Table games strategy

What table games strategy can and can’t do

Every table game is built with a house edge, the average share of each stake the casino keeps. A sound table games strategy has one honest aim: to pay as little of that edge as possible while you enjoy the game. It does that in three ways. You pick tables whose rules cost you less, you stick to bets with the lowest edge, and where the game gives you decisions, you make the mathematically correct ones.

What strategy can’t do is beat a standard game at a UK-licensed casino. Results in the short run swing widely, so you will have winning sessions, but over many hands the losses settle towards the edge. Our strategy hub covers budgets and game choice; this page is the game-by-game detail. For a quick overview of edges, see the house edge by game table.

The three parts of a table games strategy

The figures come from standard game maths published by Wizard of Odds. The common thread is simple: in every game, the cheapest option is a plain main bet at a table with player-friendly rules.

Blackjack table strategy: basic strategy and rule choice

Blackjack gives you more control than any other table game. Basic strategy is the set of mathematically best decisions for every hand against every dealer up-card, first published as a sound strategy by Baldwin, Cantey, Maisel and McDermott in 1956. For four to eight decks with the dealer standing on soft 17 and checking for blackjack, the key plays from Wizard of Odds’ basic strategy (opens in a new tab) include:

• Always split aces and 8s; never split 5s or 10s.
• Always stand on hard 17 or more; always hit hard 11 or less unless a double is shown.
• Double hard 11 except against an ace, and double hard 9 against a 3 to 6.
• Stand on hard 12 against a 4 to 6, and on 13 to 16 only against a 2 to 6.
• Never take insurance or even money.

Many UK and European tables use a no-hole-card rule, where the dealer takes a second card only after players finish, and you lose doubled and split bets to a dealer blackjack. That calls for a slightly different chart, so check the table’s rules. Our basic strategy guide and strategy chart tool cover both.

These effects come from Wizard of Odds’ blackjack rule variations (opens in a new tab) and assume basic strategy. A six-deck no-hole-card game where the dealer stands on soft 17, doubling is allowed on 9 to 11 and after splits, has an edge of about 0.62%. The 6:5 payout is the single most expensive rule; see our page on 3:2 vs 6:5 blackjack.

Roulette strategy: choose the wheel, not a system

Roulette has no decisions after the ball is spun, so strategy is all about where you play. A single-zero wheel has a 2.70% edge on every bet; a double-zero wheel has 5.26%, and its five-number top line bet has 7.89%. French tables with La Partage return half of an even-money bet when zero lands, cutting those bets to 1.35%. Inside bets, dozens and columns stay at 2.70% even there.

Choosing which numbers to cover makes no difference to the edge on a single-zero wheel: a straight-up bet, a corner and red all cost 2.70%. What changes is volatility. Staking systems don’t help either. Wizard of Odds’ simulations of the Martingale, Fibonacci, d’Alembert and Labouchère all lost at the house edge rate. Our roulette betting systems page explains why, and what is the best bet in roulette gives the short answer.

Baccarat strategy: Banker, commission and version choice

In baccarat the cards are drawn by fixed rules, so your only choices are the bet and the version. In standard punto banco with eight decks, Banker wins 45.86% of hands, Player 44.62% and a tie happens 9.52% of the time. Even after the 5% commission, Banker is the cheapest bet at 1.06%; Player is 1.24%.

Commission-free versions change the sums. In the most common form, where a Banker win on 6 pays only half, Wizard of Odds puts the Banker edge at 1.46% with eight decks, higher than standard baccarat, while Player stays the same. EZ Baccarat’s Banker bet comes in at 1.02%. Evolution’s Lightning Baccarat adds a 20% fee to every bet in exchange for random multipliers. The Tie is 14.36% at 8 to 1 or 4.84% at 9 to 1, so check which your table pays. Our baccarat strategy and no commission baccarat pages go further.

Craps strategy: Pass, Don’t Pass and the free odds bet

Craps has one of the widest ranges of edges on a single table. The Pass line costs 1.41% and Don’t Pass 1.36%, with Come and Don’t Come the same. Once a point is set, the odds bet has no house edge at all: it pays 2 to 1 on 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on 6 or 8, exactly the true odds. Adding odds lowers the average edge per pound staked, although it also raises the amount you have on the table.

The centre of the table is where costs climb. According to Wizard of Odds’ craps house edge table (opens in a new tab), Place 6 or 8 is 1.52%, Big 6 and Big 8 are 9.09%, hard 4 or 10 is 11.11% and Any Seven is 16.67%. Two dice have 36 combinations, six of which make 7, which is why a 7 comes up 1 time in 6. Check whether craps is offered at your casino; our craps strategy and odds bet pages explain each bet.

Casino poker table strategy: when to play and when to fold

House-banked poker games give you one or two decisions per hand, and those decisions change the edge noticeably.

The Three Card Poker figures come from Wizard of Odds’ Three Card Poker analysis (opens in a new tab). Element of risk measures the average loss against everything staked, including raises, which is why it is lower than the house edge on the Ante. Our Three Card Poker strategy and Casino Hold’em strategy pages give the full decision rules.

Side bets, card counting and systems: what the maths says

Side bets are where table game costs jump. Three Card Poker’s Pairplus carries 7.28%, the Caribbean Stud progressive averages 26.46%, and baccarat’s Either Pair at 5 to 1 is about 13.71%. A few side bets are cheaper; Wizard of Odds puts the Ultimate Texas Hold’em Trips bet at about 0.90% on its best table. Check the paytable before assuming. Our side bets guide compares them.

Card counting is history and theory, not a practical strategy online. Edward Thorp’s 1962 book Beat the Dealer made it famous. Online RNG blackjack reshuffles every hand, which removes any value in tracking cards, and live tables generally use shuffling methods that defeat it. Counting isn’t illegal in Britain, but casinos can refuse service. Betting systems, meanwhile, change only the size and order of your bets, never the edge. See card counting in online blackjack.

How to apply table games strategy to any new game

1. Open the game’s rules or help screen and find the RTP or house edge for each bet; UK games must make this information available.
2. Note the rules that move the edge: blackjack payouts and soft 17, the number of zeros, La Partage, commission and tie payouts.
3. Identify the plain main bet and compare its edge with every side bet on offer.
4. If the game has decisions, learn the published strategy before you play for money, or keep a chart open.
5. Choose a stake that fits your session budget and a pace you are comfortable with.
6. Ignore streaks, patterns and staking systems: each round is independent.

Our guide to reading casino game rules shows where to find these figures in a typical help screen.

Table games strategy online: live, RNG and UK rules

Strategy works the same way in live and RNG versions, because the rules and payouts set the edge. The difference is pace: a live table runs fewer rounds an hour, so the same edge costs less per hour. Since 17 January 2025, UK rules require at least 5 seconds per game cycle for casino games other than slots, ban autoplay on all online casino games and stop you playing several games at once. There is no regulatory stake cap on table games; the online slot limits of £5 and £2 don’t apply. Our live casino strategy page and live vs RNG comparison cover the live side.

Table games and our partner offers

Our partner offers are mostly slot offers, so they aren’t built for table play. For blackjack, roulette, baccarat or poker, look at each casino’s table and live lobby, and read the bonus terms carefully: table and live games are often excluded or count for less towards wagering. 18+ and terms apply.

• Casumo: new customers who opt in get a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of £20 or more. The bonus must be wagered 10x within 7 days, bets are capped at £5 while it’s active, and game, play and payment restrictions apply.
• 10bet: select the casino welcome bonus at sign-up and deposit within 7 days for a 100% match up to £25. It must be wagered 10x on slots within 3 days; maximum bonus winnings are £1,000 and Skrill and Neteller deposits are excluded.
• Coral: deposit and bet £10 or more on slots to receive 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games, to accept within 48 hours and use within 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Valid 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don’t qualify.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.