House edge in blackjack, defined
House edge is the share of each stake that the casino expects to keep on average over a very large number of hands, given the table's rules. As of 13 November 2026 this page defines the term and shows the sum; it quotes no table's figure. It differs from RTP, which is the same figure seen from the player's side.
Re-check window: 365 days
The definition
If the house edge is 1% and you stake £100 in total, the casino expects to keep £1.00 of it on average. The rest comes back to players as winnings.
It is a property of the rules and of how you play. Change the rules, such as the payout or the dealer's soft 17 rule, and the edge changes.
A worked example with £10 and 100 hands
Expected loss equals number of hands times stake times house edge. The edge below is an illustrative input, not a published value.
| Assumed edge | Staked over 100 hands | Expected loss |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5% | £1,000.00 | £5.00 |
| 1% | £1,000.00 | £10.00 |
| 2% | £1,000.00 | £20.00 |
Your actual result after 100 hands will differ from these figures, in either direction.
House edge, RTP and volatility
- House edge: the casino's expected share, for example 1.00%.
- RTP: the share expected to return to players, 100% minus the edge; 99.00% in the same example.
- Volatility: how widely results spread around that average. It is not the same thing.
Read more at RTP in blackjack.
Where to read the figure
The studio's rules page for the game is the source to cite, with its date. A table's own rules panel shows the rules the figure depends on. See reading a table's rules.
We have not recorded any table's published figure with a source and date, so we publish none. When we do, it will sit with its date in the calculator.
Two rules move the edge: the soft 17 rule and the blackjack payout. Whether following a chart cuts it is checked at basic strategy and the house edge.
Quick answers
- What is the house edge in plain terms?
The average share of each stake the casino expects to keep over a very large number of hands, given the rules of the table.
- How is house edge different from RTP?
They are two sides of one figure: house edge equals 100% minus RTP. A published RTP of 99.00% means a house edge of 1.00%.
- Does house edge tell me what I will lose tonight?
No. It is an average. Over 100 hands your result can be far above or below it.
- Where do I find the figure for a table?
On the studio's rules page for the game, with its date. We have not yet recorded the values for the tables we cover.