When it comes to casino table games, most people choose to play either Roulette or Blackjack. These two are without a doubt the most popular casino games in the world. Even though both games are considered table games, they are entirely different in their playstyle.
Blackjack involves betting against the dealer in a card game and Roulette is also betting against the house but the game involves a spinning wheel, a ball, and numbers to bet on.
Considering that these two games are the pillars of success of the gambling industry, we decided to dig a bit deeper and find out which game offers better odds, and which game is more popular.
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game that involves betting against the house where you have a selection of 0-36 numbers to bet on. The idea behind a roulette table is to find out the winning number and scoop in the profits.
However, considering that you play roulette here against the house on a computerized machine that is working on an RNG (random number generator) it is impossible to have any kind of impact on the outcome. With that said, Roulette is considered a game of luck where players have no impact on the outcome.
But what makes the Roulette game so special?
Well, the roulette table is one of the oldest casino games and definitely one of the most thrilling ones. It has a casual playstyle where all players gather around the table with the same goal to win against the house.
Throughout history, Roulette evolved into a few different variations of the game each based on the same principles but having minor changes that can impact the house edge. The most popular version of the game is European Roulette, which has numbers on a spinning wheel from 0-36 and has an average house edge of 2.7%
The house edge is really important in casino games, and it determines the cut that the casino takes, or in other words the winnings you should expect from every session. A higher house edge suggests that the game has more advantages and you are less likely to make a profit.
The second most popular version of Roulette is American Roulette, which is based on the same principles as European roulette and the only difference is that this game includes an addition number on the wheel – the double zero “00”.
With an additional number on the wheel, the house edge climbs to 5.26% meaning that you are less likely to make money on an American Roulette wheel.
The best roulette in terms of house edge is La Partage or French roulette, which holds an average house edge of 1.35%.
Blackjack
Blackjack on the other hand is also a table game found in casinos and involves a rather different playstyle compared to Roulette. In Blackjack, each participant attempts to reach a score of 21, without exceeding it, before the dealer hits 17. In order to win you need to have a higher score than the dealer cards, and hitting exactly 21 means that you get even bigger wins.
The card value in Blackjack is really important for you to understand. Ace counts as one or 11, and 10s and picture cards count as 10. The other cards from 2-9 are their face value.
When all the people have placed their bets, the dealer gives one card face up to each player and then one card face up to themselves. In the next round, the dealer also gives one card to each player face up, but the dealer’s card is placed face down.
Now that you know hot Blackjack is played let’s find out why it is so popular.
Well, first of all, Blackjack is fun to play a social game where you can have some impact on the game by implementing a certain strategy. This means that you can increase your winning chances as you sharpen your Blackjack skills, which gives you an edge over Roulette where players are not in control at all.
The second and most important thing that makes Blackjack so popular is the house edge. Blackjack is one of the casino games with the lowest house edge of as low as 0.5%. This means that you are more likely to win at Blackjack compared to Roulette based on the house edge alone.
Blackjack vs Roulette
In terms of popularity, it is hard to draw lines between these two games. They are both iconic games that are the main ambassadors for the gambling industry and their popularity can vary from one place to another.
If we compare their chances of winning, Blackjack has the slightest edge due to the attractive house edge. However, this doesn’t make Roulette any less popular. After all, playing a casino game is not always about the money. People are also paying attention to the overall experience that the game provides, and when it comes to these two games, it all comes down to personal preference.
