Table games by the numbers: roulette, blackjack and baccarat
In table games the house edge is not hidden in a random number generator but written into the rules. That makes it possible to calculate exactly what a game costs on average. If you know the variants, you can avoid the most expensive ones. Whether Duell offers table games, and which variants, is shown in the lobby and the table rules.
House edge in common variants
| Game and bet | House edge | Why |
|---|---|---|
| European roulette | 2.70% | One zero among 37 pockets |
| French roulette, even-money bets with La Partage | 1.35% | Half the stake returned when the ball lands on zero |
| American roulette | 5.26% | Zero and double zero among 38 pockets |
| Baccarat, Banker | approx. 1.06% | 5% commission on Banker wins |
| Baccarat, Player | approx. 1.24% | No commission |
| Baccarat, Tie at 8:1 | approx. 14.4% | Payout far below the true odds |
These are mathematical values for standard rules. The rules a table actually uses are in its table rules.
Roulette: the zero explains everything
A bet on red in European roulette wins on 18 of 37 pockets and pays 1:1. Without the zero the game would be fair. With it, you lose 2.70 per 100 staked on average. On an American table with two zeros the cost almost doubles. Choose European or French where you can.
Blackjack: small rules, big differences
In blackjack the house edge depends on many details. The most important is what a blackjack pays. At 3:2 you receive 15 for a blackjack on a stake of 10; at 6:5 only 12 — and the house edge rises by roughly 1.4 percentage points. Whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17, and how many decks are used, also matter.
Baccarat: Banker is cheapest
Banker wins slightly more often than Player, which is why tables charge commission on Banker wins. Even with the commission, Banker is the cheapest bet. The Tie bet looks tempting at 8:1 but is among the most expensive bets in the casino.
Systems that do not work
The Martingale — doubling after every loss — promises that one win recovers everything. In practice you hit the table maximum or an empty balance first. Worked example: start at 1, and after seven losses in a row you must stake 128 to win back 1. No staking plan changes the house edge.
Go to the offerTable limits
Every table has a minimum and maximum stake. Choose a table where the minimum suits your budget: with 50 and a table minimum of 2 you have 25 bets; with a minimum of 0.50 you have 100.