Best Odds in Las Vegas
Every casino game ranked by its real house edge — and, where the state publishes it, what casinos actually won. The gap between the two is the cost of playing badly.
House edge = correct-strategy cost · Casino hold = NGCB 2023 actual
🏆 Video Poker (9/6 Jacks or Better)
Strategy required · Full-pay machine + perfect play = the best odds in the casino. Counts as a 'slot' in NGCB data.
Strategy required · casinos actually kept 14.82% · Basic strategy + good rules (3:2 blackjack, dealer stands on soft 17). The huge hold gap is players not using strategy.
No skill needed · casinos actually kept 16.42% · Just bet Banker every hand. Never bet the Tie (14%+ edge).
No skill needed · casinos actually kept 16.42% · Slightly worse than Banker but no commission.
Craps — Pass / Come + odds
Easy to learn · casinos actually kept 16.62% · Pass/Come line; taking maximum odds drops the effective edge well below 1%. Avoid the prop bets in the middle.
Strategy required · Low edge for a carnival game if you play the 4x raise correctly.
Easy to learn · Tons of pushes means your money lasts a long time — great for slow, social play.
Roulette — single-zero (European)
No skill needed · casinos actually kept 19.60% · Half the edge of the standard wheel — seek out single-zero wheels (usually high-limit rooms).
Easy to learn · Play the Ante-Play; the Pair Plus side bet is worse (~7%).
Easy to learn · Fun, slow, but a higher edge than the games above.
Easy to learn · The progressive side bet is a sucker bet unless the jackpot is enormous.
Roulette — double-zero (American)
No skill needed · casinos actually kept 19.60% · The standard Vegas wheel. The green 0 and 00 are the house edge.
No skill needed · casinos actually kept ~8–11% · Varies widely. Higher denominations and off-Strip casinos pay back more — see our Loosest Slots page.
Big Six / Wheel of Fortune
No skill needed · One of the worst bets on the floor.
No skill needed · The single worst bet in the casino. Fun, slow, but brutal odds.
House-edge figures assume correct strategy and standard rules; they vary with the pay table and table rules. "Casino hold" is the Nevada Gaming Control Board's 2023 statewide win percentage. Every game is a long-run loss — play for fun, set a budget. See the loosest slots →
Frequently asked questions
What casino game has the best odds in Las Vegas?
Full-pay video poker (9/6 Jacks or Better) with perfect strategy, at about 0.46%, edges out blackjack (~0.5%). For a no-skill game, the Baccarat Banker bet is best at 1.06%.
Why is the 'casino hold' so much higher than the house edge?
House edge is the long-run cost with correct strategy. The Nevada Gaming Control Board "hold" is what casinos actually kept (2023) — e.g. blackjack's edge is ~0.5% but its hold was 14.82%, because most players don't use strategy, make side bets, and re-buy. Playing well is what closes that gap.
What's the worst bet in the casino?
Keno (25–29% house edge) and the Big Six wheel are the worst on the floor. Among table games, avoid the Tie bet in baccarat and the prop bets in craps.
Are these odds the same at every casino?
Close, but rules matter. Blackjack paying 3:2 (not 6:5) and a dealer who stands on soft 17 lower the edge; single-zero roulette halves it. Always check the felt and the pay tables before you sit.