Table Game Rules and the Maths Behind Them
Reading from India: online money games have been prohibited since 1 May 2026 under the Online Gaming Act 2025. This page is an explainer, not an invitation to play for money.
Casino table games are simple to learn and precise in their arithmetic, which makes them a good way to understand how every gambling game is built to favour the house. Here are the rules of four of them, including Andar Bahar, the card game most familiar to readers in India.
Andar Bahar
One card, often called the joker, is placed face up in the middle. The dealer then deals cards alternately to two sides, Andar and Bahar, until a card of the same rank as the joker appears. The bet is on which side that matching card lands. Because the side that receives the first card has a small advantage, many versions pay that side slightly less than even money — the adjustment that gives the house its edge. Side bets on how many cards will be dealt before the match pay more and win less often.
Roulette
A single-zero wheel has 37 pockets. A bet on one number pays 35 to 1, but the true odds are 36 to 1 against; that gap gives a house edge of 1 in 37, about 2.7%, on every standard bet. A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets with the same payouts, raising the edge to about 5.26%.
| Game | What decides the result | Where the edge comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Andar Bahar | Which side receives the card matching the joker | Reduced payout on the side favoured by the deal |
| Roulette (single zero) | Pocket where the ball stops | The zero: about 2.7% |
| Blackjack | Hand totals against the dealer | Player acts first and can bust before the dealer plays |
| Baccarat | Fixed drawing rules, closest to nine | Commission on Banker; low-probability Tie bet |
Blackjack
The aim is a hand closer to 21 than the dealer's without going over. Picture cards count ten, aces one or eleven. Players may hit, stand, double or split; the dealer follows a fixed rule, usually standing on 17. The house edge comes mainly from the order of play: if a player busts, the bet is lost even if the dealer later busts too. Table rules — the payout for a natural blackjack (3 to 2 classically, 6 to 5 on less generous tables) and whether the dealer hits a soft 17 — shift that edge noticeably.
Baccarat
Three bets: Player, Banker or Tie. Cards follow a fixed drawing rule, so there are no decisions after betting. Banker wins slightly more often, so winning Banker bets usually pay a commission, commonly 5%. The Tie pays a high multiple because it rarely happens, and it carries the largest edge of the three.
What the maths says overall
Every table game is priced so that the house keeps a small share of all money wagered over time. No sequence of bets, no "pattern" in past results and no progression of stakes changes that. In India, playing these games online for money has been prohibited since 1 May 2026 under the Online Gaming Act 2025; understanding the arithmetic is still the best protection against anyone who claims a system can beat it.