Learn pillar: House Edge Table
A house edge table is a simple cheat sheet that shows how expensive each game is on average. Not emotionally. Not “how it feels today.” Not “I’m on a heater.” Average cost — per $100 wagered — over the long run.
If you’ve ever asked “which casino games give me the best chances?” a house edge table is the cleanest starting point. It won’t make you beat the house by magic, but it will stop you from accidentally choosing the worst-value games and then wondering why your bankroll keeps leaking.
A house edge table doesn’t tell you what you’ll win today. It tells you what you’re paying for the entertainment over time.
House edge is the casino’s built-in advantage, expressed as a percentage of the money wagered. If a game has a 2% house edge, then in the long run you expect to lose about $2 per $100 wagered.
This is where players get tricked: the edge is paid on total wagered, not on deposits. If you deposit $100 and then spin/roll/bet that $100 over and over, your total wagered can become $1,000, $5,000, $20,000 without you feeling it. That’s why fast games and long sessions get expensive.
If you want the beginner-friendly foundation before the table, read:
RTP vs House Edge.
A house edge table is a comparison chart. Each row is a game (or a common version of a game). Each row lists the typical house edge range, and often a quick note about what changes it (rules, strategy quality, volatility, etc.).
It’s used for two practical things:
It does not guarantee short-term results. Variance can still punch you in the face. But it’s still the best “reality anchor” we have.
Below is a practical table you can use as a baseline. Real values depend on exact rules and versions, but the relationships are what matter: some games are naturally low-edge when played correctly; others are designed to be expensive.
How to read: House edge is the expected loss per $100 wagered in the long run. Lower is better for bankroll longevity.
| Game (Typical Version) | Typical House Edge | What Changes It | Quick Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack (with basic strategy) | ~0.5% (often ~0.3%–1.0%) | Rules, number of decks, payout (3:2 vs 6:5), your strategy | Low edge only if you play correctly |
| Baccarat (Banker bet) | ~1.0%–1.2% | Commission rules, variants | Simple, stable, low edge |
| Roulette (European) | ~2.7% | Wheel type (single vs double zero), special rules | American roulette is worse |
| Roulette (American) | ~5.26% | Double zero | Often a bankroll shredder |
| Craps (Pass Line with odds) | Low on the base bet; odds reduce effective edge | Bet type selection | Great if you know the bets |
| Slots (varies heavily) | Commonly ~2%–8%+ (sometimes higher) | Game RTP, jurisdiction, operator settings | High variance + edge = volatile cost |
| Keno | Often high (varies widely) | Paytable | Usually expensive entertainment |
| Video Poker (with perfect strategy) | Can be very low; some paytables are strong | Paytable + your strategy precision | Skill matters a lot |
| Provably fair “instant” games (Dice/Crash/Mines) | Depends on the specific game settings | Payout curve, risk settings, platform rules | Fairness ≠ low edge |
Two reminders that stop most confusion:
The table is not a holy book. It’s a steering wheel. Here’s the practical workflow that actually improves outcomes:
If you want your bankroll to last longer, you generally want lower house edge and manageable volatility. This is why blackjack (played well) and certain table games often beat random slot-hopping for “time per dollar.”
If the edge is 2% and you wager $5,000 total in a session, the long-run expected loss is roughly $100. Not guaranteed — but that’s the average cost of that volume.
This is why timeboxing matters. It limits volume by limiting exposure. Start here:
Timeboxing Sessions.
Even a low-edge game can wipe you out if you overbet. Unit size is the lever most players ignore, and it’s the one that decides whether a normal streak becomes a disaster.
Read:
Bankroll Management and
Risk of Ruin.
Stop-loss prevents revenge mode. Stop-win prevents donation mode. Both prevent your mood from turning a decent edge choice into a bad behavior session.
Guide:
Stop-Loss & Stop-Win Rules.
This is where smart people still lose money. They choose a low-edge game and then assume they can relax. But variance still exists. And variance is what you experience in sessions.
So a low-edge game can still produce ugly streaks. The difference is that you’re paying less long-run cost per wagered dollar, which gives your bankroll better odds of lasting — but only if you keep your behavior clean.
If the concept of variance still feels slippery, read:
Variance Explained.
House edge is not always a single fixed number. It can change with:
This is why tables should include “what changes it.” If a casino only says “low edge!” without specifying rules, that’s marketing, not math.
Provably fair can help you verify that a game’s outcomes weren’t manipulated (for games that provide verification data). That’s about trust.
House edge is about value: the expected cost of play.
You want both. But don’t mix them up. A game can be provably fair and still have a high edge. A game can have a low edge and still be offered by an operator you shouldn’t trust. Your brain wants a single label (“safe”), but reality uses two labels: trust and value.
Provably fair fundamentals:
Provably Fair Explained and
How to Verify a Provably Fair Bet.
You don’t need spreadsheets to get value from a house edge table. You can do a quick expected-loss estimate like this:
Expected loss ≈ Total Wagered × House Edge
Example: if your total wagered is $2,000 and the edge is 2.7% (European roulette), expected loss is about $54 on average. You might win or lose more in a short session due to variance, but this number keeps you grounded.
Notice how the calculation cares about total wagered, not deposit size. This is why “I only deposited $100” can still lead to very expensive sessions when volume gets high.
If you want one rule you can use today, use this:
Pick a low-edge game, then protect it with low exposure: small units, a timer, and stop rules.
People often do the opposite: they pick a low-edge game, then play it for hours with bigger units because it feels “safe.” That’s how the edge still collects rent — and how tilt sneaks in when a normal streak shows up.
If you want a copy/paste structure for sessions, use:
Session Rules Template.
A house edge table can improve decision-making, but it can’t replace boundaries. If gambling feels urgent, emotionally necessary, or hard to stop, please take that seriously and seek support. Sometimes the smartest edge is leaving the table.
Resources:
Responsible Gambling.
Not necessarily. Win frequency depends on the game’s payout structure and risk profile. Lower house edge means your long-run expected loss per dollar wagered is smaller, which usually helps bankroll longevity over time.
Many slots combine higher house edge with high volatility and fast spin volume. That means more total wagered and bigger swings—so bankrolls can drain quickly even if you hit some wins along the way.
No. Provably fair is about verifying fairness of outcomes. House edge is about expected cost. You want both, but they measure different things.
Use it to avoid the worst-value games, then keep sessions controlled: small unit size, timeboxing, and stop-loss/stop-win rules. That combination does more than any “system.”
It helps you minimize the cost of play and avoid mistakes, but it doesn’t create a guaranteed profit. The best “edge” a player can reliably build is behavioral: controlled exposure, clean exits, and no chasing.