Table games: Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Poker
Table games are classics of online casinos. Here, not only luck but also strategy counts . The house edge is often much lower than that of slots.
Blackjack (21)
Goal: 21 points — beat the dealer, but don't go over. The most popular table game, low house edge (~0.5% with optimal strategy).
Funds
- Ace: 1 or 11 points
- Face card (J, Q, K): 10 points
- Other: the numerical value of
- Soft hand: has ace = 11 point hand
- Hard hand: no ace or ace = 1 point
Operations
- Faith: One more page
- Stand: Stop
- Double Down: Double your bet + 1 card
- Split: Dealing two identical cards
- Surrender: Give up (half the bet is returned)
- Insurance: Insurance for dealer insurance (not recommended!)
Basic Strategy
A table of mathematically optimal decisions. Learning it reduces the house edge to ~0.5%. For example: 16 point hand against dealer 7+ → always hit. 12-16 against dealer 4-6 → always stand.
Roulette
Rotating wheel, ball. Two main variants:
- European (1 zero): 37 fields, house edge 2.7%. Always choose this one!
- American (double zero): 38 fields, house edge 5.26%. Avoid!
- French Roulette: European + La Partage (half bet returns to 0), house edge 1.35%. The best!
Betting types
- Inside bets: On specific numbers (35:1 payout)
- Outside bets: Red/black, odd/even, 1-18/19-36 (1:1 payout)
- Stories / Dussent: Row, column (2:1 pay)
- Voisins, Tiers, Orphelins: French special bets (based on the physical layout of the wheel)
Baccarat
Player or Banker wins on a hand close to 9. Simple, fast , low house edge (~1.06% for Banker, 1.24% for Player). The 'Tie' bet has a 14.4% house edge — avoid.
James Bond's favorite game. 80% of the turnover in Asian casinos.
Poker variations
- Texas Hold'em: The most popular. 2 hole cards + 5 community cards
- Caribbean Stud: Against Dealer, 5 cards
- 3 Card Poker: 3 Card Rapid Variation
- Casino Hold'em: Texas variant against dealer
- Pai Gow Poker: 7 cards, dealt into 2 hands
Craps
Dice game. Complex but low house edge on the Pass Line bet (1.41%). A favorite of American casinos.
Which is the best choice?
Based on RTP/house edge: Blackjack (basic strategy) < French Roulette < Baccarat < European Roulette < Craps Pass Line. House edge is 3-10x more favorable than slots .
