The Best Odds in Las Vegas: A Top Ten

Ever wondered if it’s possible to beat the house and break the bank in Las Vegas?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Also, no.

Breaking the bank may be the stuff of fantasy, but you can definitely make Sin City work a lot harder to break you.

Play sharp, pick the right games, and shoot like a pro, and it is possible to add a little sub bass to the bang that comes with every buck.

The Best Odds in Las Vegas

Forget the lottery, slots and the wheel of fortune, we’re heading for the tables at real life and online casinos.

Let’s dig in, find a dealer, grab some bones, and shoot for a win.

Here are the ten games with the best odds in Las Vegas casino games that (sometimes) give more than they take.

1. Blackjack – House Edge: 0.5% to 1%

Blackjack is the perfect casino card game; a clever balance of luck and strategy, combined with the excitement of watching the dealer bust or win.

However, if you want to secure the very best Las Vegas odds, you need to play the perfect game.

If you are not sure about blackjack strategy, simply download a cheat sheet and take it to the table. It might raise a few eyebrows, but your fellow players won’t be laughing when their chip stack is hidden in the shadow of yours.

You also need to make sure you are playing the right variant of the game. There are more than 1,300 blackjack tables in town, with almost as many different versions of the game.

These are the options you need to consider before you take a seat at the table:

• Blackjack pays at either 3:2 or 6:5 – the former
• The number of decks in play – the fewer, the better
• Surrender options – yes please
• Double after split – yes please
• Hit or stand on soft 17 – avoid games where they hit
• Re-Split aces – yes please
• Restricted doubles – avoid

All of these will affect the odds you get at the blackjack table and house edge.

2. Craps – House Edge: 1.36% (Pass Line Bet)

Learning how to play Craps is not easy for a casino newbie.

However, when it comes to thrilling action, combined with great table game odds, it’s hard to beat.

Game play opens with the pass line bet. To win, the shooter needs to roll a 7 or 11. To lose, the shooter will roll a 2, 3, or 12. Any other number, the bets remain in play and the shooter rolls again. The house edge on a pass line bet is just 1.36%.

To really max out your chances of winning, you should make the odds bet, when a point is established.

3. Baccarat – House Edge: 1.06%

If blackjack needs strategy and craps needs knowledge, baccarat requires little more than a tuxedo, a femme fatale, and a license to kill.

Baccarat is James Bond’s favorite game but there is absolutely no skill involved. It’s a game of chance that just happens to come with house edge of 1.06%, when you bet on the banker.

Baccarat is huge in Las Vegas. In April 2024, high-end baccarat drove record casino revenues.

Three months later, the same game was blamed for a 15% revenue fall. It’s the preferred choice for many high rollers and whales.

The game is simple. There is no strategy in play.

The rules of Baccarat determine when an extra card is drawn. Betting baccarat is simple. You have three options: player win, banker win, or tie. Though the tie bet has a much higher house edge of 14.44%. Avoid it.

4. Roulette (European) – House Edge 2.7%

If Heath Robinson built slot machines, it would be a roulette wheel.

It’s the game of choice for casino debutantes, stepping away from the slots for the first time. If you want to max out those table game odds, there are two things you need to do:

• Play European roulette, with a single zero
• Play the outside bets, with a 50/50 chance of winning

Roulette odds demonstrate perfectly how the house edge works. If you took the zero off the table, in the long run no one would make any money.

Eventually, we would all be back where we started. When the single zero hits, all outside bets lose. This is when the house makes its 2.7% commission.

FYI: if you play American roulette, with both a single zero and a double zero, the house edge grows to 5.26%.

5. Video Poker – House Edge: 0.5% to 5%

Although most professional Las Vegas gamblers will tell you slots are for suckers, nestled in among the machines are the video poker games.

These games took Las Vegas by storm when they first appeared in the late 1970s.

To get the optimum bounce per buck, you really need to shop around and play smart. You also need to make the correct value bets.

If you are playing the hugely popular Jacks or Better game, betting five credits pays gives a lower house edge than four.

You also need to play perfect video poker strategy. Don’t worry: you can sit next to the machine, enjoy a comped cocktail, and take your time to read it.

Play this way and those Vegas odds will favor you.

6. Pai Gow Poker – House Edge: 1.5%

Pai gow poker is a combination of the traditional Chinese game of pai gow and poker; invented in 1985, by Los Angeles casino owner Sam Torosian.

Classic pai pow is played with dominoes, the remastered version is played with playing cards.

In the game, players use seven cards to create two poker hands: a two-card ‘low’ hand and a five-card ‘high’ hand. The dealer does the same.

If both the player’s hands beat the dealer’s, the player wins. If one hand wins and one hand loses, the bet is a push.

To get the best house edge from pai gow, play perfect strategy and avoid the side bets.

7. Sports Betting – House Edge: Variable

Sports betting is a huge part of the Las Vegas gambling scene. Every casino has its own sports lounge.

At a well run book, the house edge will generally sit at around 5%. When players lay both sides of the game, and the action is perfectly balanced, the house will hold about 4.55%.

Of course, sports betting is one of the few areas in gambling where a very well-informed punter can take a lot of money from a casino.

Study form, read the team sheet, stay on top of the latest club news, discover what player sprained his ankle in training, and you remove the house edge completely. One for the serious players.

8. Three Card Poker – House Edge: 3.37%

Three Card Poker is another relatively new casino game, invented in 1994 by poker pro Derek Webb.

In the game, both the dealer and the player are dealt three cards. Players make a pre-deal ante bet. They then decide to play or fold when they see their cards.

If the dealer has a Queen high hand or higher, it’s game on. Try a game of three card poker, with this rather good free to play demo of the game here.

9. Ultimate Texas Hold’em – House Edge: 2.19%

You can enjoy a game of Ultimate Texas Hold’em in more than 50 Las Vegas casinos.

The minimum bet usually starts at $5 and gameplay is similar to classic hold’em, but you are up against the dealer. You make ante bets to play and everyone gets two cards. You then decide whether to check or raise.

The dealer has to qualify for all the bets to pay. To get the optimum house edge, you need to play perfect strategy. Fortunately, there are plenty of guides available online.

10. Poker (Texas Hold’em) – House Edge: Variable

Texas Hold’em poker is different to most casino games. It’s a game where players compete against each other, instead of against the house.

Most casinos take a small rake from each pot during game play. Poker is in this list because, if you are a half decent player, it can be one of the best bets in Sin City.

It’s also one of the most enjoyable gambling games you can find on the strip. If you’re not a great player, find an affordable buy-in tournament or a low stakes cash game.

It’s a lot of fun to play and it’s great getting to know your fellow players. Sometimes, the best bet in Vegas is not just about the money.