Why This List Matters
Casino floors are designed to make every bet look equally valid. The roulette layout has dozens of betting options. Baccarat offers Banker, Player and Tie side by side. Blackjack dealers offer insurance on every Ace. None of these choices are equal — the difference between the best and worst bets on a single game can exceed 13 percentage points of house edge. That difference compounds into thousands of dollars over a casino trip for regular players.
This article names the bets you should avoid, gives you the exact house edge, and tells you what to play instead. The casinos know these numbers. Now you do too.
Keno — 25% to 40% House Edge
Keno is a lottery-style game where players pick numbers from 1 to 80 and hope they match the casino's random draw. The house edge varies by casino and ticket type but typically falls between 25% and 40%. At 35% house edge — a reasonable middle estimate — the casino keeps $35 of every $100 wagered on average. Over a session of keno play, the mathematics guarantee significant losses for any active player.
There is no strategy in keno. No number selection method changes the odds. The only decision is whether to play, and the mathematics strongly argue against it for anyone who cares about value.
Better alternative: Any table game. Baccarat at 1.06% gives you 25 to 35 times better odds than keno. Even slot machines at 5% to 10% are dramatically better value than keno.
The Big Six Wheel — 11% to 24% House Edge
The Big Six wheel — also called the Money Wheel or Wheel of Fortune — is a vertical spinning wheel with various dollar amounts marked on it. It looks inviting and requires no knowledge to play. The house edge ranges from 11.11% on the $2 spot up to 24.07% on the $1 spot and far higher on joker spaces. These figures apply to every casino that offers the game.
The Big Six wheel is placed near casino entrances and exits to catch casual players who walk by. Its colorful appearance and simple operation disguise some of the worst odds on the floor. Walk past it.
Baccarat Tie Bet — 14.36% House Edge
The Tie bet in baccarat pays 8 to 1 when the Banker and Player hands produce identical totals. It sounds compelling given the payout and it sits right next to the Banker bet on the layout. The house edge is 14.36% — more than thirteen times higher than the Banker bet at 1.06% sitting beside it. The probability of a tie in baccarat is approximately 9.51%. The true odds are roughly 9.47 to 1. Paying 8 to 1 on a 9.47 to 1 event is where the 14.36% disappears.
Better alternative: The Banker bet at the same table. Same game, same hand, same environment — thirteen times better house edge.
Blackjack Insurance — 7.69% House Edge
When the dealer shows an Ace, the dealer offers insurance — a side bet paying 2 to 1 if the dealer has a ten-value down card to complete blackjack. The insurance bet is always exactly half the original wager. It sounds like protection but the mathematics do not support it under any circumstances.
In a standard deck, 16 of 52 cards are ten-value — approximately 30.8%. Insurance needs 33.3% ten-value frequency to break even. The gap between 30.8% and 33.3% is where the 7.69% house edge lives. In a multi-deck shoe the percentage of ten-value cards is identical. Card counters may have situations where taking insurance is mathematically correct but basic strategy players should never take it regardless of hand strength — including when you hold blackjack yourself. Taking even money on a blackjack is the same bet mathematically and equally unprofitable over time.
The Insurance Trap
Dealers are trained to offer insurance confidently and often suggest it protects your hand. It does not protect anything — it is a separate side bet on whether the dealer has blackjack. Your hand result and the insurance result are independent. The only question is whether a 7.69% house edge bet is worth making. It is not.
Casino War Tie Bet — 18.65% House Edge
Casino War is a high-card comparison game that is genuinely simple and reasonably fair on the main bet at 2.88% house edge. When a tie occurs, players choose to surrender half their bet or go to war by matching the original bet. There is also a dedicated Tie bet — wagering before the deal that both cards will be the same rank. This bet pays 10 to 1 when it wins. The house edge is 18.65%. The main War bet and even surrendering on ties are both dramatically better options than the Tie bet.
American Roulette Five-Number Bet — 7.89%
American roulette carries a 5.26% house edge on every bet on the layout — with one exception. The five-number bet covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 and pays 6 to 1. The house edge is 7.89% — 50% higher than the 5.26% that already applies to every other bet. There is no reason to make this bet. Even the straight-up number bets at 5.26% are a better deal than the five-number bet.
Slot Machine Side Bets — Varies
Many modern slot machines offer bonus side bets — an extra dollar or two that increases jackpot eligibility or activates a bonus feature. These side bets frequently carry house edges significantly above the base game. The base game RTP might be 95% (5% house edge) while the side bet RTP is 85% (15% house edge) or lower. The casino is required to publish the overall RTP but is not required to break out the side bet separately. When in doubt, the additional bet on a slot machine is almost always a worse deal than the base game.
| Bet to Avoid | House Edge | Better Alternative | Better Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
Keno | 25–40% | Baccarat Banker | 1.06% |
Big Six — $1 spot | 24.07% | Any table game | <5% |
Casino War Tie Bet | 18.65% | War main bet | 2.88% |
Baccarat Tie Bet | 14.36% | Baccarat Banker | 1.06% |
Blackjack Insurance | 7.69% | Never take it | N/A |
5-Number Roulette Bet | 7.89% | Any other roulette bet | 5.26% |
The Bottom Line
The worst bets in the casino share one trait — they look either simple or protective but carry house edges far above the games around them. Keno and the Big Six wheel prey on players who do not know the numbers. Tie bets in baccarat and Casino War sit directly beside dramatically better options. Insurance in blackjack is dressed up as protection when it is simply a poor side bet.
Avoiding these bets costs nothing and improves your long-run results significantly. The casino keeps the profits either way — but there is no reason to give them the money faster than the game requires.