Baccarat Odds

The casino game of Baccarat is actually offers quite fair odds for players. Playing the game is very easy because there are only three different betting options, and each hand is played out according to a fixed set of rules. Read more to learn which bet is the best - you might be surprised.

The Three Types of Bets

Baccarat may look like a complicated and sophisticated game to the inexperienced eye, but it really is quite easy. The only decision a player makes is whether to put his or her chips in the area on the table marked "player," "banker," or "tie." For specifics on rules of play, view the how to play baccarat page.

Betting Odds

Bet House Edge
Player 1.36%
Banker 1.17%
Tie 14.4%

The rules of the Baccarat game have been carefully invented to produce a small, but significant advantage for the house for both player and banker bets, and a steep jump in advantage for tie bets. Complex calculations are used to determine that the banker will win 50.68% of all non-tie hands and the player 49.32%. Using $100 worth of bets against these percentages shows that you can expect to lose $50.68 and win $49.32. The difference between the two is $1.36, hence a 1.36 house edge against the "player" bet.

So why then, you might ask, does the banker wager offer no real house advantage if it wins more than half of the time at 50.68%? Well, casinos are definitely wise to this. If they allowed the game to be played while giving up an edge to players, they would go bankrupt. Casinos have taken this odds difference into account, and made adjustments to tilt the advantage back into their favor by way of a 5% commission on winning banker bets.

The banker bet odds can be measured as follows: let's say you are wagering $100. Taking into account the 5% commission on winning banker bets, you will win $.95 for ever dollar wagered. Expecting to win 50.68% of the time, multiply $.95 by 50.68 and you get $48.15. You still can expect to lose $49.32, and the difference is $1.17, resulting in a 1.17% house advantage.

Tie bets happen approximately 9.55% of the time, meaning the true odds of a tie bet are 9.47 to 1. Dividing 9.55 into 100 gives us 10.47 and taking into account the fact that you will receive your original wager back, the proper odds are 9.47 to 1. So, winning a tie bet should have you winding up with $10.47, but instead you wind up with $9. Dividing the difference, $1.47, into $10.47 gives the house a 14.4% advantage. You might be tempted by the 8 to 1 payout, but the odds on this bet are unfavorable compared to the banker and player bets. Logic dictates that despite the 5% commission attached to winning the banker bet, it still offers the most favorable odds in baccarat, and over time you can expect to lose less by utilizing this option.