The games
Roulette, blackjack and baccarat, and the rules that move the edge
Table games are the part of a lobby where a reader can work out the cost of play from the rules alone, without trusting anybody's figure. A European wheel takes two point seven per cent of every stake and an American one takes five point two six, for a game that looks the same.
The part of the «lobby» you can work out yourself
Table games are the only category in a casino where the cost of play can be calculated from the rules rather than taken from a published figure. The wheel has thirty-seven pockets and pays thirty-five to one; the arithmetic follows in one line, and nobody has to be trusted. That makes them the sensible place to start for you who wants to understand what a casino actually charges; everything else in the «lobby» is a number somebody else tested.
Roulette, and the one rule that doubles the price
A European wheel has thirty-six numbers and a «single zero», pays thirty-five to one on a single number, so that keeps one part in thirty-seven of every stake, which is two point seven per cent. An American wheel adds a «double zero» (the extra pocket on the American wheel), pays the same thirty-five to one, and keeps two parts in thirty-eight, which is five point two six per cent.
It is the same game with the same table layout and the same chips, at nearly twice the price. British lobbies carry both (usually without comment), and the only thing a player has to do is read the name of the table before sitting down. A third variant, French roulette with "«la partage»", returns half of an even-money stake when the ball lands in zero, which halves the cost of those bets to one point three five per cent. It is the cheapest game in most casinos and is usually the hardest to find in the «lobby»!
The order of the table games by what they cost
French roulette on even-money bets, around one point three five per cent. Blackjack played with correct basic strategy at three to two, around half a per cent. Baccarat on the banker, one point zero six. On the player, one point twenty-four. And on the tie, around fourteen, which is why the tie exists.
European roulette at two point seven. American roulette at five point two six. Everything else in the «lobby», including every slot, sits above the top of that list.
Blackjack, where the decisions are real
Blackjack is the only common casino game where the player's choices change the expected cost, and the difference between correct play and intuition is several per cent. Basic strategy is a published table of the correct decision for every combination of your hand and the dealer's card, it is not a secret, and it takes an evening to learn.
Two rules decide what correct play is worth. A natural paying three to two rather than six to five is worth about nine-tenths of a per cent, and a dealer standing on a «soft seventeen» rather than drawing is worth about two-tenths. Both are printed on the table.
Baccarat, which has no decisions at all
Three bets, fixed rules for drawing, and nothing for the player to decide beyond which of the three to back. The banker bet costs one point zero six per cent including the commission, the player bet one point twenty-four, and the tie about fourteen, which is the most expensive bet routinely offered in a casino. Its appeal is precisely the absence of decisions, and its reputation for sophistication is historical rather than mathematical.
Questions readers ask
Which table game is cheapest?
French roulette on even-money bets, at about one point three five per cent, followed by blackjack played with correct basic strategy at three to two, around half a per cent. The cheapest game is usually the one hardest to find in the lobby.
Does basic strategy actually work?
It reduces the «house edge» in blackjack to around half a per cent, which is as good as a casino game gets. It is a published table rather than a system, it does not promise a win, and playing by intuition instead costs several per cent.
Is the software version the same as the live one?
The rules and therefore the edge are the same, and the minimum stake is usually much lower. A software roulette table costs exactly what a live one does per pound staked, which makes it the cheaper way to play the same game.
Why does anybody bet the tie in baccarat?
Because it pays eight or nine to one and looks attractive, and it costs around fourteen per cent, which is more than ten times the banker bet. It is the clearest example in a casino of a price hidden behind a «payout».
By the UK Pound Casino editorial team · Last updated November 2026 · Online since 2026
