The casino games with the best odds are the ones with the lowest house edge: blackjack played with basic strategy (around 0.5%), video poker on a strong pay table (up to ~99.5% RTP), baccarat on the banker bet (1.06%), the line bets in craps (1.41%), and single-zero European roulette (2.7%). The worst odds sit in keno, the Big Six wheel, most side bets, and low-RTP slots. Knowing which is which is one of the simplest ways to make your bankroll last longer.
Here’s the catch worth saying up front: better odds do not beat the casino. House edge and RTP are long-run math, not a promise about your next hand or spin. A “good” game can still cost you a fast session, and a “bad” one can still pay off on the night. What this guide gives you is the math to choose with your eyes open — game by game, best to worst, with the numbers that actually matter.
What “best odds” really means: house edge and RTP
Before ranking anything, two numbers do the heavy lifting:
- House edge is the casino’s built-in mathematical advantage on a bet, shown as a percentage. The lower it is, the better for you. Blackjack’s ~0.5% edge means the house expects to keep about 50 cents of every $100 wagered over the long run.
- RTP (Return to Player) is the flip side: the share a game is designed to pay back over time. A 97% RTP is roughly a 3% house edge.
Both are long-term averages measured over thousands of rounds — not a forecast for one session. Volatility (how wildly results swing) decides how bumpy the short-term ride feels. For an independent reference, the Wizard of Odds house-edge tables are the standard the whole industry cites.
Casino odds at a glance
| Game | Best version to play | Typical house edge | RTP | Skill matters? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | 3:2 payout, basic strategy | ~0.5% | ~99.5% | Yes — a lot |
| Video poker | Full-pay pay table | ~0.5%–1% | ~99%+ | Yes — a lot |
| Baccarat | Banker bet | 1.06% | ~98.9% | No |
| Craps | Pass line + odds bet | 1.41% (odds ~0%) | ~98.6% | A little |
| Roulette (European) | Single-zero wheel | 2.7% | 97.3% | No |
| Roulette (American) | Avoid if you can | 5.26% | 94.7% | No |
| Slots | Published high-RTP titles | ~3%–15% | 85%–97% | No |
| Keno | Rarely worth it | 25%–35% | 65%–80% | No |
| Big Six wheel | Novelty only | ~11%–24% | 76%–89% | No |
Numbers reflect common rule sets; the exact figure shifts with the casino, pay table, wheel type and your own decisions.
Casino games with the best odds
Blackjack — the best odds on the floor (if you play it right)
Blackjack is the headline answer to “best odds,” but only under the right rules and with basic strategy. Find a table that pays 3:2 (not 6:5), learn the basic-strategy chart, skip insurance, and the house edge drops to around half a percent — the lowest of any common game. Guess your way through it and that edge balloons. If you want the decision side without turning this into a card manual, our guide to betting strategies for blackjack is the right next step.
Video poker — low edge, zero forgiveness
Played on a strong pay table with correct strategy, video poker rivals blackjack: full-pay Jacks or Better returns about 99.5%, per Wizard of Odds’ video poker analysis. The catch is that the pay table is everything — two machines that look identical can have very different returns. Treat it as a skill game and read the paytable before you sit down; our video poker strategy guide covers the rest.
Baccarat — low house edge, no decisions
Baccarat is the easiest low-edge game to play because you barely make a decision. The banker bet carries just a 1.06% house edge, the player bet 1.24%, and both beat almost everything outside blackjack and video poker. The one trap is the tie bet, where the edge jumps over 14%. Bet banker, skip the tie, and you’re in good shape — see how to play baccarat if the rules are new.
Craps — great line bets, dangerous middle
Craps looks chaotic, but its best bets are simple. The pass line (1.41%) and don’t pass (1.36%) are among the strongest in the house, and the odds bet behind them carries no house edge at all — the only true 0% bet on the floor. Where players bleed money is the center of the table: hardways, horn bets and other proposition bets price their excitement dearly. Stick to the line. New to it? Start with our beginner’s guide to craps.
Roulette — pick the right wheel
Roulette is pure chance, so the only edge you control is the wheel. European (single-zero) roulette has a 2.7% house edge; American (double-zero) doubles it to 5.26% for the exact same bets. Always choose the single-zero wheel, and look for French tables with La Partage, which halves the edge on even-money bets. No betting system changes the built-in math — see how roulette odds and payouts work for the full picture.
Casino games with the worst odds
Slots
Slots are not all bad, but they’re the hardest to judge: RTP ranges from a respectable ~97% down to 85%, and the number is often buried. Check the game-info screen, favour titles from reputable providers, and remember that high volatility can make even a 96% slot feel brutal over a short session.
Keno
Keno is one of the weakest games in the building. The house edge commonly runs 25%–35%, with some live keno returning as little as 65–80%. The lottery-style pace and big-looking prizes are the draw; the math is the price.
The Big Six (Money) Wheel and side bets
The Big Six wheel is simple, colourful, and expensive — large long-shot segments push the house edge into double digits. The same warning applies to side bets across the floor: blackjack side bets, baccarat pairs and craps props add fun but carry far higher edges than the base game. Treat them as entertainment, not value.
How to give yourself the best chance
You can’t erase the house edge, but you can stack things in your favour:
1. Pick low-edge games — blackjack, video poker, baccarat and craps line bets beat slots and keno on math every time.
2. Learn the strategy for blackjack and video poker; it’s the difference between 0.5% and several percent.
3. Choose the better version — 3:2 blackjack, single-zero roulette, full-pay video poker.
4. Skip the traps — keno, ties and most side bets.
5. Check a slot’s RTP on the game-info screen before you spin — and skip any title that hides it.
Conclusion
The casino games with the best odds — blackjack, video poker, baccarat, craps line bets and European roulette — share one thing: a low house edge you can actually measure. The worst — keno, the Big Six wheel, side bets and low-RTP slots — hide a steep cost behind simple, flashy play. Learn the math, pick the better version of each game, and the same bankroll will stretch a lot further.
