An editorial encyclopedia of casino table games · Vol. III · MMXXVI
First Principles · Derivations

Where the numbers actually come from.

Every house-edge figure, every probability, every cell of the basic-strategy chart is the output of a calculation — not an opinion. These are the long-form derivations: the expected-value arithmetic behind the numbers the rest of the encyclopedia quotes. Each figure carries its rule premise. Nothing is asserted that cannot be computed.

Craps math · 2026-07-21

The pass line and free odds, derived

The pass line resolves to exactly 7/495. The odds bet behind it pays true and carries no edge at all. Here is where both numbers come from, bet by bet.

12 min read · Derivation →
House math · 2026-05-31

Variance — the other half of the math

Two games with the same house edge can feel completely different. Standard deviation is why — and here is how it is computed per hand.

11 min read · Derivation →
Reference · 2026-05-30

The working vocabulary of the pit

Colour up, hand signals, the cut card, the toke, third base — the terms and unwritten procedure every table player is assumed to already know.

9 min read · Derivation →
House math · 2026-05-29

How rule variants move the house edge

6:5 naturals, the single zero, dealer hitting soft 17, La Partage — each rule is a measurable shift in the edge. Here is the ledger.

10 min read · Derivation →
House math · 2026-05-28

House edge, computed game by game

House edge is one formula applied to every bet on the floor. We define it, then compute it for roulette, craps, baccarat and blackjack.

13 min read · Derivation →
Baccarat math · 2026-05-27

Baccarat Banker, Player and Tie probabilities

The exact win frequencies for Banker, Player and Tie, the fixed drawing tableau that produces them, and how the 5% commission is set.

11 min read · Derivation →
Blackjack math · 2026-05-26

The blackjack basic-strategy table, derived

Why you hit 16 against a 10 but stand against a 6 — the expected-value logic behind all 250 cells of the basic-strategy grid.

12 min read · Derivation →
On the figures. Roulette and craps edges below are exact closed-form values. Baccarat frequencies come from full enumeration of the fixed drawing tableau for a standard eight-deck shoe. Blackjack basic-strategy figures follow the published rule-variant tables and are stated with their premises (deck count, soft-17 rule, payout). Where a number depends on the rule set, the rule set is named alongside it.