Casino Poker House Edge Table: Odds of Every Game

Your game

Game and bet

Base bet: ante or first circle (£)

Hands per hour40 to 60 at a busy live table, more online.

What it costs

House edge (per base bet)–

Element of risk (per £1 actually bet)–

Average total bet per hand–

Average cost per hand–

Average cost per hour–

Cost per hour, cheapest game on the list–

House edges assume optimal strategy (house way for Pai Gow, with 5% commission) and common pay tables, and are measured per base bet. Element of risk divides by the average total wagered per hand, including raises and Play bets.

Maths reviewed by Josh Miller
Tested by Diana Westfield

Updated 10 Nov 2026How we calculate →

Spotted a wrong result?Report an error Corrections log

Casino poker games share one problem: the edge is quoted per ante, but you bet more than the ante. Ultimate Texas Hold’em has a 2.19% house edge on the ante, which sounds worse than Three Card Poker’s Pair Plus. Yet you put out about four antes a hand in UTH, so per pound bet it costs only 0.53%. This casino poker house edge table lines the games up both ways, and the free CasinoCalcs calculator above turns them into money per hour.

Casino poker house edge, game by game

Game and bet	House edge	Average bet (× ante)	Element of risk
Ultimate Texas Hold’em	2.19%	4.13	0.53%
Casino Hold’em	2.16%	2.6	0.83%
Pai Gow Poker (house way)	2.72%	1	2.72%
Mississippi Stud	4.91%	3.58	1.37%
Three Card Poker: Ante and Play	3.37%	1.67	2.01%
Three Card Poker: Pair Plus 1-4-6-30-40	2.32%	1	2.32%
Let It Ride	3.51%	1.22	2.88%
Caribbean Stud	5.22%	2.04	2.56%
Three Card Poker: Pair Plus, flush pays 3	7.28%	1	7.28%

All figures assume you play the right strategy and find the usual pay table. Get the strategy wrong and the numbers jump: playing every hand in Three Card Poker more than doubles its edge.

Which number to use

For what an hour costs, use the house edge per ante, because it’s tied to the ante you choose. £10 antes at 50 hands an hour cost about £11 in UTH, £17 at Three Card Poker’s Ante and Play, and £26 at Caribbean Stud. For how much of the money you put in play you lose, use the element of risk. It’s the fairer comparison between games, and it explains why the raise-heavy games feel cheap: you’re often betting more when you’re ahead.

Side bets are where these tables get expensive. Most bonus bets, progressive jackpots and trips bets run 5% to 15% or more. The calculator leaves them out on purpose. Check them one at a time before you add them.

Strategy for each game

Each game has its own decisions. The Ultimate Texas Hold’em strategy covers when to bet 4×, the three card poker strategy chart has the Q-6-4 rule, the Caribbean stud strategy chart sorts the ace-king hands, and the Let It Ride strategy chart and pai gow poker strategy chart fill in the rest. For all casino games together, see best odds in the casino.

A low edge is still an edge. BeGambleAware.org has free, confidential help.

Frequently asked questions

Which casino poker game has the lowest house edge?

Ultimate Texas Hold'em, at 2.19% of the ante but only about 0.53% of everything you bet, because you often raise four times your ante. Casino Hold'em is close behind.

What is element of risk?

The house edge divided by the average total bet per hand. It shows what you lose per pound actually wagered, which matters in games where your bet grows with raises.

Is Three Card Poker a good bet?

The Ante and Play are fair for a table game at 3.37% of the ante. Pair Plus depends on the pay table: 2.32% on the best common table, 7.28% where a flush pays 3.

Why is Caribbean Stud so expensive?

The dealer must qualify with ace-king or better. When they don't, your raise is returned and only the ante wins even money, so your best hands are often paid small. That costs 5.22% of the ante.