Odds, Probability & Bankroll
Poker house edge
Poker house edge is the casino's expected long-run advantage on a player's original wager in poker-derived casino games, expressed as a percentage of the initial bet.
Key points
- The house edge is the ratio of expected player loss to the initial bet, not the final amount after raises or doubles.12
- Published figures for poker-style games assume optimal or near-optimal play; actual results vary with player skill.57
- Poker house edge applies only to casino-banked poker variants, not to traditional poker where players compete against each other.
Where this term is used
Related terms
Odds & probability
House edge
The general casino term for the operator's statistical advantage on any game.
Odds & probability
Blackjack house edge
The casino's advantage in blackjack, typically lower than poker house edge and affected by rule variations.
Odds & probability
Baccarat house edge
The casino's edge in baccarat, calculated on the banker, player and tie bets.
Odds & probability
Craps house edge
The casino's advantage on craps bets, which varies widely by wager type.
Odds & probability
House edge slots
The casino's built-in advantage on slot machines, determined by the pay table and reel strips.
Odds & probability
Casino house edge chart
A comparison table of house edges across popular casino games.
Sources
- House Edge of Casino Games Compared wizardofodds.com Defines house edge as the ratio of expected loss to initial bet.
- Gambling Glossary wizardofodds.com Explains that house edge may be based on a component wager rather than the final total.
- Ultimate Texas Hold'em Guide - Rules, Strategy & Online ... wizardofodds.com Provides the 2.185% figure for Ultimate Texas Hold'em and the 2.16% example for Casino Hold'em.
- Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Describes the 5% commission in pai gow poker as vigorish.
- Gambling mathematics en.wikipedia.org States that published house edge assumes optimal play.
- Casino hold 'em - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Gives the 2% to 2.5% range for Casino Hold'em house edge.
- カジノゲームのハウスエッジの比較 jp.wizardofodds.com Confirms that house edge figures assume optimal or near-optimal play.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.