A blackjack game with a 6/5 payout has a house advantage of about 2%. The element of risk is slightly below that. It is about triple the hold of a 3/2 table. While that is a bad deal, there are many other casino table games that have a higher house edge. Here are some of the games that are worst than 6/5 blackjack.
US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Blackjack is faster than most other table games
While the 2% house edge is easy to compare between games, the speed of blackjack will often make it the wrong choice for players looking to stretch their bankroll the longest without going bust. A full blackjack table deals around 70 hands an hour. Roulette and poker pit games may only deal 30 to 50 hands an hour.
Asia Poker
Asia Poker is no longer dealt in Las Vegas. We found it at a few East Coast casinos. It is like pai gow poker, except there are three hands. The player must win two to get paid. The house wins all copies. There is no commission because the house edge is already 4.82% without one.
Big Wheel
Big Wheel, often called Big 6, Money Wheel, or Wheel of Fortune, is a terrible game regardless of what you call it. It has been phased out in recent years. Big Wheel is down to only two live installations in Las Vegas. It is popular on stadium gaming devices. The house edge for all bets is usually over 10%.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker is another game that seems to be lost forever from Las Vegas but is dealt in a few other markets. The player has a chance for a massive payout on a dealt royal flush. However, the element of risk, according to Wizard of Odds, is 2.56%.
Casino War
Casino War is another game involving no skill that is down to a few installations. We found four casinos with it in our last Las Vegas table game survey. This is war, just like it is played by kids, with a gambling element. The house edge is 2.33%. This game is the fastest of all the ones listed here. With so little variance, it is nearly impossible to come out ahead.
Emperor’s Challenge and Fortune Pai Gow Poker
Pai gow poker is a slow game with a high house edge. Games like Emperor’s Challenge and Fortune Pai Gow Poker have a 5% commission on wins. This, combined with the banker winning copies, puts the house edge at 2.72%. The house edge for Face Up Pai Gow Poker is 1.81%. However, it is a faster game and has about the same hourly expected loss as the versions with a commission.
Let it Ride
Let it Ride is not as popular as it once was. However, it is still common in major casino markets. The house edge for this game when accounting for bets that ride is 2.85%.
Roulette
In nearly all cases, roulette has a house edge that is higher than 6/5 blackjack. A single zero game holds 2.7%. It goes up to 5.26% at double zero and 7.69% at triple zero.
There is one exception. In Las Vegas, there are European Roulette tables. The outside even money bets, like red and black, high and low, and odd and even, have a house advantage of 1.35%. Those tables have la partage. Half of the even money bets are returned when the pill lands on zero.
Sic Bo
Sic Bo uses three dice. Players bet on one roll. Some bets have a house edge below 3%. Most rolls have a house advantage in the double-digits, with the highest at 18.98%.
Three Card Poker
The ante and raise part of Three Card Poker has a house edge that is about the same as a 6/5 blackjack game. The Pair Plus side bet, which most players make at Three Card Poker, starts at 2.32%. It gets higher at casinos that offer a pay table that is worse than the traditional one. Casinos allow players to make the Pair Plus bet without making one on the ante. This eliminates the small amount of skill used in Three Card Poker.
