Baccarat offers nearly 50/50 odds bets on either the player or the banker. Of course, the odds of winning both baccarat hands are not exactly equal, because of the tie, but come very close to 50:50, which is why they pay even money.
Baccarat is one of the simplest casino games to learn and play at online casinos and land-based casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other gambling destinations.
Expected House Edge and Odds When You Play Baccarat
The high baccarat odds are due to the game’s low house edge for both the banker and player bets. The house odds of a baccarat game using eight decks of cards are:
- Banker = 1.06%, which includes a 5% house commission
- Player = 1.24%
- Tie = 14.4%
If tie bets are ignored, the baccarat odds for each hand to win are:
- Player = 49.32%
- Banker = 50.68%
On a regular baccarat table using an eight-deck shoe, the true house odds when every tie bet is excluded are:
- Player = 1.36%
- Banker = 1.17%
Baccarat odds can also vary depending on the game or variant you play. For instance, the casino does not take a 5% house commission on winning banker bets in certain baccarat games, such as mini-baccarat or Punto 2000. However, when the banker bet wins with a point total of 6, it pays just 1 to 2, instead of even money.
With that in mind, the house odds or casino advantage bets on the banker hand and player hand in Punto 2000 are:
- Player – 1.23%
- Banker – 1.45%
As you can see, the baccarat odds in the standard version of the game clearly show that you would be better off betting on the banker than the player. Placing a tie bet is obviously out of question, as the house edge is painfully high at 14.4%. In fact, a tie is expected to win only 19 out of every 200 hands, or just 9.52% of the time.
Punto 2000 is usually preferred in high-limit rooms where the bet minimum is around $200. If you play Punto 2000, the house odds show that you should bet on the player rather than the banker.
Otherwise, in all baccarat games and variants that charge a casino fee (typically 5% of the gross profit), baccarat players should always bet on the banker to make more money in the long run.
Is baccarat a good game?
Yes; baccarat is generally a good game, and for good reasons:
- Baccarat odds are solid – The baccarat house edge is reasonably low, at 1.06% for bets on the banker hand and 1.24% for wagers on the player’s hand.
- The gameplay is simple – Nothing about baccarat is complicated. You have three options to bet on baccarat tables. You can bet on the player, the banker, or the tie. The rules for dealing, drawing, and winning are straightforward, too.
- The tie can be ignored when betting – Many baccarat players bet on the player or banker. You don’t want to bet on a tie since the house advantage is stinging at 14.4%. If both the banker and the player’s hands have the same points at the end of the play, the game results in a Tie. The good news is that all banker and player bets are returned.
- Baccarat strategy is simple – You can use simple betting systems like Paroli, 1-3-24, and always bet on the banker to ensure that losses are minimized.
- Baccarat games are not too different – For starters, there are very few variants of baccarat. Even better, they are almost similar, with minor variations in house commission.
- There is something for everyone – Some baccarat tables in high-limit rooms are great for high-rollers. However, low-stakes variants like mini-baccarat are best suited to the budgets and playing styles of novice and casual players. Playing 500 hands of mini-baccarat at $1 per bet will see you lose around $5.30.
- Plenty of opportunities to claim bonuses — If you have watched the James Bond scene where the MI6 agent plunks down millions of dollars, you might think baccarat is all about fancy attire and wealth. However, online casinos offer both better odds and bonuses on baccarat.
- Baccarat has many potential side bets
You are advised not to place side bets since they will reduce your earnings, much like in a game of blackjack. However, if you choose to try them, you will probably get the following choices while using a regular shoe with eight decks:
- Player Pair – Pays 11 to 1
- Banker Pair – Pays 11 to 1
- Perfect Pair – Pays 25 to 1
- Either Pair – Pays 5 to 1
There is no logical explanation for why black has better odds than red, but some casinos allow side bets on whether the Player or Banker cards will be all red (pays 22 to 1) or all black (pays 24 to 1).
What are the odds of a tie in baccarat?
The odds of a tie coming up in baccarat are 119 out of every 1,250 hands or 9.52% of the time. That means tie bets are far less likely to win in baccarat. On the upside, winning bets on a tie pay handsomely at 8 to 1 or 9 to 1, depending on the baccarat game you play.
Casino players looking to boost their odds of winning should place their bets on either the player or the banker. In fact, the odds of winning a banker bet are 50.68% when ties are ignored. These are higher odds than those of bets on a roulette, craps, or blackjack game.
What are the odds of losing 7 hands in a row in baccarat?
The odds of losing 7 hands in a row in baccarat are 50.41%.
Why does the banker have an advantage in baccarat?
When the player gets a card that is more likely to improve that hand, there will be a third card the banker draws. That is the key to the gap in win percentages between the player hand and the banker.
In some ways, this makes baccarat comparable to blackjack. Because the dealer acts after the players have completed their hands, the casino holds an advantage over the player in blackjack.
The same is true in baccarat – the banker draws a card after the player has finished drawing.
Does baccarat have the best odds in a casino?
Baccarat does not have the best odds in the casino world. In fact, baccarat is not the best table game for odds, as blackjack has a lower house edge of around 0.5%. Of course, it has better odds than other table games like craps and roulette.
If you stick to betting on the pass line, you can enjoy good odds in Craps. The Pass Line bets attract a casino advantage of around 1.41%. Come Bets in Craps have the same edge for the casino as Pass Line bets and Don’t Pass Line wagers.
When all’s said and done, casino games with the best odds are usually video poker. These include:
- Deuces Wild 44 – 99.96%
- Super Aces – 99.94%
- Triple Deuces Wild – 99.92%
- Double Joker Wild – 99.91%
- Illinois Deuces – 99.91%
- Not So Ugly Deuces (NUSD) – 99.73%
- 9/6 Jacks or Better – 99.54%
- 8/5 Bonus Poker – 99.17%
As you can see for yourself, the house advantages of these video poker variants can be as low as 0.04%. In fact, some variations of 9/6 Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild have a negative casino advantage of around -0.76%.
What is the best bet in baccarat?
The best bet in baccarat is on the banker. If the possibility of ties is considered, banker bets have a very low edge at 1.06 percent. That means you will lose a penny for every $1 you bet for an extended period. The player draws before the banker gets a chance, so the banker has an added edge.
Without accounting for ties, banker bets win more than half the time, or 50.68% to be precise. Note that most casinos charge a 5% house commission on all winning banker’s bets, especially when you play baccarat online.
Is baccarat a winning game?
Although the house edge may prevent you from making a big profit in the long run, baccarat is still considered a winning game. Besides, all banker bets and player wagers are returned in case a round ends in a tie.
And with a 1.06% house edge on banker wagers, you are likely to win good money if you stick to a basic baccarat strategy.
If the numerical value of a hand’s point total is either 8 or 9, you will have a natural win on your hands. It pays a whopping 8 to 1 or 9 to 1. So, if you have wagered $10 on the banker and it gets a natural win, you will get a return of $90 or $100, respectively.
Should you bet on the banker or player in baccarat?
It depends on the type of baccarat game you are playing. If you are playing the classic eight-deck shoe baccarat game with a 5% house commission, you should always bet on the banker rather than the player. That is because the expected win rate of banker bets is 50.68%.
But, if you are talking about Punto 2000, a baccarat game without a house commission, you would want to bet on the player rather than the banker hand. That’s because the win rate of the bets on the player is expected to be higher than that of banker bets.
How much does a banker pay in baccarat?
In traditional eight-deck baccarat, the banker pays 19 to 20, as the casino takes a 5% house commission. For example, if you bet $100 on the banker and win, you can expect a return of $195. The house edge of the banker hand when you play baccarat is 1.06%. The expected pay should be 1 to 1 or even money before the casino deducts the house commission.