Odds Of Blackjack Vs Roulette

Anyone who ask this question and genuinely wants to understand, needs to know two things. Firstly, house edge and odds (payout) are different. Secondly, the house edge for Roulette is FIXED. Blackjack is a heavyweight bout between two games that receive much of the table action in land-based and online casinos around the world. With blackjack dating back to the 17th century and roulette following in the 18th century, the duel has been ongoing for hundreds of years. A video Poker offering 9/6 odds will normally give you a payout ratio of 9 to 1 for a ‘Full House’ and 6 to 1 payout for a ‘Royal Flush’. This represents one of the best possible odds you can find in any online casino game. Better Casino Game Odds with Blackjack. Blackjack comes with a house edge of just 0.5%. So for many years, I’ve used a comparison to roulette, where you don’t know when any given number will turn up, but the odds of the game will lead to a 5.26 percent house edge – the same as a 94.74 percent payback percentage. Individual results are random, but the odds of the game result in 94.74 percent return to players.

• Odds Of Blackjack Vs Roulette Games
• Odds Of Blackjack Vs Roulette Play

On the surface, blackjack and roulette don't seem to have much in common. One involves cards and facing off against a dealer. The other involves placing bets on a spinning wheel. On this page, we'll discuss what each 'game of chance' has to offer, so you can decide which best fits your style.

It's worth pointing out that the type of blackjack we'll be discussing is standard blackjack. Most top casinos now offer a wide range of blackjack variations which feature different side bets, use different rules and have a different house edge than the standard game. We will be comparing the standard version to the standard variations of roulette including American, European, and French.

Standard Blackjack Explained

The object of this card game is to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible without actually going over. Aces can be 1 or 11 points, face cards are 10 points and the rest are counted at face value. The highest ranking hand is 'blackjack' which consists of an ace with a 10 point card. It pays 3/2. So, if you bet two chips worth $5 each and get blackjack, you would win three additional chips and get your original bet back for a profit of $15. All other wins are awarded a payout of 1/1

At the start of each round, players must make a starting bet that meets the minimum requirement. Then everyone, including the dealer, gets 2 cards. One of the dealer's cards will be placed face-up and the other will be facedown. A few bet options may be available to you at this point:

Comparing the Odds

Roulette relies on fixed odds. This is due to the random chance a ball will land on a number. A straight-up bet on a single number will always have a 2.63% chance to win on an American wheel with a house edge of 5.26%.

In blackjack, the house edge goes up with the number of decks used. The dealer draws cards from a shoe which shuffles up to 8 decks. Typically, casinos use 4 to 8 decks at each table giving a house edge of around 0.5%. The odds of receiving certain cards changes as cards are dealt. Advantage play, such as counting cards, isn't easy, but it can be used to get some insight into what the future holds. There's no way of doing that in roulette.

Even at tables using 8 decks, the house edge for blackjack is still much lower than roulette. The lowest house edge for roulette is 1.35% on even-money bets at French roulette tables. This is still well above the 0.5% offered by blackjack.

Strategy v. Chance

Unlike roulette, blackjack's odds can be affected by player strategy and the number of decks used at the table. If you know the number of decks being used, you can estimate the probability of which card in the deck will be drawn next based on what has already been dealt out. If this knowledge is used correctly, your chance to win is higher. If you play blindly without strategizing, then the odds to win go down.

Roulette strategies rely more on knowledge of fixed odds. Betting on red has the same chance to win as the spin that came before or the spin that will come after. Getting the most out of each session comes down to luck and betting combos that make the most of your wagers.

Card games like blackjack and poker are more difficult to master, but if you like having a little more control of whether or not you win or lose, then it's well worth your time to practice before heading to the casino. Of course, if you prefer a game with fixed odds and multiple bet options, then roulette is more your speed.

Assessing Your Potential Winnings

Roulette can award payouts of 1/1 to 35/1 per bet each round, whereas, blackjack's highest payout per bet is 3/2. While blackjack may have a lower house edge, the payouts are going to be consistently low per round. Most wins will likely be 1/1. Occasionally, you will get a blackjack paying 3/2. So, the most you could profit from a $2 bet would be $3 which is 1.5x your base bet.

Roulette allows players to wager on multiple bet spaces on the layout. So long as the minimum and maximum bet limits are met, there's a great deal of flexibility in the amount to be wagered and won. Combined bets can take potential profits past 35/1. For example, a bet unit on '2 black' with a bet unit on the 'second column' could potentially payout 35/1 + 2/1. That's a total of 37x your base unit bet. If you use $5 chips, then that could amount to a big win of $185.

In terms of potential payouts for the same number of rounds, roulette obviously has the numbers to put it above blackjack in terms of awarding big wins. However, blackjack still has better odds to win for a player that knows how to play the cards right.

Which is Better?

Odds Of Blackjack Vs Roulette Games

In order to decide which game of chance suits you best, you must consider the bets, payouts and odds. Roulette has many more different bets available than blackjack. In the latter all you can do is win even money or lose your initial stake–unless you split, double or receive a natural blackjack. In roulette, however, you can make even money bets , place bets on 2 to 1 odds and make some serious cash placing inside bets on individual numbers. This variety keeps the game from getting boring.

Playing blackjack effectively relies on players understanding basic strategy and knowing what to do with each hand they receive based on the dealer's face-up card(s). If you don't know all of this information off by heart, or keep it within reach when playing online or you'll probably find yourself losing more hands than you should. Unless you're prepared to learn and practice blackjack, roulette might be a better choice.

'Roulette is complex to master, but simple to learn. It's a game of many bet options and plenty of different strategies to use to your advantage.'

Roulette is a true game of chance. Once you've placed your bets, everything depends on the way the wheel spins. At least in blackjack you have some control over your own destiny, as you can choose to hit, stand, split etc. Some players find the loss of that control when playing roulette a little unsettling.

Odds Of Blackjack Vs Roulette Play

Both are extremely popular casino games, so you can't really go wrong with either. Choose which suits you best, and remember that you can always play both! Free play options give the opportunity to practice until perfect.

Remember to stay realistic about the long odds on this popular game of chance. Approach roulette with the sober realization that, with a house advantage of 5.26 percent on the American wheel, roulette is among the worst bets in a casino. Despite the odds, you can still use some simple strategies to stretch your roulette bankroll and enjoy the thrill of the spin. This article contains a few tips that can help you improve your chances of winning.

Roulette is a drain on your wallet simply because the game doesn’t pay what the bets are worth. With 38 numbers (1 to 36, plus 0 and 00), the true odds of hitting a single number on a straight-up bet are 37 to 1, but the house pays only 35 to 1 if you win! Ditto the payouts on the combination bets. This discrepancy is where the house gets its huge edge in roulette.

Starting with the basics

Strategy is critical if you want to increase your odds of winning. The first time you play roulette, the players sprinkling the layout with chips may look as if they’re heaping pepperoni slices on a pizza. You can make many different bets as long as you stay within the table’s maximum limits. Consequently, few players make just one bet at a time.

Of course, the more bets you make, the more complicated and challenging it is to follow all the action. Here are two possible plans of attack to simplify matters:

• Stick to the table minimum and play only the outside bets. For example, bet on either red or black for each spin. This type of outside bet pays 1 to 1 and covers 18 of the 38 possible combinations.

• Place two bets of equal amounts on two outside bets: one bet on an even-money play and the other on a column or dozen that pays 2 to 1. For example, place one bet on black and one bet on Column Three, which has eight red numbers. That way, you have 26 numbers to hit, 4 of which you cover twice. You can also make a bet on red and pair it with a bet on Column Two, which has eight black numbers. Again, you cover 26 numbers, and 4 of them have two ways to win. Pairing a bet on either red or black with Column One (or on one of the three dozens) covers 24 numbers, and 6 numbers have two ways of winning. Spreading bets like this won’t make you rich, but it does keep things interesting at the table.

Playing a European wheel

If you happen to find a single-zero European wheel, you greatly improve your odds: The house edge is half that of roulette with the American wheel — only 2.63 percent. You may see a European wheel at one of the posh Vegas casinos, such as Bellagio, Mirage, or Caesars Palace. If you can’t find one on the floor, it’s probably tucked away in the high-limit area along with the baccarat tables, so you may need to ask. You can also find the single-zero wheel at some other upscale casinos around the country.

Because casinos set aside the European wheel for high rollers, you’re likely to find a higher table minimum, say $25. But because the house edge is half that of a double-zero wheel, the European wheel is the better roulette game to play for bigger bettors.

Your chances of winning get even better if the casino offers an advantageous rule called en prison. Sometimes available on the European wheel, the en prison rule lowers the house edge even further to a reasonable 1.35 percent. The rule applies to even-money bets. For example, say you have a $10 bet riding on black. If the ball lands on zero, your even-money bet doesn’t win or lose but remains locked up for one more spin. If the ball lands on black on the next spin, the house returns your original bet of $10, but you don’t win anything. If the ball lands on red, you lose. And if the ball repeats the zero number again, your bet stays imprisoned for another round.