Casino Games Explained
Casino games fall into a handful of families — table games, card games, poker, slots, dice games and specialty games — and every one carries a built-in mathematical edge for the house, expressed as a house edge or return-to-player (RTP) percentage.
| Families | 6 (table, card, poker, slots, dice, specialty) |
|---|---|
| Lowest House Edge | Blackjack & baccarat (~0.5%–1.2%) |
| Highest House Edge | Keno & some specialty games (often 10%+) |
| Key Metric | House edge / RTP |
The main families of casino games
Casino games divide into a few clear groups. Table games such as roulette, baccarat and craps are run by a dealer against fixed odds. Card games like blackjack add an element of player decision-making. Poker is played against other players rather than the house, while video poker is a machine game scored on a paytable. Slots are random-number-generated reel games, and specialty games — keno, bingo, scratch cards — are simple chance games. Each family has its own typical odds, which is the single most useful thing to understand before playing.
House edge, RTP and why they matter
Every casino game is built so that, over the long run, it returns less than it takes in. That margin is the house edge — the percentage of each wager the casino keeps on average. Its mirror image is return-to-player (RTP): a slot with 96% RTP has a 4% house edge. These figures are long-run averages, not session guarantees; short stretches swing well above or below them. Games with the lowest house edge (blackjack and baccarat) give players the most playing time per pound; the highest-edge games (keno, many side bets) cost the most over time.
Frequently asked questions
Which casino game has the best odds?
Blackjack played with basic strategy has one of the lowest house edges, often around 0.5%. Baccarat's banker bet (~1.06%) and certain craps and video-poker bets are also strong.
What is the difference between house edge and RTP?
They describe the same thing from opposite sides. RTP is the percentage returned to players on average; house edge is the percentage the casino keeps. They add up to 100% — 96% RTP means a 4% house edge.
Sources
- Published game rules and paytables
- Standard probability theory
- Operator and regulator RTP disclosures