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What Table Games Are Best for Comp Offers?

Contrary to popular belief, casino comps aren’t based on how much you win or lose. They’re based on what the casino theoretically expects to win from you, also known as theo (theoretical win). In simple terms, if you play for a certain amount of time at a certain average bet, the casino estimates what it expects to earn using the game’s house edge and an assumed pace (how many hands/spins are played per hour).

That’s also why slots tend to generate stronger offers. Slot machines typically carry a higher house edge, so if you play the same amount of time at the same average bet on slots versus a table game, your theo is often higher on slots, which can lead to better comps.

Table games are where it gets a little gray. House edge and theoretical win can vary widely depending on the game, the rules, and even how quickly the game moves. In this post, we’re breaking down the 7 most common cruise ship table games, ranked from worst to best for comp value. To keep it apples-to-apples, this ranking assumes the same average bet and the same time played, the only thing changing is the game.

If you’d like to calculate your ‘theoretical’ value to the casino. There is actually a free tool online called ‘The Comp Calculator’ that can show you what your theoretical value is estimated to be along with hundreds of additional offers you could qualify for even with casinos and cruise lines you’ve never played with.
Try out the Comp Calculator

What “theo” means in plain English (with the mechanics behind it)

Most rating systems are trying to estimate expected house win using four inputs: your average bet, how long you play, the game’s house edge, and the game’s pace (hands/spins/decisions per hour).

A simplified way to think about it is:

Theo ≈ Average Bet × Hours Played × Decisions per Hour × House Edge

That last piece, decisions per hour, is why game choice matters so much. Casinos build speed assumptions into their rating models, and some games simply move faster than others. That’s also why two players can sit at a table for the same amount of time with the same average bet and still walk away with very different offer strength.

If you’d like to calculate your ‘theoretical’ value to the casino. There is actually a free tool online called ‘The Comp Calculator’ that can show you what your theoretical value is estimated to be along with hundreds of additional offers you could qualify for even with casinos and cruise lines you’ve never played with.
Try out the Comp Calculator

Starting at number 7 is Baccarat!

Baccarat comes in as the slowest table game for earning comps in this lineup because casinos typically rate it with a much lower theoretical win than blackjack when the average bet and time played are the same. In fact, baccarat is often viewed as generating less than half the theoretical win of blackjack, which means a baccarat player looking for comparable offers would generally need to more than double their average bet or play more than twice as long.

That lower comp rate also suggests casinos believe baccarat has one of the lowest house edges among these games and that players tend to win more often compared to other table games, so the casino’s expected hold is smaller. On top of that, many baccarat players gravitate toward bet types and play styles that further reduce what the casino expects to keep, so even with solid time at the table, baccarat usually isn’t the fastest path if your main goal is stronger offers.

Moving on to Hard 6, That's right- Craps!

Craps is easily one of the most energetic games on the casino floor, and if you’ve ever been part of a long hot roll, it makes sense why casinos don’t expect to win as much on it as they do on many other table games.

Casinos often rate craps with a more modest theoretical win because players can choose very low-house-edge bets, results can swing wildly, and the pace can vary a lot depending on how busy the table is and how quickly the dice move. That said, craps still tends to earn comps noticeably faster than baccarat: in this comparison it generates nearly double the casino theoretical win of baccarat, so if a baccarat player and a craps player have the same average bet and play the same amount of time, the craps player would typically receive close to double the comps. It’s also extremely close in theoretical win to the next game on the list, so comps between those two are usually almost the same.

If you’d like to calculate your ‘theoretical’ value to the casino. There is actually a free tool online called ‘The Comp Calculator’ that can show you what your theoretical value is estimated to be along with hundreds of additional offers you could qualify for even with casinos and cruise lines you’ve never played with.
Try out the Comp Calculator

At number 5 we have Single Deck Blackjack

Single deck blackjack comes in just a hair above craps for earning comps, with only about a 0.17% higher theoretical win, so the comp pace between the two is basically a tie. It’s a fan favorite because, depending on the rules, single deck can offer better odds than some multi-deck versions, but from a comps standpoint it still tends to sit in the mid-to-lower tier. Casinos often rate single deck with slightly lower theoretical than multi-deck blackjack, and between the pace of the game and rule variations that can keep the casino’s expected win modest, it usually won’t climb as fast as the higher-rated games later on the list.

Surprise, Number 4 is Regular Blackjack!

This is the multi-deck version you’ll usually see on cruise ships, often paired with an auto-shuffler, and it tends to earn comps faster than single deck blackjack. In this comparison it jumps to about 14% more casino theoretical win than single deck blackjack and craps, and more than double baccarat, even when the average bet and time played are identical. The reason is mostly structural: casinos often assume a higher theo rate for multi-deck blackjack, and auto-shufflers can speed up the game by increasing hands per hour, which raises the casino’s expected win per hour in the rating model.

It’s a good reminder that in the comp system, “blackjack is blackjack” isn’t always true, the version you play really does matter.

If you’d like to calculate your ‘theoretical’ value to the casino. There is actually a free tool online called ‘The Comp Calculator’ that can show you what your theoretical value is estimated to be along with hundreds of additional offers you could qualify for even with casinos and cruise lines you’ve never played with.
Try out the Comp Calculator

Big jump here: Number 3 is Ultimate Texas Hold’em!

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em proves it by making a big jump to number three for comp earning potential. In this comparison, it generates about 27% more casino theoretical win than regular blackjack with the same average bet and time played, 46% more than single deck blackjack and craps, and more than triple the theoretical win of baccarat. That means if an Ultimate Texas Hold’em player and a baccarat player both play the same hours at the same average bet, the Ultimate player could receive roughly three times the offer value in theory.

Are Your Wheels Turning Yet? At Number 2 is Roulette!

The devil’s wheel comes in hot because roulette can generate theo fast, largely due to one key factor: pace. Theoretical win isn’t just about a game’s house edge, it also accounts for how quickly the game moves, and casinos build assumed speed into their comp equation using estimated spins per hour. Roulette typically runs much faster than games like craps, which can push your theo higher even when your average bet stays exactly the same.

In this apples-to-apples comparison, roulette shows a 66% increase in comps compared to Ultimate Texas Hold’em, comes in at more than double the casino theoretical win of regular blackjack, delivers almost 2.5× the offers of single deck blackjack and craps, and earns about 5× the comps of baccarat. And as a reminder, that’s all in a hypothetical scenario where the average bet and time played are identical, the only thing changing is the game.

If you’d like to calculate your ‘theoretical’ value to the casino. There is actually a free tool online called ‘The Comp Calculator’ that can show you what your theoretical value is estimated to be along with hundreds of additional offers you could qualify for even with casinos and cruise lines you’ve never played with.
Try out the Comp Calculator

And At Number 1... 3 Card Poker!

If you want to maximize your table game play for comps, then you need to get on that 3 Card Poker table!

In this apples-to-apples comparison, Three Card Poker generates a little over double the theoretical win of roulette, which means a Three Card Poker player could see roughly double the offer value of a roulette player at the same bet and time. It also comes in around 3.5× the comps of an Ultimate Texas Hold’em player, 4×+ the offers of a blackjack player, 5×+ the value of a single deck blackjack or craps player, and 10×+ the offers of a baccarat player. One could assume that says a lot about the relative house edge of each game compared to the others, but the key takeaway is simple: this doesn’t mean Three Card Poker is the “best” game for your bankroll or odds, it just means casinos often rate it as generating the most theoretical win per hour when average bet and time played are identical.

Final Tips for Better Offers

If you take a big loss, casinos will occasionally offer comps based on loss rather than theoretical, so it’s recommended to work with a host who can see your play ratings and advocate for the best offers. And if you already receive casino offers, be sure to sign up and use URComped’s free service to access new offers for casinos and cruise lines. You’ll be connected with a dedicated host who helps make sure you’re getting the best possible offers for your level of play.