The four games, and what they cost
| Game | Best available edge | Worst common variant | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | ~0.5% with basic strategy | ~2% at 6:5 payouts | Payout for a natural, dealer rules, deck count |
| Roulette | 1.35% French, even-money bets | 5.26% American | Number of zeros, La Partage rule |
| Baccarat | 1.06% on banker | 14.4% on the tie bet | Which of three bets you pick |
| Casino poker variants | 2-3% with correct play | 5%+ on side bets | Whether you play the side bets at all |
Baccarat deserves a note because it is the simplest good bet in the building and almost nobody in Britain plays it. Bet banker every hand, ignore the tie, and you are facing just over one per cent with no decisions to get wrong. It is dull, and dull is the point.
Why the rules matter more than the strategy
You can play perfect basic strategy at a 6:5 blackjack table and still be facing a worse edge than a mediocre player at a 3:2 table. The same logic runs through every table game: the structural choice is worth multiples of the tactical one. Pick the table first, then worry about how to play it.
Choosing the table is ninety per cent of table-game strategy. Everything written about card counting applies to a room most people have never been in.
Nell Ashworth
Software tables versus live tables
An RNG table deals from a certified generator, runs as fast as you click, and usually has lower minimums. A live table has a human dealer, real cards, and a pace set by other players. The maths is identical when the rules are identical; what changes is rounds per hour, and that is the real multiplier on your expected loss. Forty hands an hour at 0.5% is a very different evening from two hundred hands at the same edge. The studios themselves are covered at live casino.
Side bets: where the edge hides
- Perfect Pairs, 21+3, Insurance. House edges between 4% and 12%. They exist because they are profitable, not because they are fun.
- Tie in baccarat. 8:1 on a bet that deserves 9:1 at minimum — one of the worst propositions offered anywhere.
- Roulette “call bets”. Neighbours and the racetrack layout do not change the edge at all; they just make it easier to stake more.
None of these are scams. They are clearly priced and clearly disclosed. They are simply a much worse deal than the main game they sit next to, and they account for a large share of what table games earn.
Bonuses and table games
If you are playing with bonus funds, check the contribution table before anything else. Blackjack and roulette typically count for 10% of wagering or are excluded outright, and some sites void a bonus entirely if you place a bet above a stated maximum on a table game. That last rule catches more people than any other, because it is a condition you can breach without noticing. The general mechanics are on the no deposit bonus page.
Every site in our tables goes through the same four steps in the same order. We judge what actually happens, not what the front page says.How we test a casino
Which table game should a beginner start with?
Baccarat on the banker bet, if you want the lowest edge with no decisions. Blackjack with a strategy card if you want the lowest edge overall and do not mind learning a table.
Can you count cards online?
Not at an RNG table — the deck is effectively reshuffled every hand. At a live table the shoe is shuffled early and often for the same reason. Treat it as not available.
Are live dealer tables slower?
Yes, typically 30 to 50 rounds an hour against several times that on software. That slowness is a feature if you care about how long your money lasts.
Do table games count towards wagering?
Usually at 10%, sometimes 0%. Always read the contribution table rather than the headline, and check whether a maximum bet rule applies.
