Enter a house edge between 0 and 100, and a bet size, rounds per hour, and hours all greater than 0.
This is a long-run mathematical average, not a prediction -- variance means any single session can finish well above or below this number, in either direction.
How your expected loss is calculated
Every game's house edge on this page is copied directly from Wizard of Odds' published house-edge comparison table -- no simulation, no estimate. Your expected loss is the closed-form product of three numbers you control: total amount wagered (bet size x rounds per hour x hours played), multiplied by the house edge as a decimal.
This is the same relationship verified across every calculator in our casino cluster -- Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Video Poker, Craps, and Martingale (see the related tools below): expected loss always equals house edge times amount wagered, exactly, whatever the game and however you size or pace your bets. No betting system changes it, because it isn't about strategy -- it's the fixed cost of the game itself.
Which casino game gives you the best odds?
Every major casino game has a fixed house edge published by independent odds analysts -- from 0.28% for Blackjack under liberal Vegas rules and perfect basic strategy, up to over 30% for some Sic Bo bets. But the house edge alone doesn't tell you how much you'll actually lose in a session: that also depends on your bet size and how many rounds you play. This calculator combines both -- the published house edge and your own pace of play -- into one number: your expected loss.
Steps to find your expected loss
- Scan the comparison table above and note which games have the lowest house edge for the way you like to play.
- In the calculator, pick that game (or type in your own known house edge for a custom bet or paytable).
- Enter your typical bet size, how many rounds or hands you play per hour, and how many hours you plan to play.
- Read your total amount wagered, expected loss, and expected loss per hour -- all computed with simple multiplication, not simulation.
- Compare games: lowering the house edge (say, moving from American to European roulette) lowers your expected loss by the same proportion, for the same amount wagered.
The expected-loss formula
Expected loss = house edge x total amount wagered, where total amount wagered = average bet size x rounds per hour x hours played.
- House edge = the casino's long-run expected profit per dollar wagered, published for each game or bet
- Total amount wagered = bet size x rounds per hour x hours played -- the total money put into action, not your starting bankroll
- Expected loss = house edge (as a decimal) x total amount wagered
- Expected loss per hour = expected loss / hours played -- equivalently, house edge x bet size x rounds per hour
Quick answers
Which casino game has the best odds?
Blackjack under liberal Vegas rules with perfect basic strategy (0.28%) and 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker (0.46%) have the lowest published house edges, though both require precise optimal play. Baccarat Banker (1.06%) is the best fixed-edge bet that needs no strategy.
How much will I lose playing roulette, $10 for 2 hours?
At a typical pace of 40 spins/hour: $10 x 40 x 2 = $800 wagered; expected loss = 2.70% x $800 = $21.60 ($10.80/hour) at the European (single-zero) house edge -- this is the calculator's default example above.
What's the house edge on American roulette?
5.26% -- nearly double the European wheel's 2.70%, because the extra double-zero pocket adds a second number that loses on every even-money bet without changing the payout.
What's the house edge on Blackjack?
0.28% under liberal Vegas Strip rules with perfect basic strategy, the lowest figure on Wizard of Odds' comparison table -- but it's highly rules-dependent (deck count, doubling and splitting rules, soft-17 rules), so your actual edge can be meaningfully higher at a specific table.
What's the house edge on video poker?
0.46% for 9/6 Jacks or Better (full pay) with optimal strategy -- the "9/6" refers to the full house and flush payouts; lower-paying versions of the same game have a noticeably higher edge.
Is Keno or slots a good bet for low house edge?
No -- Keno runs 25%-29% and slots range roughly 2%-15% depending on the machine, both far higher than table games like blackjack, video poker, or baccarat.
House edge reference table
| Game / bet | House edge | Source |
|---|
| Blackjack (basic strategy, liberal Vegas rules) | 0.28% | Wizard of Odds |
| Video Poker -- 9/6 Jacks or Better (full pay) | 0.46% | Wizard of Odds |
| Baccarat -- Banker | 1.06% | Wizard of Odds |
| Baccarat -- Player | 1.24% | Wizard of Odds |
| Craps -- Don't Pass/Don't Come | 1.36% | Wizard of Odds |
| Craps -- Pass/Come | 1.41% | Wizard of Odds |
| Roulette -- European (single zero) | 2.70% | Wizard of Odds |
| Sic Bo (varies by bet) | 2.78%-33.33% | Wizard of Odds |
| Three Card Poker -- Ante & Play | 3.37% | Wizard of Odds |
| Let It Ride | 3.51% | Wizard of Odds |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | 5.22% | Wizard of Odds |
| Roulette -- American (double zero) | 5.26% | Wizard of Odds |
| Big Six Wheel (varies by bet) | 11.11%-24.07% | Wizard of Odds |
| Baccarat -- Tie | 14.36% | Wizard of Odds |
| Keno | 25%-29% | Wizard of Odds |
| Slot Machines | 2%-15% | Wizard of Odds |
Frequently asked questions
Which casino game has the best odds?
By published house edge, Blackjack under liberal Vegas rules with perfect basic strategy is lowest at 0.28%, with 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker close behind at 0.46% -- both require precise optimal play. Among games with a fixed edge that doesn't depend on strategy, Baccarat's Banker bet (1.06%) is the best available.
How much will I lose playing roulette, $10 a spin for 2 hours?
At a typical European roulette pace of about 40 spins/hour, that's $10 x 40 x 2 = $800 wagered. At the 2.70% European house edge, expected loss = 2.70% x $800 = $21.60 over the session, or $10.80/hour -- the calculator above uses exactly this as its default example.
What's the difference between house edge and expected loss?
House edge is a fixed percentage per dollar wagered, published for each game. Expected loss is that percentage applied to your actual total amount wagered in a session -- the same house edge produces a bigger expected loss the more you bet or the longer you play.
Does the house edge change based on how much I bet?
No. House edge is a property of the game and the specific bet, not the bet size. Betting more or less changes your total amount wagered and therefore your expected loss in dollars, but never the underlying percentage.
Can any betting system lower the house edge?
No. Expected loss always equals house edge times total amount wagered, regardless of how you size or time your bets -- verified for the Martingale system in our Martingale Calculator. Systems can reshape the distribution of possible outcomes, but not the average.
House edge figures on this page are copied from Wizard of Odds' published comparison table and assume the stated rules or paytable; real-world rules vary by casino (deck count, soft-17 rules, paytables, bet limits) and can shift the exact percentage, especially for Blackjack, Video Poker, and Three Card Poker. Rounds-per-hour is a rough pace estimate you should adjust to your own game. This tool is for probability and house-edge education, not gambling advice, and expected loss is a long-run average -- any single session's actual result will vary, often widely, from it.
Sources: Wizard of Odds, The House Edge (comparison table)