | 11 |
Casino War Simple card game, go to war on ties. | Card Games | 2.88% | 97.12% | No Skill | High | 12 |
Sic Bo Asian dice game with varying edge by bet. | Table Games | 2.90% | 97.10% | No Skill | High | 13 |
Three Card Poker Popular poker variant against dealer. | Card Games | 3.40% | 96.60% | Medium | High | 14 |
Let It Ride Poker-based game with two decision points. | Card Games | 3.51% | 96.49% | Medium | High | 15 |
Slots (96% RTP) Above-average slot machine. | Slots | 4.00% | 96.00% | No Skill | High | 16 |
Sports Betting (Standard Vig) Standard -110 lines on point spread/totals. | Sports Betting | 4.55% | 95.45% | Medium | Medium | 17 |
Caribbean Stud Poker Poker variant with progressive jackpot. | Card Games | 5.22% | 94.78% | Low | High | 18 |
American Roulette Double zero wheel with 5.26% edge. | Roulette | 5.26% | 94.74% | No Skill | Medium | 19 |
Slots (94% RTP) Average slot machine in most casinos. | Slots | 6.00% | 94.00% | No Skill | High | 20 |
Slots (92% RTP) Below-average slot machine. | Slots | 8.00% | 92.00% | No Skill | Extreme | 21 |
Big Six Wheel / Money Wheel Carnival game with very high edge. | Specialty Games | 11.11% | 88.89% | No Skill | Extreme | 22 |
Baccarat (Tie Bet) High payout (8:1 or 9:1) but terrible odds. | Card Games | 14.36% | 85.64% | No Skill | High | 23 |
Keno Lottery-style game with terrible odds. | Specialty Games | 25.00% | 75.00% | No Skill | Extreme | 24 |
Lottery (Powerball/Mega Millions) State lottery with 50% house edge. | Specialty Games | 50.00% | 50.00% | No Skill | Extreme | 25 |
House Edge Visualization
Best Games (Lowest House Edge)
Worst Games (Highest House Edge)
Key Insights
Blackjack basic strategy reduces the house edge to ~0.5%, one of the best bets in the casino.
American roulette nearly doubles the house edge of European roulette (5.26% vs 2.70%).
Tie bets in baccarat offer attractive 8:1 payouts but have a terrible 14.36% house edge.
Video poker with optimal strategy can have less than 0.5% edge, and some variants offer player advantage.
Slot machines typically have 4-15% house edge, with airport and bar locations often worse.
Keno and Big Six Wheel have house edges of 11-40%, among the worst bets available.
State lotteries keep approximately 50% of ticket sales, making them poor value compared to casino games.
Sports betting requires winning 52.38% of -110 bets just to break even.
Skill matters: Poor blackjack play can increase edge from 0.5% to 2%+.
Volatility vs Edge: Low-edge games like baccarat have lower variance; slots have high edge AND high variance.
Learn More in Odds Academy
Understanding House Edge
House Edge
House Edge is the mathematical advantage the casino holds over players, expressed as a percentage of each wager. For example, a 2% house edge means the casino expects to keep $2 for every $100 wagered over the long run. This edge ensures the casino profits over time and cannot be overcome in games of pure chance.
Return to Player (RTP)
Return to Player (RTP) is the percentage of wagered money a game returns to players over time. It is the inverse of house edge: RTP = 100% - House Edge. A 97% RTP means players get back $97 for every $100 wagered on average. Higher RTP is better for players.
Skill Influence
Skill impact measures how much player decisions affect the house edge. Games like slots and roulette have no skill influence—the edge is fixed. Blackjack and video poker have high skill impact; optimal strategy can reduce edge significantly, while poor play increases it.
Variance
Variance (or volatility) measures the swings in short-term results. High variance games like slots can have bankroll swings of 50-100% in a session. Low variance games like baccarat offer more predictable, gradual outcomes. High variance with high house edge is a dangerous combination.
Comparing Games
When comparing games, consider both house edge and volatility. A game with 1% edge but high variance might be riskier than a 2% edge game with low variance for short sessions. Skill-based games reward learning; pure chance games offer no improvement path.
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Sources: House edge values are sourced from Wizard of Odds, Casino.org, and UNLV Center for Gaming Research. Values represent optimal play where applicable. Actual casino rules may vary slightly.