Hands Per Hour, and Why It Cuts Both Ways
Updated
A crowded table deals about 60 rounds an hour. Heads up against the dealer it can be three or four times that. Speed does not change the house edge on any single hand — it changes how many times that edge gets applied to your money.
- Full table (7 players): about 56 rounds an hour.
- Heads up: 248 is the theoretical maximum; 120–150 is more typical in practice.
- If you have no edge, a fast table costs you more per hour.
- If you are counting, a fast table is worth more per hour.
The standard figures
These are the rates used throughout the advantage-play literature. They are the maximum a dealer can produce at that headcount, so treat them as a ceiling rather than what you will see on a Saturday night.
| Players at the table | Rounds per hour | Rounds you play |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 248 | 248 |
| 2 | 158 | 158 |
| 3 | 116 | 116 |
| 4 | 91 | 91 |
| 5 | 76 | 76 |
| 6 | 64 | 64 |
| 7 | 56 | 56 |
In practice a heads-up game runs nearer 120–150 rounds an hour once you allow for a human being making decisions. A full table at 60 is realistic.
What speed costs an ordinary player
The house keeps about 0.46% of everything you stake with correct play. At $25 a hand:
60 rounds an hour means $1,500 staked and about $6.90 expected loss.
150 rounds an hour means $3,750 staked and about $17.20.
Same game, same edge, same skill. Two and a half times the cost, because you played two and a half times as many hands. If you are playing for entertainment, a busy table is a cheaper evening.
And why a counter wants the opposite
If you have an edge, every extra round is money. That is why counters prefer short tables and dislike crowds — and also why the continuous shuffler, which speeds a table up by removing shuffle breaks, is a mixed blessing that ends up being no blessing at all.
Speed is a multiplier. It only helps whoever has the edge, and at most tables that is not you.
Keep reading
By Martin Kosek · every number on this site is computed by us, not copied.
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