Different casino table games offer players a range of bet types, like inside or outside wagers in roulette, or line bets and proposition bets in craps. Each wager, and each game, offers its own blend of risk, house edge, and volatility that will appeal to different types of players and their play styles. But there’s one specific type of wager that new players might be particularly interested in: even money bets.
For new players who aren’t sure what this type of bet is, this guide covers what even money bets are and how they work in online casino table games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and craps.
What Is an Even Money Bet?
What does even money mean in betting? An even money bet is simply a bet that returns a profit equal to the original wager, plus the original bet. For example, a player who wagers $10 will receive $10 profit as well as their original bet of $10 for a total return of $20.
Players may be drawn to these types of bets because the payout matches the stake, and the house edge is often close to even, making these wagers feel fair.
However, as close as these wagers may be to even odds, the house edge is always in the casino’s favour, even if it’s only by one or two per cent. Understanding this is critical to understanding even money bets before placing chips on the real or digital felt.
Now that this has been clarified, here’s a closer look at even money bets across a variety of online casino table games.
Even Money Bets in Roulette
Players who are still learning roulette rules often ask, “What is an even money bet in roulette?” There are three types of even money roulette bets:
- Red/black: When choosing this wager, the player is betting that the winning number’s color will be red or black.
- Odd/even: When choosing this wager, the player is betting that the winning number will be odd or even.
- High/low (1–18 / 19–36): When choosing this wager, the player is betting that the winning number will be in the low half (1–18) or the high half (19–36) of all available options.
Roulette even money bets have a house edge of 2.70% for European roulette and 5.26% for American roulette. Although this basically covers everything they need to know about even money bets in roulette, players can learn more in this guide to various types of roulette bets, including what the difference is between inside and outside bets in roulette.
Even Money Bets in Blackjack
All blackjack payouts are usually even money bets, except for a blackjack win, which has payout odds of 3:2. However, a separate offer called “even money” may also be available in some variants of the game. When the player has a blackjack and the dealer reveals their first card as an ace, the player can request “even money”. Accepting it guarantees an immediate 1:1 payout. This eliminates the risk of a push but also reduces the final payout odds of 3:2 if the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack.
Even Money Bets in Baccarat
Both banker and player wagers qualify as even money bets. The banker wager has a house edge of 1.06%, while the player wager has a house edge of 1.24%. To offset this slight difference in odds, a small commission is already priced into the banker wager’s lower edge, leaving it fractionally stronger than the player.
Even Money Bets in Craps
There are multiple bets in craps that pay even money:
- Pass line bet: This wager pays out if the shooter wins and is placed before the come-out roll. The player wins if the shooter hits a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, but loses if the dice land on a 2, 3, or 12. Any other number becomes the point and the shooter rolls again. The player wins if the shooter hits the point number before rolling a 7. The pass line bet has a house edge of 1.41%.
- Don’t pass line bet: This bet is similar to the pass line bet but pays out if the shooter loses. Again, it’s placed for the come-out roll. For this bet, the player loses if the shooter hits a 7 or 11, but wins if the dice land on a 2 or 3. It’s a push for a 12. Just like the pass line bet, any other number becomes the point, and the shooter rolls again. The player wins if the shooter hits a 7 before rolling the point number. The don’t pass line bet has a house edge of 1.36%.
- Come bet: This wager is placed after the point number is set but is similar to the pass line bet. The player wins if the shooter hits a 7 or 11, but loses if the dice land on a 2, 3, or 12. If any other number is hit, that becomes the player’s point number. The player wins if that number is hit on the next roll, but loses if a 7 is hit first. The come bet has a house edge of 1.41%.
- Don’t come bet: This wager is placed after the point number is set but is similar to the don’t pass line bet. The player loses if the shooter hits a 7 or 11, but loses if the dice land on a 2 or 3. A 12 is a push. Just like the don’t come bet, any other number becomes the point and the shooter rolls again. The player wins if the shooter hits a 7 before rolling the point number. The don’t come bet has a house edge of 1.36%.
- Big 6 or Big 8 bet: This bet is a wager that the dice will land on a 6 or 8 before a 7. These bets have a house edge of 9.09%, much higher than the other even money bets on this list.
