- Baccarat has two casino game odds that give players a chance to win big, baccarat (banker) with odds of 45.86% and baccarat (player) at 44.62%.
- Blackjack is one of the easiest games to find odds over 40%, with some strategies and techniques enabling players to take it above 99%.
- Video poker offers exceptional odds, with full payouts returning 99.9% or more when played perfectly.
Winning in a casino is never a sure thing. It’s meant to be a place where the house has an edge over players. However, some have better casino game odds than others.
This guide will figure out which casino games have the best odds by looking at RTP rates and individual games with the best odds. There are plenty of great finds, including some you probably wouldn’t expect, such as .
If wanting the best possible chance to win while playing at the , read below for some incredibly helpful tips and information.
Ranking Casinos Games by Odds
Before getting too deep into this piece, let’s start with the basics: how do you rank casino games by their odds?
As previously mentioned, casino games are set up so that the operator has a slight advantage over patrons. This advantage is known as the house edge.
The house edge tells players how much benefit the casino has on any given bet. It is calculated by expressing the difference between the true odds of a wager and the amount paid out as winner.
For example, full-pay Deuces Wild video poker has a house edge of less than 0.5%; meanwhile, American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%. Let’s say that players bet $100 each on both games for an hour.
In the former, the player should lose about $0.50, meaning they finish with $100.00 + $100.00 – $0.50 = $99.50. Contrast that with the latter, where the player should lose about $5.26, leaving them with $100.00 – $5.26 = $94.74.
In this hypothetical scenario, playing video poker gives the player a higher expected cash balance compared to roulette. The ranking here is that video poker is better, mathematically, than roulette, and therefore has “better” odds.
Another way to look at this is through paying attention to return to player (RTP) rates.
This metric shows how much a game pays out compared to what it takes in. For instance, an online slot with an 95% RTP returns $95 for every $100 wagered. The house edge for this machine would then be 5%, as it takes $5 for every $100 played.
In general, the higher the RTP, the better the casino game odds. A slot with an RTP of 98% is better than one that returns 90% of all cash wagered.
One other point before moving forward. Some games come in different variations or versions. In these cases, it might be appropriate to discuss each individually. For example, European roulette has a house edge of 2.70%, while its American counterpart is almost three times higher.
Now that we know how to rank games let’s move onto the list of the top 10 casino games in order from worst to first.
10. Slot Games
Slots are the lifeblood of the modern casino industry.
Almost all gaming floors dedicate more space to them than any other gaming option. Online casinos often have hundreds — if not thousands — of slot machines available for play.
But do slots make the best casino odds list? Unfortunately, no.
The issue with slot machines relates to bankroll variance. Everyone has seen or heard about people winning huge sums from spinning the reels. What many don’t realize is that big wins are one part of a larger equation that includes massive losses by other patrons.
That’s the nature of randomness. Not everyone can win when the results of any spin or spin group (known as a hand) have equal chances.
To illustrate, imagine a car dealership offering a promotion where the next X cars off the assembly line will have the purchase price determined by rolling a die. Those who participate have the same chance to get a low number (great car buying odds) as someone else who chooses to wait.
But those who participate and get high numbers (roll a six, for example) may feel like the dealer wasn’t being fair. Of course, the truth is that participating customers just happened to bear the cost of the next car(s) sold to someone else.
Most online slots offer average RTP rates between 90% and 97%. These percentages are misleading because they fail to consider variability.
A game with a 95% RTP will generate positive returns 95 cents out of every dollar wagered. But the specifics of that math don’t consider the size of the wins versus the losses.
It’s possible — and probable — for players to experience periods where they lose far more than the true RTP would dictate. The good news about the best casino games with the best odds is that slot players can use to help even things out.
There are some titles that offer better odds due to higher RTPs. Plus, some gamblers using optimal development theories can increase the already implied RTP rate even further.
By playing looser machines, experienced gamblers can improve their chances of winning. Unfortunately, they also encounter more variation along the way.
Overall RTP rates for all online slot games range from 92% to 98%.
Those looking for the best casino games with the best odds should try Koi Fortunes, which has an RTP of 98.20%.
You can also check out these other highly rated slots with great casino game odds.
9. Craps
Craps has a reputation as a complex game only played by a select few. While certain bets are more complicated than others, the game itself is relatively simple to learn.
Even better, craps provides players with a wide range of options. Several wagers provide the court with a very low house edge — the lowest, in fact, of most casino games.
We can break down the various bets offered at the craps table into four groups based on their odds:
Online Casinos Offering the Highest Match Bonuses- Pass/Don’t Pass/Lay — These wagers involve betting on whether the shooter’s next roll will be a 7 or 11 (Pass/Don’t Pass) or a 2, 3, or 12 (Don’t Pass/Lay). Pass and Don’t Pass bettors win if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, while Don’t Pass and Don’t Lay users triumph when a 2, 3, or 12 appears. The house edge for Pass and Don’t Pass bets is only 1.41%; Don’t Pass and Don’t Lay wagers come in at 1.36%.
- Come/Don’t Come/Lay— Players can make Come and Don’t Come bets once a Point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is established. If the next roll matches any of these numbers, the Come or Don’t Come wager becomes active. The house edge on these bets is the same as Pass and Don’t Pass/Lay. Bettors can then continue making Come or Don’t Come wagers with the same odds as the initial bet.
- Place — Several Place bets are always open, allowing players to wager on specific numbers appearing before a 7. The odds paid on Place wins are 4:5 for placing the 4 or 10, 5:6 for the 5 or 9, and 6:6 for the 6 or 8. The house edge for these bets is 4.81% on 4 and 10, 1.57% on 5 and 9, and 1.47% on 6 and 8.
- Proposal / Top Lines — These bets involve wagering that the next roll will be a specific number. The three most common are the “Any 7” bet (which pays off at 4:1 with a house edge of 5.56%), the “Any 11” wager (20:1 house edge of 16.67%), and the “Field” bet (even money, or 100%, minus a house edge of 2.78% because a 2, 3, 4, 10, and 11 all lose against a 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9).
Action in a craps game moves quickly but predictably. Players willing to stick with the lower-edge bets should find their bankroll lasting longer than those chasing the bigger scores.
Unfortunately, the lure of the big score is often too great for most participants. The results are several otherwise intelligent folks wagering their profits — and sometimes their entire stack — on any 11.
All those Prop/Top Line bets have terrible casino game odds, coming in at around 90.5% RTP.
When pushing aside these bad wagers, craps finds itself near the middle of the pack regarding overall casino game odds. With Playtech’s Any Bullied Any Bear slot machine having an RTP of 98.20%, craps falls short by a hair.
Some of the best casino games in the world of craps include Come/Don’t Pass/Lay because they come in at 98.17% with a 1.47% house edge.
8. Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker uses traditional poker rankings but allows players to create two separate hands — one of five cards and one of two cards — from seven.
Many see this discrepancy as helping the house, but that’s not entirely true.
Yes, every player at the table sets their two hands publicly, so some card combinations are prohibited.
The five-card hand must be higher than the two-card hand. No player can show a pair in the two-card hand unless their five-card hand is a high card (ace) hand.
The house way of setting the losing hands ensures the best odds in pai gow poker.
Where pai gow poker odds come into play is with pushes. Every round has four possible outcomes for each player’s hand:
- Player wins both hands
- Banker wins both hands
- Player wins high hand; banker wins low hand
- Player wins low hand; banker wins high hand (tie-breaker is by looking at the unneeded fourth through seventh cards)
Each tie increases the number of outs (combinations of cards that will win the round) for both player and banker.
By having the banker set the losing hands, that person removes more ties from the outcome set. As a result, the player side has slightly better odds, putting pai gow poker on the list of games with the best casino odds.
While most online sites offer pai gow poker with an average of 2.84% house edge, some go even lower. A house edge of 2.80% puts the RTP at 97.20%, making it one of the highest paying casino games.
7. European Roulette
I know what some of you are thinking: “What is European roulette?” and “How is it better than the American version?”
Let’s start with the basics.
is the same as American roulette but has only a single zero pocket. Here’s an example of how the different number of pockets affects the odds.
A bettor places $100 on red 10 on both wheels.
- On the French roulette wheel, they would win $190 on average per 100 units bet ($90 return – 10% house edge).
- On the American roulette wheel, they would win $95 on average per 100 units bet ($95 return – 5% house edge).
European roulette provides players with better casino game odds, especially in the long run. The lack of a double zero pocket reduces the house edge to 2.70%, which is more than twice as good as the American version.
Unfortunately, finding tables offering this game inside brick-and-mortar establishments can be tough outside of European countries.
The good news is that most online casinos offer European roulette. And since there’s only one additional rule to be aware of, understanding how to play becomes easy.
All outside bets (splits, streets, corners, lines, columns, and dozens) have an 81% RTP. Inside bets range from 83.33% (for a straight up) to 91.67% (for a split).
One point worth considering involves en prison rules. This regulation states that if a player makes an even-money bet (e.g., red/black or odd/even) and the ball lands on zero, they can choose to either lose the bet or leave it on the board for the next spin.
Going with the en prison option increases casino game winning percentage by 1.35 percentage points.
Unfortunately, not all sites offer this feature. Make sure to check the rules before assuming that your bets will stay in place if the ball lands in the zero pocket.
In terms of actual odds in roulette, the best house edge you can find is 2.70% with Any Roulette by Betlive. Any Roulette features both European and French roulette variants.
French roulette doesn’t have a zero, but it also has a feature that explains the reason behind why some consider it the game with the best odds in a casino.
La Partage refers to the en prison rule I mentioned earlier and is usually included in French roulette tables. When the ball lands on zero, the player will lose half of their even money bets.
Unlike en prison, however, you have the choice to accept the halving or take your money back.
This addition lowers the house edge to 1.35%, making it arguably the best game to play at a casino. Unfortunately, finding a physical casino that offers French roulette, let alone one that adheres to la partege rules, is extremely difficult.
If you’re dying to know how to play roulette and want to take advantage of la partege, head over to Little Oak Casino. They offer a live dealer version of French roulette that abides by the la partege rule.
Unfortunately, they are the only ones currently offering it. If you’d rather play at the , there are plenty of European roulette games with an 97.30% RTP that you can enjoy.
6. Sic Bo
Walk up to any game of sic bo and you’ll likely wonder why this makes the cut for the best casino games with the best odds.
Players have a large house edge in front of them indicating a 91.83% RTP. That’s worse than many slot machines! How can this be one of the top ten games offering the best chances of winning in a casino?
The key is in the wagers offered and the ability to exploit them through strategy and optimal theory.
Sic bo is a dice game where players can bet on various combinations of three dice. Several wagers exist, but three are most important here:
- Big/Small — Sic bo offers wagers on the total combined value of all three dice. Big pays when this number is 11 (minimum total of 4), while Small wins when it’s 16 or more (maximum total of 11). These bets also include a combination of at least one of each suit (1, 2, 3; 2, 2, 3; 3, 2, 2). The house edge for both of these wagers is 2.78%.
- Totals — Sic bo lets players bet on the total value of all three dice. Common totals wagers include 4-10, 11-17, and 18-34. The house edge ranges from 2.78% (for 11-17) to 3.37% (for 4-10 and 18-34).
- Way Wagers — Way bets win when all three dice match a specific number (e.g., all 3; 2 & 3; 1 & 2 & 3). The house edge for all ways except 3, 3, 3 (the most common way to roll triple threes) is 27.00%. The margin for triples three is higher, coming in at an eye-popping 32.00%.
Skilled sic bo players concentrate on the Big/Small and various totals wagers. So does the house edge for Big/Small wagers (2.78%) approach those offered by craps (also 2.78%) and pai gow (around 2.80%)?
Unfortunately, no. Where skilled players come in is with the totals wagers.
Optimal theory for sic bo holds that the 11-17 totals bet has a 2.78% house edge, while 4-10 and 18-34 are close behind at 3.37% and 3.70%, respectively.
Compared to other games that offer small edges, like craps and pai gow, sic bo has more favorable table game odds. You can check out the top sic bo games online with an RTP ranging from 92.81% to 96.75%.
Great East Coast Casinos to VisitThe best game to play at a casino for this is Sic Bo Hero, which comes in at 96.75% with a 3.25% house edge.
Not only does sic bo rank high among the best games with the best odds, but it’s also one of the as well.
You can also check out these other highly rated sic bo games with great casino game odds.
5. Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular games in any casino.
The primary reasons for this are fast play, relatively low house edges, and skill involvement. Patrons can develop a , becoming more adept at making decisions that lead to greater profits.
Nearly every blackjack variant offered in land-based establishments and online sites has a house edge between 0.50% and 2.00%. Many consider as having the lowest house edge of any casino game.
Surprisingly, even that variant comes in behind a little-known European blackjack game.
Available mostly in Europe and Macau, this variant uses the same rules as its mainstream counterpart but removes the hole card used at the beginning of each hand. Instead, the dealer draws the second card after all players complete their hands.
The loss of this one card decreases the player’s advantage by 0.13 percentage points, making the house edge 0.70%.
Of course, finding places to play this variant — either live or online — can be problematic for most gamblers.
I recently discovered a game titled Neo Blackjack at Drake that has an interesting twist and competitive casino game odds.
The standard rules and 6:5 payout for natural blackjacks notwithstanding, Neo Blackjack offers these unique factors:
- All player totals of 20 (including 20 as the first two cards) push, rather than lose.
- 20 is also an automatic stand, meaning no action is needed from the player.
These regulations remove nearly all pushes from the equation. Where other blackjack games can see a player action 10% or more of the time result in a push, Neo Blackjack eliminates most of them.
Reducing ties improves the RNG casino game winning percentage to 99.28%, which is the highest of any blackjack game. The house edge is a mere 0.72%, better than European blackjack and almost two times better than Victorian Blackjack, which comes in second-to-last on our list of the best casino games with the best odds.
Unfortunately, Neo Blackjack isn’t available outside of Drake Casino. If you can’t access this exciting variant, look for Microgaming’s Classic Blackjack, which offers an 99.21% RTP and 0.69% house edge.
Blackjack is easily one of the , but there are quite a few variations that also deserve a shout out.
One of those variations is Face Up 21, which ranks as one of the best casino games with the best odds.
Great Reasons to Play Poker Online in America4. Baccarat
Baccarat has long been considered the game of 007 and wealthy players worldwide.
Whether accurate or not, this perception keeps many potential winners away from the finest baccarat tables. Those who eschew the game due to its supposed lack of accessible limits are making a mistake.
Baccarat can provide some of the best casino game odds for winners.
All action in a baccarat game revolves around three possible outcomes: player, banker, or tie. The banker wager carries the smaller casino game odds of 1.06%, making it one of the top choices for smart gamblers.
Some sites add a 5% commission when the banker hand wins, but that money goes toward offsetting the only marginally-larger 1.24% player house edge. You can ignore this point when shopping for a site on which to play.
Ties occur sufficiently often to reduce the banking house edge, coming in at 1.17%. Most ties pay 8:1, which some gamblers avoid because of the high variance involved.
Every $100 wager on the tie that pushes on average is a net loss of $5.60 per hour. Replace the tie bet with basic strategy players lowers this number to $2.80, a substantial improvement.
Look for sites offering baccarat and its ties bet with an 8.55 RTP to take full advantage of this underrated casino game.
3. Video Poker
The introduction of video poker machines changed gambling forever. Full disclosure — I view video poker machines as closer cousins to ATMs, putting money directly in the player’s hands instead of the casino.
Choose the right variant and get optimum or near-optimum payoffs for all winning hands, and video poker approaches the realm of certainty.
Full Pay Video Poker (FPVP) machines provide an RTP of 99.54%.
The key phrase in that description is “Full Pay.” Several variants use different pay tables but ensure FPVP status by offering this pay scheme:
- 9 / 6 Jacks or Better
- 9 / 5 Bonus Poker
- 9 / 5 Bonus Deluxe
- 9 / 5 Double Bonus
- 9 / 5 Double Double Bonus
The first number in the pay table indicates how much is awarded for a non-graded Four of a Kind. The second number represents the multiple for the best Four of a Kind hand.
With 9 / 6 Jacks or Better, each winning hand receives 9 units, with 6X for a royal flush. Here’s a quick example of how that works.
- Average return per $100 wager on Jacks or Better at 9 / 6 pay table is $95.54, a house edge of 0.46%.
- Average return per $100 wager on Jacks or Better at 9 / 5 pay table is $95.00, a house edge of 0%.
- Average return per $100 wager on Jacks or Better at 8 / 5 pay table is $94.74, a house edge of 0.26%.
Given the choice between FPVP machines, I’ll take the one paying the 9 / 5 bonuses over the other two. Giving away 5 coins for a Five of a Kind hand means more maximum coins can be won on a single wager.
Some will disagree, stating that giving away 5 credits per hand at 0.80 cents on the dollar (5 credits x 0.80¢ = 40¢) creates a house edge of 0.24%, higher than that for the 8 / 5 machine.
They aren’t wrong, but they’ve missed the forest for the trees.
Video poker experts can put a lot of money to work at once. Someone with a bankroll of $1,000 could play 25 max coin hands at $8.00 per hand ($2.00 x 5 coins x 25 hands = $8.00).
Doing so once every 60 seconds means this player can put 48,000 hands to work per hour, with a potential loss of $2.25 per hour (48,000 hands x 0.25¢ = $1,200 – $980 = $2.20).
Rounded to the nearest minute, this expert would win an average of $95.54 per hour, a net positive of $97.34 ($95.54 – $2.21).
Factoring in the extra 0.07% house edge with 9 / 5 machines, this player would earn $89,826.67 per year ($97,340 – $7,513.33). On the 8 / 5 machines, annual winnings drop to $89,646.67.
So yeah, the extra 0.07% does matter, even though it seems insignificant.
There are plenty of video poker machines with varying odds. One of my personal favorites, All American 9/6, has a 9.60% RTP.
Jacks or Better 9/5 is hard to find at online casinos, but it still has one of the highest RTPs. You can find it at Drake Casino if you’re ever in need of the best casino games with the best odds.
2. Atlantic City Single-Deck Blackjack
The final two entries on this list of the best casino games to win at will surprise some readers. After all, the previous nine choices cover a broad range of casino offerings.
But sometimes, keeping it simple is the best option. Such is the case with Atlantic City single-deck blackjack.
Only one online site offers this variant, so location restrictions may keep many from experiencing this wonderful game.
Atlantic City single-deck blackjack uses the typical eight-deck A.C. Rules structure but applies them to a single deck.
House edge factors include:
- Dealer reshuffles the card deck after every hand.
- Player 21 beats dealer 20 (non-natural): 4.83%
- Player 21 beats dealer 20 (natural): 8.13%
- Dealer 21 beats player 20 (non-natural): 6.65%
- Dealer 21 beats player 20 (natural): 12.50%
- Insurance pays 2:1
- Dealer wins ties (except on 22)
- Even-money payment for player 21 (on hands totaling 20)
- Early surrender (half-back) allowed
- Late surrender allowed
With these rules, blackjack has a house edge of just 0.39%, making it the second-best casino game with great odds.
The only game with a lower house edge is a variant that’s seldom seen outside of Macau.
Called , this game starts with two holes cards dealt to the dealer. Once all players complete their hands, the house reveals the second card.
Here are the differences between European and Atlantic City single-deck blackjack:
The biggest change is the removal of the hole card, which decreased the house edge from 0.39% to 0.19%.
European blackjack moves casino game winning percentage to 99.81%, making it the best casino game with great odds. Unfortunately, this game isn’t found anywhere outside of Macau.
If you can’t get to Macau, stick with Atlantic City single-deck blackjack.
Theory indicates that the Royal Ace Suite Blackjack 3D by Radiant Gaming comes in as the second-to-last game on our list of the best casino games with the best odds. Its 9.86% RTP translates to a 0.44% house edge.
1. Full Pay Caribbean Hold’em Poker Side Bet
Believe it or not, the casino game with the best odds is none other than full-pay Caribbean Hold’…poker?
Yes, hold’em. But a specific version and wager within the game.
Caribbean Hold’em Poker is a progressive jackpot variation of the familiar Texas Hold’em Poker game. Here’s a brief rundown of how to play:
- Each player, including the dealer, receives their own card face down.
- The dealer turns over three community cards. These cards are used by the dealer to make a hand and by each player to make their best two-card hand.
- Players decide whether or not to play each of their cards against the dealer’s hand. Surrendering a card forfeits any chance of winning with that card, receiving cards to replace it, and using that card to help determine the second poker hand.
- Once all players have decided whether or not to play each card, the dealer completes any played hands using the remaining unused cards. All hands are then compared, with wins paid according to the pay table.
Progressive jackside bets require a pair of 4s or better to win. This wager has an 8.59% RTP, which equates to a 1.41% house edge.
Since the house edge on regular actions is around 5%, playing for the progressive without looking at cards is a loser over the long term.
But activating (and winning) the progressive side bet pushes the game’s RTP to 96.76%, making it the casino game with the best odds.
Just remember that the full-pay variant of this side bet is occasionally replaced by looser machines that pay 25% of the large progressive instead of 10,000 chips. Always check the pay table before plunking down your money.
Caribbean Hold’em Progressive by Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) offers one of the highest odds in a casino. Their version of the game offers a 96.76% RTP.
You can also check out other versions of Caribbean Hold’em Poker with great casino game winning percentages, including the one by Betsoft, which has a 96.51% RTP.
What Are the Best Odds at a Casino?
When it comes to the question of “what are the best odds at a casino,” there are a lot of answers.
casinos fort lauderdaleEveryone has different preferences when it comes to gambling, and those preferences can alter the answer to this age-old question.
Some prefer to go for the thrill of it all and will pick slot machines or even keno, which have much worse odds than some table games. Others, like myself and likely most serious or professional gamblers, will pick baccarat.
You can’t go wrong with any of the top ten casino games with the best odds, whether it be baccarat, blackjack, sic bo, etc.
Even the games with the worst odds at a casino shouldn’t necessarily be avoided at all costs.
Sure, you’re not going to find Korean hoeryong ttosu (rule book here), which has a -156.36 House Edge according to the Wynn, signing up for the lottery. That’s one of the absolute best, folks!
But nothing in life is guaranteed except death and taxes, and finding the best casino game odds feels pretty darn close.
If you’re looking for the best online casinos with the best odds, look no further.
Footnotes:
- The House Advantage in Casino Dice Games provided by Wikipedia.
J.W. Paine is one of the most experienced writers at GamblingSites.com. He's written for television and the printed media, and is a former senior writer for the prestigious Daily Racing Form.
Paine is a former Las Vegasoddsmaker on the world's largest racetrack, and he brings a unique perspective on the gambling industry.