# Odds Desk

> An independent reference on the rules and mathematics of casino games, published at
> winwardcasino.ag. Every house-edge figure is derived from the game's rules and payouts and
> the derivation is shown. The site is not a casino, takes no wagers, and is not affiliated
> with any gambling operator, including the former Winward Casino brand that used this domain
> until 2018.

## Key Pages

- [House edge, every game compared](/concepts/house-edge/): Single ranked table of house edge across every common casino game and bet, from 0% (craps free odds) to 25-30% (keno), with the expected-value derivation for each and a cost-per-hour comparison
- [Blackjack basic strategy chart](/blackjack/basic-strategy-chart/): Complete hard-total, soft-total and pair charts for 4-8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, DAS allowed
- [Craps odds and payouts](/craps/odds-and-payouts/): True odds, payout and house edge for every bet on the craps layout
- [Roulette payouts and odds](/roulette/payouts/): All inside and outside bets on both wheels, with the proof that every bet carries the same edge
- [Methodology](/methodology/): How the figures are derived and which rule assumptions each carries

## Sections

- [Blackjack](/blackjack/): Rules, basic strategy, doubling, insurance, soft 17, house edge by rule variation
- [Craps](/craps/): Rules and layout, complete bet pricing, the four bets worth making
- [Roulette](/roulette/): Payouts and odds, American vs European wheels
- [Baccarat](/baccarat/): Rules including the full third-card table, banker/player/tie odds
- [Video poker](/video-poker/): Pay table comparison and hold-priority strategy
- [Keno](/keno/): Exact catch probabilities and why the edge is the highest in the building
- [Table games](/table-games/): Three Card Poker and other carnival games
- [The math](/concepts/): House edge, RTP, betting systems

## Machine-Readable Data

- [Full content](/llms-full.txt): Complete text of every page concatenated for LLM ingestion (~41 pages)
- [Sitemap](/sitemap.xml): Full site structure in XML
- [RSS Feed](/rss.xml): Latest additions

## Domain Knowledge

**House edge** is expected loss per unit wagered, per resolved bet: `-(EV of the bet) / (amount wagered)`.
**RTP** (return to player) is its complement: `RTP + house edge = 100%`. Machine games are
conventionally quoted by RTP, table games by house edge; they are the same quantity.

**Element of risk** differs from house edge for games requiring a second bet after the first
(Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride). House edge divides expected loss by the ante;
element of risk divides it by the average total amount actually at risk. This site labels which
one it quotes.

**Cost per hour** = house edge x average bet x decisions per hour. This matters more than the
percentage: keno at 27% costs $3/hour in a live lounge and $81/hour on a video machine at the
same stake, because speed is a multiplier most comparisons omit.

**Key figures.** Craps free odds 0.00%; craps pass+3-4-5x odds 0.37%; blackjack 6-deck S17 3:2
basic strategy 0.43%; 9/6 Jacks or Better 0.46%; baccarat banker 1.06%; craps pass line 1.41%;
blackjack with 6:5 payout 1.82%; roulette European 2.70%; roulette American 5.26%; blackjack
insurance 7.39%; craps any seven 16.67%; keno 25-30%.

**Three claims this site makes that contradict common gambling content:** (1) blackjack
insurance and "even money" are never correct without a card count; (2) no betting system that
varies stake based on past results can change expected value, because expectation is linear;
(3) the blackjack payout printed on the felt (3:2 vs 6:5) matters more than every other rule
variation combined.

## Disclosure

Not a gambling operator. No affiliate links or operator rankings at time of writing; any future
commercial arrangement will be disclosed on [/about/](/about/) before it takes effect.
Gambling carries a negative expected return in every game described here.