Table Games: The Rules and the Numbers
Roulette, blackjack and baccarat are the three classic tables you will meet both as RNG games and at live studios. Their appeal is that the maths is open: the number of pockets on a wheel and the drawing rules of baccarat do not change from one casino to the next, so you can know the house edge before you place a single chip. This page collects those numbers and the small rule differences that move them. Whether Garage offers blackjack or baccarat tables is shown on the operator’s site; the roulette title in its game list is Monopoly Roulette.
Go to the offerRoulette: three wheels, three different prices
Every roulette bet pays slightly less than its true odds; the zero is where the house edge comes from. On a single-zero wheel there are 37 pockets, but a straight-up bet pays 35:1 instead of the 36:1 that would be fair. That gap is 1/37 of every stake, or 2.70%. A second zero, as on the American wheel, raises the gap to 2/38.
| Version | Pockets | House edge | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (single zero) | 37 | 2.70% on all bets | The standard most tables use |
| French with La Partage | 37 | 1.35% on even-money bets | Half of an even-money stake is returned on zero; other bets stay at 2.70% |
| American (double zero) | 38 | 5.26% | The five-number bet is even worse, at about 7.89% |
The practical rule is short: pick a single-zero table, prefer La Partage if you like red/black or odd/even, and ignore betting systems that promise to beat the edge. Doubling after a loss changes the shape of your results — many small wins, a rare large loss — but not the 2.70%.
Blackjack: where your decisions count
Blackjack is the only one of the three where your choices change the outcome. Played with basic strategy, a table with good rules can have a house edge well below 1%. Played by feel, the same table costs much more. Three rules matter most when you choose a table:
- Blackjack payout. 3:2 is the classic. 6:5 sounds similar but adds roughly 1.4 percentage points to the edge — avoid it.
- Soft 17. If the dealer must stand on soft 17 (an ace counted as 11 plus six), the player gains about 0.2 points compared with a dealer who hits soft 17. The rule is printed on the table felt or in the help screen.
- Insurance. Offered when the dealer shows an ace. It is a separate bet on the dealer’s blackjack and, without card counting, a losing one in the long run.
Doubling and splitting rules — doubling after a split, re-splitting aces, surrender — also shift the numbers, but less than the three above. In live blackjack, remember that seats are limited; if you use Bet Behind you follow another player’s decisions, good or bad.
Baccarat: no decisions, very clear maths
In baccarat you only choose what to bet on; the drawing rules for the third card are fixed. That makes the edge per bet easy to state. With the standard eight decks:
| Bet | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 minus 5% commission | ≈ 1.06% |
| Player | 1:1 | ≈ 1.24% |
| Tie | 8:1 | ≈ 14.4% |
Banker wins slightly more often than Player, which is why the commission exists. No-commission tables change the Banker payout on certain winning totals instead, so read the help screen: the edge moves with that rule. Side bets such as pairs usually carry a much higher edge than the main bets.
Choosing a table and a stake
Before you sit down, look at three things: the rule set (wheel type, blackjack payout, commission), the minimum and maximum stake, and how fast the table runs. A lower house edge only helps if the stake fits your budget. As a hypothetical example, a €100 session at a €2 minimum gives you fifty base bets; at a €5 minimum, only twenty. The second table will end a bad run much sooner. For live studios, game shows and Bet Behind, see the live casino guide; for the difference between a table’s edge and a slot’s RTP, see the slots overview.
If you play with bonus money, check how table games count towards the wagering. Reduced contributions can multiply the turnover needed; the wagering guide shows the calculation.
Responsible play at the tables
A low house edge is still an edge: over enough rounds it works against the player. Set a time and money limit for each session, and never raise stakes to win back a loss. Free support and blocking tools are listed on the responsible gambling page.