Casino Games With the Best Odds
Short answer: the best odds in a casino are at the blackjack table with basic strategy (about 0.5%), a craps Pass Line backed by Odds (under 1%), and baccarat's Banker bet (1.06%). A full-pay video poker machine edges all of them on paper, with conditions. Below, every popular game ranked by house edge (the percentage the casino expects to keep), then the single best bet inside each one.
The ranking
| Rank | Game | Best Bet | House Edge | Skill? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Video Poker | 9/6, max coins | 0.46%* | Yes |
| 2 | Blackjack | Basic strategy | ~0.5% | Yes |
| 3 | Craps | Pass Line + max Odds | Under 1% | Partial |
| 4 | Baccarat | Banker | 1.06% | No |
| 5 | Three Card Poker | Play Q-6-4+ | ~2.0% | Partial |
| 6 | Ultimate Texas Hold'em | Raise 4x early | 2.19%/ante (0.53% e.o.r.) | Partial |
| 7 | Roulette | Any (all equal) | 5.26% | No |
*Video poker's 0.46% applies only on a full-pay 9/6 machine with perfect play and 5 coins bet. The wrong machine or imperfect play pushes it well above blackjack.
The best casino bets, bet by bet
"Best odds" is really a question about bets, not games. Craps has both the best and the worst wagers in the building on the same felt. So here is the same ranking one level down: the specific bet to make in each game, and what it costs.
| Bet | Game | House edge | Why it's the one |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odds bet behind Pass or Come | Craps | 0% | Paid at true odds. The only zero-edge wager in the casino; it only exists on top of a line bet. |
| Any hand played by basic strategy | Blackjack (3:2) | ~0.5% | Your decisions set the edge. Wrong plays push it past 2%; a 6:5 table roughly triples it. |
| Banker | Baccarat | 1.06% | Best no-decision bet on the floor. Player is 1.24%; the Tie is 14.36%. |
| Don't Pass / Pass Line | Craps | 1.36% / 1.41% | The foundation bets. Add Odds behind either and the blended edge drops under 1%. |
| Red, black, odd, even with la partage | Roulette (single zero) | 1.35% | Only on single-zero tables that return half on zero. Without the rule: 2.70% European, 5.26% American. |
| Place 6 or 8 | Craps | 1.52% | Pays 7:6. The best bet you can make on a specific number without a line bet. |
| Play with Q-6-4 or better | Three Card Poker | ~2.0% of money wagered | One rule to remember. The Pair Plus side bet is a steeper 2.32%. |
| Raise 4x with the right hands | Ultimate Texas Hold'em | 0.53% of money wagered | 2.19% of the ante, but a typical hand commits about 4x the ante, so the cost per dollar is low. Needs the strategy. |
Two patterns in that table. First, the cheap bets are the boring ones: line bets, Banker, even money. Second, in every skill game the low edge is conditional on playing the strategy, which is the case for practicing before you sit down. The worst bets in the casino page is the mirror image of this list.
1. Video poker: the lowest edge, with an asterisk
On a full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better machine, perfect play returns 99.54%: a 0.46% house edge, technically the lowest in the building. But it comes with conditions the other games don't have: you must find a true 9/6 paytable (stingier 8/5 machines jump to about 2.7%), bet the full 5 coins for the royal-flush bonus, and play every hand's optimal hold flawlessly. Get all three right and nothing beats it; miss any one and the edge climbs fast. Our video poker trainer shows the exact best hold every hand.
2. Blackjack: the best odds at a table
With correct basic strategy, blackjack's house edge drops to roughly 0.5%, the lowest you'll find at a table game, with none of video poker's machine-hunting. Your decisions consistently change the outcome: hitting, standing, doubling, and splitting at the right moments is what earns that low number. Play it wrong and the edge climbs to 2% or more, so the strategy is the whole point.
3. Craps: under 1% if you play it right
The Pass Line bet is 1.41%, but craps has a secret weapon: the Odds bet, the only wager in the casino with a 0% house edge. Backing your Pass Line with maximum odds pulls your overall edge below 1%. Stick to Pass/Come with odds and avoid the center-table proposition bets.
4. Baccarat: great odds, zero effort
Baccarat is the simplest game here: bet Banker and you face just a 1.06% edge with no decisions to make. Skip the Tie bet - its 14.36% edge is one of the worst on the floor.
5. Three Card Poker: one decision, low edge
Three Card Poker is played against the dealer, and the whole strategy is a single line: play Queen-Six-Four or better, fold everything worse. Follow it and the Ante-Play game runs about 2% as an element of risk (per dollar actually wagered), better than roulette and easy to learn. The optional Pair Plus side bet is a steeper 2.32%.
6. Ultimate Texas Hold'em: low element of risk, if you raise right
Ultimate Texas Hold'em is Hold'em against the dealer. Its house edge is usually quoted as 2.19% of the ante, but because a typical hand commits about 4.15× the ante, the element of risk is only ~0.53%, genuinely among the lowest in the casino. The catch is the strategy: you get one Play raise that shrinks each street (4× → 2× → 1×), so you must raise big early with the right hands. Misplay it and the edge climbs fast.
7. Roulette: fun, but the math is fixed
Every bet on an American (double-zero) roulette wheel carries the same 5.26% edge. The lone exception is the five-number bet (0-00-1-2-3) at 7.89%. Betting red is no safer than a single number in the long run. If you can find a single-zero European wheel, the edge drops to 2.70%.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which casino game has the best odds?
A full-pay 9/6 video poker machine returns 99.54% with perfect play: a 0.46% edge, the lowest in the house, but only with the right machine and flawless play. Blackjack with basic strategy is next at about 0.5%, craps with Pass Line + max odds dips under 1%, and baccarat's Banker bet is 1.06%.
What casino game has the worst odds?
American roulette (5.26% on nearly every bet) and sucker bets like craps Any Seven (16.67%) or the baccarat Tie (14.36%). Stingy 8/5 video poker machines (~2.7%) and slot machines (often 5 to 15%) are worse than they look.
Does skill change your odds?
Yes, in video poker, blackjack, craps, and Three Card Poker. Video poker rewards holding the right cards, blackjack rewards basic strategy, craps lets you take 0%-edge odds, and Three Card Poker has a one-line Play/Fold rule. Roulette and baccarat are pure chance.