Casino Games with the Best Odds — Complete Ranking

How We Rank Games by Odds

Every casino game has a built-in mathematical advantage for the house, known as the house edge. This percentage represents the average amount the casino keeps from every bet over the long term. A 2% house edge means the casino keeps $2 for every $100 wagered — the remaining $98 returns to players as winnings.

Our ranking is based purely on mathematics — the lower the house edge, the better the odds for you. We use the optimal strategy house edge for skill-based games (because that is the edge available to any player willing to learn), and the standard edge for games of pure chance.

Important context: a lower house edge does not guarantee you will win. It means you will lose LESS over time compared to higher-edge games. In any short session, variance can produce any outcome — big wins or big losses regardless of the house edge. But over dozens of sessions, the player consistently choosing 0.5% edge games will have dramatically more money than the player choosing 5% edge games.

The house edge also determines the cost of your entertainment. If you play for two hours at $10 bets, making about 60 bets per hour (120 bets total, $1,200 wagered), a 0.5% edge game costs you $6 on average while a 5% edge game costs you $60. Same time, same bet size, 10x difference in cost.

#1 Blackjack — 0.5% House Edge

Blackjack offers the best odds of any casino game when played with basic strategy. The house edge drops to approximately 0.5%, meaning the casino keeps just 50 cents for every $100 wagered. No other standard casino game comes close to this figure.

Basic strategy is a mathematically derived set of rules that tells you the optimal action (hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender) for every possible combination of your hand and the dealer's up card. It is not intuition or gut feeling — it is pure mathematics, calculated by simulating billions of hands. You can find basic strategy charts online and refer to them while playing at most online casinos.

Common basic strategy rules: Always split aces and eights. Never split tens or fives. Double down on 11 against dealer 2-10. Stand on hard 17 or higher. Hit on hard 12-16 against dealer 7 or higher. These rules alone eliminate most costly mistakes.

Rules that affect the house edge: Number of decks (fewer is better — single deck blackjack has the lowest edge), whether the dealer stands on soft 17 (better for you), whether doubling after splitting is allowed (better for you), and whether surrender is available (reduces edge by about 0.08%). An ideal blackjack game with favourable rules can have a house edge as low as 0.28%.

Where to play: Most online casinos offer blackjack from providers like Evolution Gaming (live dealer), NetEnt, and Playtech. For the best odds, look for games with favourable rules — especially dealer stands on soft 17 and double after split allowed. Live dealer blackjack from Evolution typically offers a house edge between 0.4% and 0.6% depending on the specific variant.

Without basic strategy, the average player faces a 2-3% house edge due to suboptimal decisions. Learning basic strategy is the single most valuable thing any casino player can do — it literally cuts the cost of playing blackjack by 75-80%.

#2 Craps — 1.36% House Edge

Craps intimidates many players with its busy table layout and dozens of betting options, but the core bets offer excellent odds. The Pass Line and Don't Pass bets have house edges of just 1.41% and 1.36% respectively, making craps one of the best games in any casino.

The simplest craps strategy: Bet the Don't Pass line (1.36% edge), then back it with maximum odds when a point is established. The odds bet has ZERO house edge — it is the only bet in the casino that pays at true mathematical odds. By combining a small Don't Pass bet with maximum odds, you can reduce the overall house edge on your total wager to well under 1%.

Pass Line bet: You win on the come-out roll if the shooter rolls 7 or 11, and lose on 2, 3, or 12. Any other number becomes the "point," and the shooter must roll that number again before rolling a 7 for you to win. House edge: 1.41%.

Don't Pass bet: The opposite of Pass Line. You win on 2 or 3, lose on 7 or 11, and push on 12 on the come-out roll. Once a point is established, you win if a 7 comes before the point. House edge: 1.36%. Slightly better odds than Pass Line.

Odds bet: Available after a point is established. Pays at true odds with zero house edge. Most online craps games offer 3x to 5x odds. This is the most favourable bet in any casino game.

Bets to AVOID in craps: Proposition bets (Big 6/8, hardways, any 7, any craps) have house edges ranging from 9% to 17%. The Field bet has a 5.56% edge on most tables. These sucker bets are what make craps profitable for the casino — smart players stick to Pass/Don't Pass plus odds and ignore everything else.

Online craps is available from providers like Evolution Gaming (live dealer) and various RNG providers. The game plays identically to its physical counterpart, with the same odds and betting options.

#3 Baccarat — 1.06% House Edge

Baccarat is the simplest game with excellent odds, making it a favourite of both casual players and high rollers. The Banker bet has a house edge of just 1.06%, and the game requires absolutely zero strategy or skill — you simply bet and watch.

The three bets in baccarat: Banker (1.06% house edge) — the best bet, wins slightly more than 50% of the time due to the drawing rules. The casino charges a 5% commission on Banker wins, which is already factored into the 1.06% edge. Player (1.24% house edge) — slightly worse odds than Banker but no commission. Tie (14.36% house edge) — an absolutely terrible bet that should never be made under any circumstances.

The optimal baccarat strategy is remarkably simple: bet Banker every single hand. That is the entire strategy. Some players like to track results and look for patterns (shoe tracking), but this has zero mathematical validity — each hand is independent, and past results do not influence future outcomes. The Banker bet wins approximately 45.86% of the time, the Player wins 44.62%, and Ties occur 9.52% of the time.

Why baccarat is ideal for beginners: There are no decisions to make that affect the outcome. You cannot misplay a hand or make a strategic error. The only mistake possible is betting on Tie or switching between Banker and Player based on superstition. Stick to Banker and you are guaranteed the 1.06% edge — the third-best odds in the casino.

Baccarat variants: Standard baccarat (punto banco) as described above is the most common variant. Speed Baccarat plays faster with shorter deal times. Lightning Baccarat by Evolution adds random multipliers up to 512x but has a higher house edge (around 2.5%). No-commission baccarat eliminates the 5% Banker commission but pushes when Banker wins with 6, resulting in a slightly higher edge of 1.46%.

Where to play: Evolution Gaming live baccarat is available at most major online casinos and offers the standard 1.06% Banker edge. For the best experience, choose standard baccarat over novelty variants.

#4 Video Poker — 0.5% to 5% House Edge

Video poker is unique because skilled play can achieve a house edge comparable to blackjack, yet most players are unaware of its potential. The best video poker variant — Jacks or Better with a 9/6 pay table — returns 99.54% with optimal strategy, giving the casino just a 0.46% edge.

What the pay table numbers mean: A "9/6" Jacks or Better machine pays 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush per coin wagered. An "8/5" machine pays 8 for a full house and 5 for a flush, reducing the RTP to 97.30% — a massive 2.24% difference in house edge. Always check the pay table before playing and seek out the best available version.

Optimal video poker strategy involves knowing which cards to hold and which to discard for every possible hand. Unlike blackjack, which has a relatively simple strategy chart, video poker strategy is more nuanced with many edge cases. However, the core principles are straightforward: always keep a made hand (pair or better), keep four to a flush or straight, keep high cards (Jack or better), and discard everything else to draw five new cards.

Best video poker variants by RTP: Jacks or Better 9/6 at 99.54% RTP, Deuces Wild Full Pay at 100.76% RTP (one of the only casino games with a positive expected value for the player with perfect play), Double Bonus 10/7 at 100.17% RTP. Note that the 100%+ RTP variants require near-perfect strategy to achieve these returns.

Video poker in online casinos: Unfortunately, full-pay video poker machines are becoming harder to find online. Many online casinos offer 8/5 or even 7/5 pay tables, which significantly increases the house edge. Always verify the pay table before playing. When full-pay machines are available, video poker offers some of the best odds in any casino.

#5 Roulette — 2.7% House Edge

European roulette with its single zero offers a house edge of 2.70% on almost every bet. While this is higher than blackjack, craps, or baccarat, roulette remains a popular choice because of its simplicity and the variety of betting options available.

European vs American Roulette: This is the most important distinction in roulette. European roulette has 37 numbers (0-36) with a single zero, giving a house edge of 2.70%. American roulette has 38 numbers (0-36 plus 00) with a double zero, giving a house edge of 5.26%. The double zero nearly doubles the casino's advantage with zero benefit to you. NEVER play American roulette when European is available.

French Roulette with La Partage: The best roulette variant. La Partage returns half your even-money bet (red/black, odd/even, high/low) when the ball lands on zero. This reduces the house edge on even-money bets to just 1.35% — comparable to craps. French roulette is available at most online casinos through providers like Evolution Gaming.

Betting strategies: All bets on a European roulette wheel (except French rules) have the same 2.70% house edge. It does not matter whether you bet on a single number (35:1 payout), a column (2:1), or red/black (1:1) — the edge is identical. Betting systems like Martingale, Fibonacci, or D'Alembert do not change the house edge. They simply reshape the distribution of your wins and losses.

The only real roulette strategy: Play European roulette (never American). When available, play French roulette with La Partage for the lowest edge. Use even-money bets for the steadiest experience. Set a loss limit and stick to it. That is the complete optimal roulette strategy — everything else is superstition.

Live dealer roulette from Evolution Gaming offers the best online roulette experience with European, French, and speciality variants. Auto roulette games play faster if you prefer a quicker pace.

#6 Crypto Dice — 1% to 2% House Edge

Crypto dice games are among the simplest and lowest-edge games available at online casinos. Most crypto dice games operate with a house edge between 1% and 2%, making them mathematically superior to most traditional casino games except blackjack and craps.

How crypto dice works: You set a target number (for example, "under 50") and roll a virtual die that produces a number between 0 and 99.99. If the result falls under your target, you win. The payout is calculated based on your chosen probability. A 50% chance pays just under 2x, a 10% chance pays just under 10x, and so on.

The house edge is built into the payout calculation. At a 1% house edge, a 50% probability bet pays 1.98x instead of the fair 2.00x. This small difference, applied to every bet, generates the casino's profit.

Advantages of crypto dice: The house edge is transparent and verifiable. Most crypto dice games are provably fair, meaning you can mathematically verify every roll was genuinely random. The simplicity eliminates strategic errors — the edge is the same regardless of your chosen probability. And the speed of play lets you complete many bets quickly, which is ideal if you enjoy fast-paced gambling.

Popular crypto dice platforms: Stake offers dice at 1% house edge, the lowest commonly available. Gamdom runs at approximately 1% for their dice game. Roobet offers dice with competitive edges. Most platforms use provably fair algorithms that you can verify.

Best dice strategy: Since there are no strategic decisions (only the risk/reward ratio you choose), the optimal approach is straightforward bankroll management. Use small bet sizes (under 1% of bankroll), set stop-loss and stop-win limits, and choose probability levels that match your risk tolerance. Higher probability targets (70-90% win chance) give steadier returns but smaller payouts. Lower probability targets (10-30%) create bigger swings with larger potential wins.

#7 High-RTP Slots — 2% to 4% House Edge

While slots generally have higher house edges than table games, the best high-RTP slots offer odds comparable to roulette and better than many side bets on table games. The key is being selective — the difference between the best and worst slots can be enormous.

Top high-RTP slots ranked:

Mega Joker by NetEnt: 99.00% RTP (1.00% house edge). The highest-RTP mainstream slot available. A classic fruit machine style game with a supermeter mode that boosts payouts. The 99% RTP requires playing at maximum bet in supermeter mode.

Blood Suckers by NetEnt: 98.00% RTP (2.00% house edge). A vampire-themed slot with free spins and a bonus pick feature. Low volatility makes it ideal for steady play. One of the most recommended slots for bonus clearing due to its high RTP and low variance.

Starmania by NextGen Gaming: 97.87% RTP (2.13% house edge). A space-themed slot with expanding wilds and respin features. Medium volatility offers a good balance of frequency and payout size.

White Rabbit by Big Time Gaming: 97.72% RTP (2.28% house edge). A Megaways slot with up to 248,832 ways to win. High volatility with a feature buy option. Massive win potential up to 13,000x.

1429 Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick: 98.50% RTP (1.50% house edge). An often-overlooked slot with one of the highest RTPs available. Low to medium volatility with expanding wilds during free spins.

The critical warning about slots: RTP is a long-term average calculated over millions of spins. In a single session of 200-500 spins, your actual return can vary wildly — from 0% to 1,000% or more. High-RTP slots give you better odds over time, but any individual session can produce any outcome. This is why bankroll management matters even more for slots than for table games.

Always verify the RTP at your specific casino, as some operators offer reduced RTP versions of popular slots.

Games to AVOID — The Worst Odds in the Casino

Just as important as knowing the best games is knowing which games to avoid. These games have house edges so high that your money disappears rapidly, regardless of any strategy.

Keno: 25-40% house edge. Keno is by far the worst game in any casino. For every $100 you bet on keno, you can expect to lose $25 to $40. That is 50 to 80 times worse than blackjack. There is no strategy that reduces the keno house edge. The appeal is the possibility of turning a small bet into a large jackpot, but the odds of hitting a major keno jackpot are worse than most lottery games. Avoid keno entirely.

Tie bet in Baccarat: 14.36% house edge. The Tie bet pays 8:1 or 9:1, which sounds attractive, but ties only occur about 9.5% of the time. The house keeps over 14 cents of every dollar wagered on ties. This is one of the worst standard bets in any table game.

American Roulette: 5.26% house edge. When European roulette is available at 2.70%, there is absolutely no reason to play the American double-zero version. The extra zero does nothing for you — it only increases the casino's profit.

Insurance in Blackjack: Approximately 7.7% house edge. When the dealer shows an ace, insurance seems like a safe bet, but mathematically it is one of the worst bets on the blackjack table. Basic strategy says always decline insurance.

Slot Side Bets and Progressive Jackpots: Many modern slots offer optional side bets with house edges of 10-20%. Progressive jackpot slots like Mega Moolah have base game RTPs as low as 88.12%, with the difference feeding the jackpot pool. While someone wins the jackpot eventually, your individual odds are astronomically small.

Proposition Bets in Craps: Bets like Any 7, Any Craps, Hardways, and individual number bets carry house edges of 9% to 17%. These flashy bets in the center of the craps layout are pure profit generators for the casino.

Big Six Wheel / Money Wheel: 11-24% house edge depending on the section. One of the worst games on the casino floor, disguised by its simplicity and friendly appearance.

The Complete Casino Odds Table

Here is every major casino game ranked from best to worst odds, including the house edge, equivalent RTP, skill requirement, and our verdict.

Jacks or Better Video Poker 9/6: 0.46% house edge, 99.54% RTP, high skill required, verdict — best odds with perfect play. Deuces Wild Full Pay: -0.76% edge (player advantage), 100.76% RTP, very high skill, verdict — positive EV if you can find it. Blackjack basic strategy: 0.50%, 99.50%, medium skill, verdict — best accessible game. Baccarat Banker: 1.06%, 98.94%, no skill, verdict — best no-skill game. Craps Don't Pass: 1.36%, 98.64%, no skill, verdict — excellent with odds bet. French Roulette La Partage: 1.35%, 98.65%, no skill, verdict — best roulette variant. Crypto Dice 1%: 1.00%, 99.00%, no skill, verdict — best crypto game. Crash 1%: 1.00%, 99.00%, no skill, verdict — platform dependent. Pai Gow Poker: 1.46%, 98.54%, low skill, verdict — slow pace means low hourly cost. Caribbean Stud: 2.56%, 97.44%, low skill, verdict — progressive jackpot can add value. European Roulette: 2.70%, 97.30%, no skill, verdict — solid choice. Slots 97%+ RTP: 2-3%, 97-98%, no skill, verdict — best slot choices. Three Card Poker Ante: 3.37%, 96.63%, low skill, verdict — acceptable. Crash 3-4%: 3-4%, 96-97%, no skill, verdict — standard crypto crash. Slots average: 4-6%, 94-96%, no skill, verdict — acceptable if high volatility desired. Let It Ride: 3.51%, 96.49%, low skill, verdict — mediocre odds. American Roulette: 5.26%, 94.74%, no skill, verdict — avoid. Slots low RTP: 6-12%, 88-94%, no skill, verdict — avoid. Casino War: 2.88%, 97.12%, no skill, verdict — very simple but poor. Baccarat Tie: 14.36%, 85.64%, no skill, verdict — never bet. Big Six Wheel: 11-24%, 76-89%, no skill, verdict — avoid. Keno: 25-40%, 60-75%, no skill, verdict — worst game available.

This table makes the choice clear. If you want the best odds, play blackjack with basic strategy, Banker in baccarat, or Don't Pass in craps. If you prefer slots, stick to 97%+ RTP games. And avoid keno, tie bets, and American roulette at all costs.

Best Odds in Crypto Casinos

Crypto casinos deserve special attention because their original games often offer lower house edges than traditional casino equivalents. The reduced operating costs of crypto platforms (no payment processor fees, lower regulatory overhead) allow them to pass savings on to players through better odds.

Provably fair games: The biggest advantage of crypto casinos is provably fair gaming. Games like dice, crash, mines, and plinko at platforms like Gamdom, Roobet, and Stake use cryptographic algorithms that let you verify every result was genuinely random. This level of transparency is not available at traditional online casinos.

Crypto dice: Typically 1-2% house edge, compared to 2.78% for the equivalent bet on a roulette table. Stake's dice game operates at 1% house edge — one of the lowest edges available for any game of pure chance.

Crash games: Range from 1% (Stake) to 4% (most platforms). The simplicity and excitement of crash games, combined with competitive house edges, make them popular among crypto gamblers. Gamdom's crash game runs at approximately 3-4% but the 15% rakeback effectively reduces this to around 2.5-3.4%.

Mines and Plinko: Most crypto platforms offer these at 1-3% house edge with provably fair verification. The house edge is transparent and consistent regardless of your strategy.

Slot RTPs at crypto casinos: Crypto casinos carry the same slot games from the same providers as traditional casinos, so the base RTP is identical. However, crypto casinos are more likely to offer the highest RTP setting for each game, and rakeback programs can effectively improve returns. Gamdom's 15% rakeback on a 96% RTP slot creates an effective 96.6% return — a meaningful improvement over time.

The combination of provably fair verification, low house edges on original games, and rakeback programs makes crypto casinos mathematically attractive for odds-conscious players.

Frequently Asked Questions