There can be a large gap between the house edge of some of the lowest limit games when compared to higher limit ones. That is caused by bad low limit rules like blackjack paying 6:5, mandatory side bets, and triple zero roulette.
Las Vegas Golden Nugget blackjack is the best comparison
The worst blackjack game in Las Vegas is at Golden Nugget. It is $5 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack with a mandatory $2 side bet. I estimate that this game has a house edge of 8.95% when betting the $7 minimum. A player theoretically loses $0.63 per hand at this game.
Golden Nugget offers two $50 3:2 blackjack games in its high limit salon. One is double deck, the other uses six decks. The double deck game has a theoretical loss per hand of $0.20 at $50. The six-deck game has an expected loss of $0.31 per hand at $50.
The double deck game would match the $7 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack expected loss at a bet of about $157. The six-deck 3:2 game has the same loss as $7 Lucky Cat at a bet of about $105.
Comparing return of low limit 6:5 blackjack to higher limit 3:2 games
More than two-thirds of Las Vegas Strip blackjack tables pay 6:5. About half of the 3:2 blackjack tables on the Las Vegas Strip are on the casino floor, as opposed to high limit. These may be next to a 6:5 game. Both can have the same minimum bet.
It is common to find $10 and $15 6:5 blackjack tables at Las Vegas Strip casinos. The minimum bet for 3:2 is typically $25 at MGM casinos and $50 or $100 at Caesars Entertainment ones. In most cases, the expected loss per hand is lower at the 3:2 tables over a 6:5 one, even with the higher minimum bet.
A 6:5 blackjack game has a house edge of about 2%. It is around 0.6% for a 3:2 blackjack game that otherwise has the same rules.
Expected loss per hand at 6:5 blackjack at common minimum bets
The numbers below assume double down before and after splitting, dealer hits soft 17, no surrender or re-split aces.
- $10: $0.20
- $15: $0.30
- $25: $0.50
- $50: $1
- $100: $2
Expected loss per hand at 3:2 blackjack
The numbers below assume the same rules as the 6:5 game above, except that it pays 3:2.
- $10: $0.06
- $15: $0.09
- $25: $0.15
- $50: $0.30
- $100: $0.60
Expected loss per hand at high limit six-deck blackjack
The dealer standing on soft 17 cuts the expected loss per hand at 3:2 by about one-third. Surrender and re-split aces each drop the house edge by about one-eighth. Most high limit blackjack games in Las Vegas have these rules.
- $50: $0.14
- $100: $0.28
- $200: $0.55
As you see from the expected losses above, a player betting $15 a hand at 6:5 blackjack theoretically loses at about the same rate as a $50 3:2 player on the casino floor and $100 player in the high limit salon. It’s also possible that the high limit player will be rated better and receive more comps for this action.
Comparing expected losses at roulette
We found five types of live roulette games in the markets that we cover.
- European roulette: Single zero with la partage and extra bets found in some Las Vegas high limit rooms
- Single zero roulette: High limit rooms in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, and on the floor at Plaza
- Double zero roulette: Most common across the US
- Triple zero roulette: Found at casinos catering to tourists in Las Vegas, and in some Ohio and Maryland casinos.
- Atlantic City roulette: All Atlantic City casino floor games are double zero with la partage.
For the purpose of this comparison, I excluded European and Atlantic City roulette. The reason is that these games are only theoretically different from single and double zero, respectively, because of la partage. That gives players half their bet back on even money outsides like red and black if the ball lands on zero. To compare any other bet on these tables, simply use the number of zeros on the wheel.
The list of games below uses common limits found at these tables. The house edge is 2.7% at single zero roulette, 5.26% at double zero roulette (except first-five basket bet that is 7.89%), and 7.69% at triple zero roulette. Divide the house edge in half for la partage bets.
Expected loss per spin at triple zero roulette
- $5: $0.38
- $10: $0.77
- $15: $1.15
- $20: $1.54
- $25: $1.92
Expected loss per spin at double zero roulette
- $5: $0.26
- $10: $0.53
- $15: $0.79
- $20: $1.05
- $25: $1.32
- $50: $2.63
Expected loss per spin at single zero roulette
The Plaza Las Vegas single zero roulette game starts at $15. It may go up to $25 when it is busy. All other single zero roulette tables that we have found start at $50, but are usually $100, $200 or $300.
- $15: $0.41
- $25: $0.68
- $50: $1.35
- $100: $2.70
- $200: $5.40
- $300: $8.10
Plaza’s downtown Las Vegas single zero roulette table is the best example of moving up a little in limits for better returns. Double zero roulette there is usually $10 with single zero starting at $15. You will theoretically lose $0.12 less per spin moving up to the $15 single zero game as opposed to the $10 double zero one next to it. At about a spin a minute, that is a difference of around $7 an hour.
If double zero roulette is $15 in downtown Las Vegas and Plaza has $25 single zero roulette, it is better to play $10 higher at single zero. The $15 double zero expected loss is $0.11 per spin higher than single zero roulette at $25.
On the Las Vegas Strip, it is common to see double and triple zero roulette tables with the same minimum bet next to each other. The triple zero roulette game has an expected loss that is 31% faster than double zero at the same bet limit. A player is almost always better off playing double zero at $5 higher than the triple zero roulette game is if there is a difference in minimum bets between the tables.
Bankroll size should be considered when choosing which game to play
Moving up in limits for better rules is not for everybody. It requires an increase in bankroll to withstand the swings. Make sure that you can handle this variance before heading to the high limit salon.
