Short answer first, friend: the casino games with the best odds are blackjack (up to 99.5% RTP with basic strategy), video poker (up to 100.76% on the right paytable with perfect play), and baccarat’s Banker bet (98.94%) alongside the craps Pass line (~98.6%). All of them beat slots, which typically sit around 96%. If you want your money to last, that’s the shortlist.
Now the honest part, because the phrase “best odds” gets abused. Best odds does not mean you’ll win. The house keeps a mathematical edge on every game on this list — these are simply the games that take your money the slowest. Blackjack at a 0.5% edge is the best value on the floor, but only if you actually learn basic strategy; play it on feel and that 0.5% quietly becomes 2% or worse. And no game hands the player a long-run edge, with one vanishingly rare exception we’ll name. Here’s the real ranking, and the truth under it.
How House Edge and RTP Actually Work
House edge is the casino’s built-in mathematical advantage — the share of every bet it expects to keep over the long run. RTP (return to player) is the flip side of the same coin: a 99.5% RTP means a 0.5% house edge. They always add up to 100%. So when you see “blackjack RTP 99.5%,” it’s the same as saying “0.5% house edge.”
Two things that number hides. First, it’s a long-run average over thousands of hands — any single session can swing wildly up or down. Second, for skill games the published RTP assumes optimal play; mistakes hand the house more. If RTP is a new idea, our RTP explained guide breaks it down in full.
The Best-Odds Ranking
| Game | Best bet | RTP | House edge | Skill or luck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | Basic strategy | up to 99.5% | 0.5% | Skill |
| Video Poker | Deuces Wild, perfect play* | up to 100.76%* | −0.76%* | Skill |
| Craps | Pass / Don’t Pass + odds | ~98.6% | 1.36–1.4% | Some skill |
| Baccarat | Banker (5% commission) | 98.94% | 1.06% | Luck |
| Three Card Poker | Ante/Play optimal | ~97.1% | 2.9% | Some skill |
| European Roulette | Any bet (single zero) | 97.3% | 2.70% | Luck |
| Slots | High-RTP titles | ~85–98% (typ. 96%) | ~4% | Luck |
| American Roulette | — (avoid) | ~94.7% | 5.26% | Luck |
*The video poker asterisk matters: the 100.76% figure is full-pay Deuces Wild with mathematically perfect play — a paytable that’s rare online and useless if you misplay a single hand. Treat it as “the one game that can theoretically flip the edge,” not as a plan. Note too that European roulette (2.70%) is almost twice as good as American (5.26%) for an identical-feeling game — the only difference is that extra double-zero pocket. Always pick the single-zero wheel.
Want to actually play the top three well? We have deep dives on each: blackjack strategy (the chart that unlocks that 0.5% edge), the roulette guide (why the wheel choice is the only thing that matters), and baccarat strategy (bet Banker, skip the rest).
Skill Games vs Luck Games
The list splits in two. In skill games — blackjack, video poker, and the odds bets in craps — your decisions change the maths. Learn blackjack basic strategy (when to hit, stand, double, split) and you pull the RTP up toward that 99.5%; guess, and you give it back. In luck games — roulette, baccarat, slots — no decision you make changes the edge. Betting red-then-black, chasing a “hot” number, or switching slots does nothing to the maths; the house edge is fixed the moment you sit down.
This is why “best odds” is really two questions. Among luck games, just pick the lowest edge (baccarat Banker, European roulette) and enjoy the ride. Among skill games, the good odds are conditional — they exist only if you put in the work to play correctly. Most players don’t, which is why the blackjack tables stay profitable for the house at a “0.5% edge.”
Why Table Games Beat Slots — and the Honest Catch
On a slot-heavy internet, here’s the fact that rarely gets said plainly: your favourite slot, at around 96% RTP, is mathematically worse than blackjack, baccarat or craps. An hour of blackjack at a 0.5% edge costs you a fraction of what an hour of slots at a 4% edge does, on the same stakes. If pure value is the goal, the table pit beats the slot floor almost every time. Our high-RTP slots guide finds the best of the slot bunch, but even the top slots rarely match a well-played table game.
And now the catch that ties the whole guide together: every game here is still a long-run loss. Best odds means slowest loss, not a winning system. There is no table you can sit at, no bet you can place, and no strategy you can run that turns a casino game into a reliable income — the one theoretical exception (perfect-play video poker) is so rare and fragile online that it’s a curiosity, not a career. Pick the low-edge games because they stretch your entertainment budget further, set a limit, and treat any win as a good night, not a plan. For where to play these with published RTPs, see our best online casinos USA guide.
Casino Games Best Odds — FAQ
Which casino game has the best odds?
Blackjack, at up to 99.5% RTP (a 0.5% house edge) when you use basic strategy. Video poker can theoretically beat it on a rare full-pay paytable with perfect play, but for a realistic, learnable edge, blackjack is the best value on the floor.
Does strategy guarantee you’ll win?
No. Strategy lowers the house edge — it never removes it. Perfect blackjack basic strategy gets you to about 0.5%, meaning you still lose money over the long run, just slower. Best odds is about losing slower, not winning.
European vs American roulette — which has better odds?
European, clearly. It has one zero (2.70% house edge / 97.3% RTP); American adds a double zero, nearly doubling the edge to 5.26%. The games play identically, so always choose the single-zero European wheel.
Are slots worse odds than table games?
Generally, yes. Slots average around 96% RTP (some far lower), while blackjack, baccarat and craps sit at 98.6–99.5% on their best bets. On the same stakes, table games cost you less per hour. Slots win on entertainment and jackpots, not on odds.
What is the best bet in baccarat?
The Banker bet, at 98.94% RTP (1.06% house edge) even after the 5% commission on wins. It beats the Player bet (98.76%) and crushes the Tie (around 85.6%), which you should avoid despite its tempting payout.
Is there any casino game where the player has the edge?
Only full-pay Deuces Wild video poker (up to 100.76%) with mathematically perfect play — and those paytables are almost extinct online. For practical purposes, treat every casino game as a house-edge game and play the lowest-edge options.
The Monkey’s Take
If you’re playing to make your bankroll last, the order is clear: blackjack with basic strategy, then baccarat’s Banker, craps’ Pass line, and European roulette — all of them ahead of the average slot. But hold the honest line: these are the games that lose you money slowest, not games you beat. Learn the strategy where it counts, always take the single-zero wheel, skip the American table and the baccarat Tie, and remember the 100.76% video-poker unicorn is a curiosity, not a plan. Pick the low-edge game, set your limit, and buy yourself more time at the table — that’s what “best odds” actually gets you.
Prefer real dealers to RNG? Many of these games run in live-dealer studios — see our live dealer casino USA guide (same odds, slower pace).
18+ (21+ where required) · Play responsibly. The house edge is real on every game here. Problem gambling? Call 1-800-GAMBLER, or the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-522-4700.