House Edge · Probability · Strategy

The casino always wins.
Unless you know the numbers.

Every bet on every game — analyzed with real mathematics. No opinions, no guesswork, no casino marketing. Just the numbers.

0.06% Baccarat Banker Edge
5.26% Roulette (double zero)
47.3% Face Cards side bet
25+ Games Analyzed

Quick Reference

House Edge at a Glance

The most important number in any casino game — updated with exact figures.

Game / Bet Key Rule House Edge Verdict
Baccarat
Banker bet
Standard rules, 8 decks 1.06% BEST BET
Blackjack
Basic strategy
Standard Vegas rules 0.5% BEST BET
Beat the Dealer
Dealer Bet — Config A
All ties push, 6 decks 0.00% BEST BET
Craps
Pass Line with full odds
3-4-5x odds allowed 0.37% BEST BET
Three Card Poker
Ante + Play
Queen-6-4 strategy 3.37% ACCEPTABLE
Ultimate Texas Hold'em
Ante + Blind
Optimal play 2.19% ACCEPTABLE
Roulette
Any bet
American wheel (00) 5.26% AVOID
Blackjack
Insurance bet
Standard deck 7.69% NEVER TAKE
Casino War
Tie bet
6 decks 18.65% AVOID
Keno
Any ticket
Standard casino keno 25–40% WORST BET

All figures based on exact combinatorial mathematics. House edge represents the casino's expected long-run advantage per dollar wagered. See full analysis →

Analysis & Strategy

Game by Game Breakdowns

Every article is built on verified mathematics — not casino marketing copy.

Essential Reading

Foundation

The Complete House Edge Guide — Every Major Casino Game Explained

0.5% → 40% range across all games

Before you place a single chip, you need to understand house edge — the single number that determines how much every casino game costs you to play. This guide covers every major game with exact figures, no rounding, and no spin. If you read one article on this site, make it this one.

Read the full guide

New Game

Beat the Dealer — The New Casino Card Game With Two Independent Bets

0.00% dealer bet edge

A new patented card game where two mandatory bets settle completely independently on every hand. You can lose your prediction and still beat the dealer — or vice versa. Full rules, all odds, and the math behind every bet.

Read the analysis

Must Read

The Worst Bets in the Casino — And What to Play Instead

up to 40% house edge on worst bets

Some casino bets are so bad they should come with a warning label. Keno, the Big Six wheel, the Tie bet in baccarat, insurance in blackjack — this article names them all with the actual numbers and tells you what to play instead.

See the worst offenders

Table Games

Three Card Poker — Complete Odds and Strategy Guide

3.37% house edge, optimal play

Three Card Poker is one of the most widely placed table games in the world. The strategy is simple — one decision per hand. But the Pair Plus and 6-Card Bonus side bets are a different story. We break down every bet with full math.

Read the breakdown

Strategy

Blackjack Basic Strategy — Why It Works and What It Actually Saves You

0.5% edge with basic strategy

Most sites just hand you a chart. We explain the mathematics behind why every decision in basic strategy is correct — and what it costs you in real dollars every time you deviate from it.

Learn the math

Table Games

Baccarat Demystified — Simple Game, Surprisingly Good Odds

1.06% banker bet edge

Baccarat intimidates players who have never tried it. It should not. You make one decision — Banker, Player or Tie — and the dealer does everything else. The banker bet has one of the lowest house edges in the building.

Understand baccarat

Side Bets

Side Bets — Which Are Worth It and Which Are Pure Casino Revenue

5–47% typical side bet range

Side bets generate more casino revenue per square foot than almost anything else on the floor. Some are reasonable. Many are not. We run the exact probabilities on the most common side bets across blackjack, poker games and baccarat.

See the numbers

Table Games

Ultimate Texas Hold'em — Full Odds Breakdown on Every Bet

2.19% combined edge, optimal play

UTH gives players more decisions than most table games — Pre-Flop, Flop or Turn, plus the Trips bonus side bet. Each decision has a right answer backed by mathematics. This guide covers all of them with the exact house edge on every bet.

See the full analysis

Education

How Casinos Calculate House Edge — The Math Every Player Should Know

P(win)×Pay the core formula

House edge is not a secret — it is a calculation. Once you understand how it is derived from probability and payout, you can evaluate any bet on any game for yourself. This article walks through the math with plain-English examples.

Learn the formula

Slots

Slots — RTP, Volatility and What Those Numbers Actually Mean

2–15% typical slot house edge

Every slot machine has a published Return to Player percentage — but most players have no idea what it means or how to use it. We explain RTP, volatility, hit frequency and how to read a pay table to make better decisions on the slot floor.

Understand slots math

Why Trust This Site

Written by someone who does the math for a living.

Casino Odds Insider is written by an independent casino game inventor and odds analyst with direct experience designing and certifying table games for casino placement. Every figure on this site is derived from exact combinatorial mathematics — not borrowed from another website.

When we say a bet carries a 2.27% house edge, that number comes from enumerating every possible outcome from a six-deck shoe — not from rounding someone else's estimate.

Casino Game Inventor

Created and patented Beat the Dealer — a new casino table card game currently in placement discussions with casino operators.

Exact Combinatorial Analysis

All house edge figures calculated by enumerating every possible outcome — no simulation, no approximation, no borrowing.

No Affiliate Bias

This site recommends the bets with the best odds — not the games that pay the highest referral commission.

Get the Weekly Odds Report

New game analyses, side bet breakdowns and strategy updates — delivered once a week. No spam, no casino promotions.