Walk past the slot floor at any casino, online or off, and you hit the felt: blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, a row of poker variants with dealers running the action. That’s the table games section, and despite the name, it isn’t really about furniture. A table game is any casino game where you play against the house (occasionally against other players) at a dedicated table, run by a real dealer or a fixed set of software rules, rather than by spinning reels or a random symbol grid.
This guide covers what actually separates a table game from a slot, the difference between an RNG table game and a live-dealer one, a plain-language rundown of every major game family, and a single house-edge table so you can see how they stack up against each other at a glance. It’s the starting point. For strategy-level depth on any individual game, we link out to our dedicated guides throughout.
Quick answer: A table game is any casino game played at a table against the house, using cards, dice, or a wheel, as opposed to a slot’s spinning reels. The major families are blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and poker-based games like Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker, and Casino Hold’em. Every one of these exists in two forms online: an RNG version, where software deals the cards or spins the wheel instantly, and a live-dealer version, streamed in HD with a real human running the game. House edges range from as low as 0% on a craps Odds bet up to 0.3%-0.5% for basic-strategy blackjack, generally beating typical online slots (roughly 2%-6% house edge).
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What Actually Makes a Game a “Table Game”
Three things put a casino game in the table games category rather than somewhere else. First, the outcome comes from cards, dice, or a physical wheel, not a reel or a random symbol grid. Second, you’re playing against the house’s fixed rules (blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette) or, in poker-based games, against the dealer’s hand rather than other players. Third, and this is the part most guides skip, a table game is played at an actual table layout, whether that’s a physical felt in a casino or its exact digital equivalent on screen, with betting spots, chip stacks, and a dealer or automated dealer running the round.
That third point is why table games feel structurally different from slots even when both are just software underneath. A slot generates one outcome per spin from a fixed math model. A table game unfolds as a sequence, cards get dealt one at a time, a wheel spins and the ball drops, dice land and the shooter’s turn continues, and in games like blackjack you make decisions mid-round that change your own outcome. That sequence, and the decisions some games let you make inside it, is the core identity of a table game.
Table Games vs. Slots: What’s Actually Different
The most common way people describe this distinction, “table games are skill, slots are luck,” oversimplifies it. Baccarat, craps’ base bets, and roulette involve zero decisions once you’ve placed your bet, exactly like a slot. What actually separates the categories is structure and, in some games, player input.
| What matters | Table Games | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome source | Cards, dice, or a physical/virtual wheel | Spinning reels and a random symbol grid |
| Round structure | Sequential (cards dealt in order, wheel spins to a result) | Single resolved outcome per spin |
| Player decisions mid-round | Some games yes (blackjack hit/stand/split), others no (baccarat, roulette, craps base bets) | None |
| Typical house edge | As low as 0% up to roughly 5%-14% on the worst side bets | Roughly 2%-6% on typical online titles |
| Available in RNG and live-dealer form | Yes, both widely available | Live “slot”-style game shows exist but aren’t the same category |
The house-edge gap is the practical reason people care about this distinction at all. Skill-neutral table games like baccarat and European roulette already beat typical online slots on pure math, and games with a correct-decision component, blackjack chief among them, widen that gap further. A full breakdown of exactly how every major game compares, including slots, follows below.
RNG Table Games vs. Live Dealer Table Games
This is the distinction almost no beginner-facing guide actually walks through, and it matters before you pick a table. Every major table game exists in two forms online, and they’re not interchangeable experiences.
RNG table games run entirely on software. A random number generator determines the card sequence or wheel result the instant you act, the round resolves in seconds, and the game is available 24/7 with no waiting for a seat or a dealer. Minimum bets tend to run lower, and you can pause between hands for as long as you want, which makes RNG tables the more forgiving place to learn a new game’s rules or basic strategy without anyone watching.
Live dealer table games stream a real human dealer from a studio in HD, dealing physical cards from an actual shoe or spinning a real wheel, with your bets placed through an on-screen interface and a live chat running alongside the action. Rounds move at a real dealer’s pace instead of instantly, table limits and seat counts vary by table, and the experience is built to replicate sitting at a physical casino table from your couch. Live casino floors now cover every major table game family, with dedicated live blackjack, live roulette, and live baccarat sections each running multiple variants, studio providers, and stake levels.
Neither version changes a game’s underlying math meaningfully; a standard live blackjack table and a standard RNG blackjack table run essentially the same rules and RTP. What changes is pace, atmosphere, and in most cases the bonus wagering contribution rate, live and RNG table games both typically count at only 10%-20% toward clearing a welcome bonus, versus 100% for slots, worth knowing before you pick a table to grind wagering requirements on. Our full casino bonuses guide breaks down contribution rates by game type in more depth.
Every Major Table Game, Briefly Explained
Here’s the full lineup you’ll find at any Canadian-facing casino with a genuine table games selection, in plain language. Each links to a deeper guide where one exists on this site.
Blackjack
The goal is a hand total closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going over. You’re dealt two cards and choose to hit, stand, double, or split based on your total and the dealer’s visible card. Blackjack is the one major table game where a published, mathematically correct decision exists for every possible hand, which is why basic-strategy players consistently land among the best realistic odds in the building. See our full live blackjack guide for every variant, table limit, and the complete basic strategy breakdown. LeoVegas Casino carries one of the deepest blackjack table libraries in Canada if you want to compare several variants side by side.
Roulette
Players bet on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel, numbers, colours, odd/even, or ranges, before the dealer spins. It’s pure chance with zero decisions once your chips are down, and the wheel you choose matters more than any bet you place: European, American, and French wheels carry meaningfully different odds, covered in detail on our live roulette guide. BetMGM is a solid pick for wheel variety specifically, with European, American, and French tables all on offer.
Baccarat
You bet on which of two hands, Player or Banker, will total closer to nine, or on a Tie. There are no in-hand decisions at all; fixed drawing rules determine every card dealt, so the only choice that affects your odds is which of the three bets you place before the round starts. Full variant and side-bet breakdown on our live baccarat guide.
Craps
A dice game built around a shooter rolling two dice while other players bet on the outcome. The core bets, Pass Line and Don’t Pass, are simple and beginner-friendly despite the table’s intimidating layout of side bets. Once a point is established, an Odds bet placed behind your base wager pays true odds with zero house cut, the only bet in a standard casino that mathematically breaks even.
Poker-Based Table Games
These play against the dealer’s hand, not other players, which separates them structurally from traditional multiplayer poker. Three Card Poker deals three cards each to you and the dealer; you play or fold based on your hand strength, with a simple correct-strategy rule (raise on Queen-6-4 or better). Caribbean Stud Poker works similarly with five-card hands and a bigger commitment before you see much dealer information. Pai Gow Poker splits your seven cards into a two-card and five-card hand against the dealer’s equivalent split, slow-paced and low-variance by design. Casino Hold’em uses full Texas Hold’em mechanics against a fixed dealer strategy rather than other players, and runs roughly 97.84% RTP with optimal call/fold decisions. TonyBet Casino carries a genuinely deep poker-based table games selection if this category is what brought you here.
House Edge Compared: Which Table Games Give You the Best Odds
These figures assume correct play where a strategy exists (blackjack, and the fold decisions in the poker-based games) and standard rules elsewhere. They’re reused directly from our full rankings on which casino game is easiest to win, so nothing here contradicts what you’ll find on that page.
| Table Game / Bet | House Edge | RTP |
|---|---|---|
| Craps: Odds bet | 0% | 100% |
| Blackjack: basic strategy | 0.3%-0.5% | 99.5%-99.7% |
| Craps: Pass Line / Don’t Pass | 1.36%-1.41% | 98.59%-98.64% |
| Baccarat: Banker | 1.06% | 98.94% |
| Roulette (French): even-money bets | 1.35% | 98.65% |
| Baccarat: Player | 1.24% | 98.76% |
| Casino Hold’em | ~2.16% | ~97.84% |
| Pai Gow Poker | ~1.5%-2.7% | ~97.3%-98.5% |
| Roulette (European) | 2.70% | 97.30% |
| Three Card Poker (Ante/Play) | ~2%-3.5% | ~96.5%-98% |
| Roulette (American) | 5.26% | 94.74% |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | ~5% | ~95% |
| Baccarat: Tie | 14.36% | 85.64% |
A quick note on video poker, since it’s a common source of confusion: video poker is a machine-based, single-player game with its own paytable and RTP, not a table game. It doesn’t appear on this table because it isn’t dealt at a table or run against a live opponent. Full RTP context for every game type, table and otherwise, is covered on our RTP explainer.
Do You Need Skill to Play Table Games?
It depends entirely on which one. Baccarat, roulette, and craps’ base bets involve zero decisions once you’ve bet, your outcome is exactly as much a function of skill as a slot spin. Blackjack sits at the other end: basic strategy is a published, memorizable chart, and playing without it can push your effective house edge several percentage points worse than the advertised figure. The poker-based games sit in between, each with one or two simple correct-strategy rules (fold or raise thresholds) that meaningfully narrow the house’s edge without requiring the deeper study blackjack rewards.
The practical takeaway: if you want a game where getting better actually changes your results, blackjack and the poker-based table games reward the effort. If you want to sit down and play with zero learning curve while still beating typical slot odds, baccarat is the honest answer.
How to Choose Your First Table Game
If you’re new to table games entirely, a few practical starting points. Want the simplest possible rules with strong odds? Baccarat: bet Banker, no decisions, no strategy chart to learn. Want a game where learning pays off? Blackjack: basic strategy is genuinely learnable in an afternoon and materially improves your results. Want lower stress and lower stakes while you learn? Start on an RNG table rather than a live one, you can pause indefinitely and minimums typically run lower. Want the social, real-dealer atmosphere from day one? Most live casino lobbies now include beginner-friendly formats, unlimited-seat blackjack tables and lower-pressure baccarat rooms among them, built specifically so new players aren’t competing for a seat against experienced regulars, and most run just as well through our mobile casino guide as on desktop.
Spin Casino carries a genuinely deep table games selection across both RNG and live formats if you want to try several games in one lobby before settling on a favourite, and 888 Casino is a solid pick specifically for baccarat variety if that’s where you’re starting. Whichever operator you pick, funding the account is the easy part, most Canadian players use Interac for instant deposits at any table.
Table Game Etiquette, in Brief
Casino protocol matters more at a table than anywhere else on the floor, since a dealer and often other players are watching your decisions in real time. The essentials: know the game’s rules and betting options before you sit down rather than learning them at the table; place bets before the betting window closes and use clear hand signals where they’re expected (tapping the felt to hit in blackjack, for example); don’t touch your chips once a round is underway; and if you’re on a live dealer table, keep chat friendly and don’t ask the dealer for strategy advice, they’re not permitted to give it regardless of how the question is phrased. Our live casinos guide, linked above, covers full etiquette norms, tipping conventions, and what to expect from live chat in more depth. PartyCasino is worth a look if a well-moderated, beginner-friendly live chat is a priority for your first few sessions.
How We Cover Table Games at OCCG
Written by Oliver Payne, OCCG casino writer. Every house-edge and RTP figure on this page is a fixed, published mathematical property of the game itself, not a casino-specific promotional claim, and is cross-checked against the same numbers already verified elsewhere on this site rather than restated with new precision. Licensing and audit standards behind both RNG and live-dealer table games are covered in full on our guide to whether online casinos are rigged. See our full review methodology for how we evaluate the casinos we recommend for table games specifically, including table variety, live studio quality, and verified payout speed via our best payout casinos rankings.
Last updated: August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a table game in a casino?
Any game played at a dedicated table against the house using cards, dice, or a wheel, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and poker-based games like Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker, and Casino Hold’em. It’s distinct from slots, which use spinning reels, and from video poker, which is machine-based and single-player.
What’s the difference between a table game and a slot machine?
A table game’s outcome comes from cards, dice, or a wheel and unfolds as a sequence, sometimes with decisions you make mid-round. A slot resolves a single outcome per spin from a fixed reel-based math model with no decisions at all. Table games also generally carry lower house edges: as low as 0% on a craps Odds bet versus roughly 2%-6% on typical online slots.
Is video poker a table game?
No. Video poker is a machine-based, single-player game with its own paytable, closer in structure to a slot than to a table game, even though it uses playing cards. It isn’t dealt at a table or played against a live dealer or opponent.
Do table games have better odds than slots?
Generally yes. Most table games carry house edges under 3%, and several, basic-strategy blackjack and the craps Odds bet among them, run under 1% or even 0%. Typical online slots run roughly 2%-6%, as shown in the comparison table above.
What is the easiest table game to learn?
Baccarat. There are no in-hand decisions, you simply bet Player, Banker, or Tie before the cards are dealt, and the drawing rules are fixed. It combines genuine simplicity with a strong house edge on the Banker bet.
Do you need skill to win at table games?
It depends on the game. Baccarat, roulette, and craps’ base bets involve no decisions, skill doesn’t apply. Blackjack has a mathematically correct decision for every hand, and the poker-based table games each have simple correct-strategy rules that meaningfully improve your odds if you learn them.
What’s the difference between RNG and live dealer table games?
RNG table games run entirely on software: instant results, lower typical minimums, available any time. Live dealer table games stream a real human dealer in HD, dealing physical cards or spinning a real wheel at a real dealer’s pace, with chat and a more social, casino-floor feel. The underlying rules and odds are essentially the same between a standard RNG and standard live version of the same game.
Which table game has the lowest house edge?
The craps Odds bet is mathematically the best bet in a casino at a true 0% house edge, though it only exists once you’ve placed a Pass or Don’t Pass wager first. Among games you can walk up to and play on their own, basic-strategy blackjack (0.3%-0.5% house edge) is the strongest realistic pick.
Can you play table games for free before betting real money?
Most RNG table games are available in free demo mode at major Canadian-facing casinos, letting you learn the rules and practice basic strategy with zero risk. Live dealer tables typically require a real-money account, since a real dealer and studio time are involved, though First Person RNG versions of live formats offer a free-play middle ground at some operators.
Are online table games rigged?
No, at licensed casinos. RNG table games run on independently audited software tested against a disclosed math model, and live dealer tables use physical equipment subject to the same fairness verification standards, as covered in more depth above.
What table games are available to players in Ontario?
The full range, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and poker-based games, in both RNG and live-dealer form, at any iGaming Ontario-licensed casino under AGCO oversight. Table selection varies by operator, so check a specific casino’s lobby for the exact variants and stakes it carries.
