Baccarat looks complicated and isn't: the cards are drawn by fixed rules, and your only choice is Banker, Player or Tie. One of those is clearly the best.
→Bet on which hand finishes closer to 9: Banker or Player.
→Banker is the best bet on the table, even after the 5% commission.
→Skip the Tie: it pays 8:1 but carries a house edge over ten times Banker's.
→You never decide whether to draw. The rules do it for you.
The rules
Two hands are dealt, Player and Banker, two cards each. You don't play either hand: you bet on which one will finish closer to 9, or on a tie. Despite the names, betting on Banker doesn't make you the house.
Ace
Worth 1
2 to 9
Face value
10, J, Q, K
Worth 0
A hand's total is the last digit of its card values added up: a 7 and an 8 make 15, which counts as 5. Nine is the best total. If either hand has 8 or 9 from its first two cards, that is a natural, and both hands stand.
When a third card is drawn
Without a natural, the Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7. The Banker hand then follows this table. If the Player stood, the Banker simply draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7.
Banker hasBanker's move
0, 1 or 2Always draws
3Draws unless the player's third card is an 8
4Draws if the player's third card is 2 to 7
5Draws if the player's third card is 4 to 7
6Draws if the player's third card is 6 or 7
7Stands
You don't need to remember any of this: the dealer or the game applies it. It is here so a result never looks like a mystery.
The bets: what they pay and what they cost
Banker
Pays 1:1, minus 5% commission
1.06%
house edge
The best bet on the table. It wins slightly more often than Player, which is why the commission exists.
Player
Pays 1:1
1.24%
house edge
A close second, with no commission to work out.
Tie
Pays 8:1
14.36%
house edge
Pays big, lands rarely. The worst bet in the game.
House edges worked out for the standard eight-deck game with a 5% Banker commission and Tie paying 8:1. A table paying 9:1 on Tie, or with fewer decks, moves these slightly; the game's info screen gives its rules.
Mistakes that cost the most
Betting the Tie
The 8:1 payout looks generous, but its edge is more than ten times Banker's.
Avoiding Banker because of the commission
Even after the 5%, Banker is still the cheapest bet on the table.
Reading the scoreboard
The roads and bead plates show past hands. They don't change the next one.
Side bets
Pairs and other side bets pay well and rarely. Treat them as an extra bet, not a strategy.
Where to play baccarat with crypto
These are the casinos we recommend; each lists its baccarat tables in its own lobby. Open the table's info screen first to see the commission and what a Tie pays.
Questions
What is the best bet in baccarat?
Banker. Even after the 5% commission on Banker wins, its house edge (about 1.06% with eight decks) is the lowest on the table, a little under Player at about 1.24%.
Why is the Tie bet bad?
It pays 8:1 but lands far less often than that payout implies. At 8:1 with eight decks its house edge is about 14.4%, more than ten times the Banker bet's.
Do I have to decide when to draw a card?
No. Every draw follows fixed rules, for the Player hand and the Banker hand alike. Your only decision is what to bet on and how much.
What is no-commission baccarat?
A version that pays Banker wins at even money with no 5% commission, but pays only half when Banker wins with a total of 6. That raises the Banker edge to about 1.46%, so standard baccarat with commission is the better deal on Banker bets.
Baccarat is a game of chance: picking the Banker bet lowers what you lose over time, it doesn't remove it. Set a budget before you play. 18+.
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