For "live dealer blackjack odds", 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 the table in question.
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 beside its edge.
Roulette comes in versions with one zero, two zeros and extra features. A wheel with a double zero nearly doubles the house edge compared with a single zero wheel, and some tables add a triple zero pocket on top. Variants with random multipliers pay more on a few lucky numbers and less on every other straight bet. Speed and automatic versions keep the same odds and simply spin faster, which raises the cost of an hour.
Short answers
How large is the edge on live side bets?
Side bets pay large multiples on rare events and carry an edge several times that of the main game; the rules panel shows each payout beside its edge.
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 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.
How many zeros can a live roulette wheel have?
One, two or even three; a double zero nearly doubles the edge of a single zero wheel, and some tables add a triple zero pocket on top.
What should a live blackjack natural pay?
Three to two is standard; a table paying six to five takes several times more from every player over a session.