Table games: the best and worst bets

Facts checked against their sources on 20 October 2026

Blackjack

• Look for “Blackjack pays 3 to 2” on the felt. A 6 to 5 table costs you about $1.39 more per $100 bet.
• Learn basic strategy. With basic strategy and generous rules the house edge is about 0.28%. Most casinos let you keep a strategy card at the table; ask first.
• Skip the side bets. 21+3 costs 2.74% to 13.30% depending on the decks; Perfect Pairs about 4% to 12.5%.

Craps

• Pass line or Don't Pass, about $1.40 per $100.
• Then take the odds. The odds bet behind the pass line has no house edge at all. It is the best bet on the ship.
• Place 6 or 8 is very good at $1.52 per $100.
• Stay away from the middle of the table. Hardways, hops, Any Craps and Any Seven cost $9 to nearly $17 per $100.

Why smart craps players get no free cruises

When my children were young, I played craps on every cruise. I gave myself $40 a day at the table and played it smart. Some cruises I came home with $2,500, and a few times $7,500. In all those years I never got a single free cruise offer.

The reason is in the maths. Casinos rate table players on what they expect to win from you. Patent filings for casino rating systems describe it as your average bet, times the hours you play, times decisions per hour, times the house edge. The pass line and odds have almost no edge, so a careful craps player is worth almost nothing to the casino, however much they bet. The best bets for winning money are the worst bets for earning offers.

That is why I moved to the slots when my goal changed from bringing money home to earning cruises. Slots and points shows what that switch costs.

Baccarat

Bet Banker (about $1.06 per $100) or Player ($1.24). Never the Tie: at 8 to 1 it costs $14.36 per $100.

Roulette

A single-zero wheel costs $2.70 per $100; a double-zero wheel nearly twice that, $5.26. If the ship has both, play the single zero.

Three Card Poker, Let It Ride and Ultimate Texas Hold'em

Measured on the starting bet, Three Card Poker's Ante and Play is about 3.37%, Let It Ride 3.51% and Ultimate Texas Hold'em's Ante 2.19%. The Pairplus side bet is 7.28%. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity list Texas Hold'em Poker among the games that do not earn points.

How table play earns points

No cruise line publishes a points-per-dollar rate for tables. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity say it is based on “the type of table game you are playing, your average bet and how long you play.” Norwegian and Virgin say average bet, session or hands played, and game type.

• Hand over your ship card when you sit down, every time, or your play is not rated.
• Ask the dealer or pit staff to rate you, and ask when you leave how long they logged.
• Ratings are estimates. Wizard of Odds notes that casinos rate players at higher edges than perfect play, to allow for player mistakes and the bets most people make.

Gambling should stay fun. If it isn't, free and confidential help is there 24/7: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) or visit 1800myreset.org. Playing safe →

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