# House edge in blackjack, defined

> House edge is the share of each stake the casino expects to keep on average. A worked £10 example, how it differs from RTP and volatility, and where to read it.

Source: https://seatcheck.uk/house-edge/
Updated: 2026-11-13

House edge is the share of each stake that the casino expects to keep on average over a very large number of hands, given the table's rules. As of 13 November 2026 this page defines the term and shows the sum; it quotes no table's figure. It differs from RTP, which is the same figure seen from the player's side.

## The definition

If the house edge is 1% and you stake £100 in total, the casino expects to keep £1.00 of it on average. The rest comes back to players as winnings.

It is a property of the rules and of how you play. Change the rules, such as the payout or the dealer's soft 17 rule, and the edge changes.

**Seat note:** house edge is an average cost per pound staked, not a forecast for one session.

## A worked example with £10 and 100 hands

Expected loss equals number of hands times stake times house edge. The edge below is an illustrative input, not a published value.

**Expected loss at £10 a hand · derived by us for illustration**

| Assumed edge | Staked over 100 hands | Expected loss |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5% | £1,000.00 | £5.00 |
| 1% | £1,000.00 | £10.00 |
| 2% | £1,000.00 | £20.00 |

Your actual result after 100 hands will differ from these figures, in either direction.

## House edge, RTP and volatility

- **House edge:** the casino's expected share, for example 1.00%.
- **RTP:** the share expected to return to players, 100% minus the edge; 99.00% in the same example.
- **Volatility:** how widely results spread around that average. It is not the same thing.

Read more at [RTP in blackjack](https://seatcheck.uk/rtp-in-blackjack/).

## Where to read the figure

The studio's rules page for the game is the source to cite, with its date. A table's own rules panel shows the rules the figure depends on. See [reading a table's rules](https://seatcheck.uk/read-live-blackjack-table-rules/).

We have not recorded any table's published figure with a source and date, so we publish none. When we do, it will sit with its date in the [calculator](https://seatcheck.uk/house-edge-calculator/).

Two rules move the edge: the [soft 17 rule](https://seatcheck.uk/soft-17/) and the blackjack payout. Whether following a chart cuts it is checked at [basic strategy and the house edge](https://seatcheck.uk/does-basic-strategy-cut-the-house-edge/).

## FAQ

**What is the house edge in plain terms?**

The average share of each stake the casino expects to keep over a very large number of hands, given the rules of the table.

**How is house edge different from RTP?**

They are two sides of one figure: house edge equals 100% minus RTP. A published RTP of 99.00% means a house edge of 1.00%.

**Does house edge tell me what I will lose tonight?**

No. It is an average. Over 100 hands your result can be far above or below it.

**Where do I find the figure for a table?**

On the studio's rules page for the game, with its date. We have not yet recorded the values for the tables we cover.