For "the video poker edge", it often comes down to a rule that differs from table to table. The same game can follow different rules at two live tables in the same studio. Blackjack may let the dealer hit a soft seventeen at one table and stand at the next, roulette may add a second zero or random multipliers, and baccarat may drop its commission in exchange for a changed payout. Each change moves the house edge, and each is written in the rules panel of that table.
Every live table publishes its own rules and return figures, usually behind an information icon in the corner of the video. The return is given for each bet, and the figure for the main bet is the one to compare between tables. Two tables with the same name in the lobby can carry different rules if they come from different studios. Opening the rules panel before the first round takes less time than one hand.
Side bets pay large multiples on rare events and carry a house edge several times that of the main game. Live blackjack side bets on pairs or poker hands are the common example, and their payout tables differ from studio to studio. Card shoes are changed or shuffled at a cut card placed by the dealer, so counting cards gains almost nothing in a live stream. The side bet table in the rules panel shows each payout next to its edge.
Questions readers ask
Are surrender and doubling options worth checking?
Yes. When doubling is allowed and whether surrender is offered each shift the edge a little, and the table rules list both options.
Does the dealer rule on soft seventeen matter?
Yes. Whether the dealer stands or hits on a soft seventeen moves the edge by a fraction of a percent, as the deck count, doubling and surrender rules also do.
Can tables with the same name have different rules?
Yes. Two tables sharing a lobby name can come from different studios with different rules, so the information icon on each video is worth opening first.
How do multiplier roulette tables change payouts?
Random multipliers pay more on a few lucky numbers and less on every other straight bet, so an ordinary straight win returns less than at a standard table.
Does the number of decks change live blackjack odds?
Slightly. The deck count is one of the rules that nudge the edge, and shoes are shuffled at a cut card, so counting gains almost nothing on a stream.