Casino Table Games & Baccarat Strategy Guide

Master Baccarat Odds, Craps Dice Probabilities, Casino Poker, and Live Dealer Formats

Beyond blackjack and roulette, the casino floor features classic table games offering favorable mathematical odds and engaging gameplay. From the low house edge of Baccarat to the true odds bets in Craps and the fast-paced decisions of Casino Poker, understanding the core probabilities ensures you make the optimal statistical play on every hand.

Online Baccarat: Rules & Betting Odds

Baccarat is one of the simplest table games to play online, requiring zero in-game decision making once the cards are dealt. The objective is to wager on which side—Player or Banker—will finish with a point total closest to 9.

Bet Option	Standard Payout	House Edge	Optimal Strategy Recommendation
Banker Bet	1:1 (minus 5% commission)	1.06%	Best Value: Statistically the best wager at the table over time.
Player Bet	1:1 (Even Money)	1.24%	Solid secondary option; carries no commission on wins.
Tie Bet	8:1 (or 9:1)	14.36%	Avoid Completely: Massive house advantage makes it a poor mathematical wager.

Note on “No Commission” Baccarat: In variants without the standard 5% commission, Banker wins on a total of 6 typically pay only 1:2 (0.5 to 1), which actually raises the effective house edge to 1.46%.

Online Craps: The Core Wagers

Craps offers high excitement along with some of the only zero-house-edge wagers in any casino. Focus your play on fundamental line bets:

Pass Line / Don’t Pass Line: The baseline wagers of the game. Pass Line carries a low 1.41% house edge, while Don’t Pass carries a slightly better 1.36% house edge.
Taking the “Odds” (0.00% House Edge): Once a point is established, players can back up their Pass/Don’t Pass bet with an Odds bet. The casino pays true mathematical odds on this wager with zero house advantage. Maximize your table odds whenever your bankroll allows.
Prop Bets to Avoid: Center-table proposition bets (e.g., Any 7, Hardways, Snake Eyes) feature steep house edges ranging from 9% to over 16%.

Popular Casino Poker Variants

Game Variant	Game Format	Optimal Play Strategy
Three Card Poker	Ante-Play vs dealer; dealer needs Queen-high to qualify.	Play all hands of Queen-6-4 or better; fold anything lower.
Caribbean Stud Poker	5-card poker vs dealer; dealer needs Ace-King to qualify.	Raise with any Pair or better, or Ace-King when matching dealer’s upcard.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em	Hold’em format with scaling 4x, 2x, or 1x raise rounds.	Check/raise aggressively early with premium starting holdings.
Pai Gow Poker	7 cards split into a 5-card high and 2-card low hand.	Low volatility game ideal for extended play and bankroll preservation.

RNG vs. Live Dealer Table Games

Modern casino lobbies provide two distinct ways to play table games:

RNG Virtual Tables: Software-driven games operating on random number generators. Best for playing at your own pace, trying new strategies, and wagering lower minimum stakes ($0.50–$1.00).
Live Dealer Studios: Real physical cards, wheels, and human dealers streamed in real time from providers like Evolution and Pragmatic Play Live. Offers authentic casino atmosphere, optical card recognition, and social chat features.