Odds, Probability & Bankroll
Baccarat house edge
The baccarat house edge is the casino's built-in advantage on each wager, shown as the percentage of the stake the player expects to lose over time.
Key points
- The banker bet has the lowest house edge at 1.06%, making it the best wager in standard baccarat. 1
- The player bet edge is 1.24%, slightly higher than the banker because no commission is charged. 1
- The tie bet carries a steep 14.36% edge at the typical 8-to-1 payout, and should generally be avoided. 2
- Variants like Super 6 and no-commission baccarat alter the banker edge through rule changes rather than a 5% commission. 53
House edge by bet type
| Bet | House edge | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1.06% | 1:1 (minus 5% commission) |
| Player | 1.24% | 1:1 |
| Tie | 14.36% | 8:1 |
| Tie (UK) | 4.85% | 9:1 |
How the house edge works in baccarat
The banker hand wins slightly more often than the player hand, so the casino charges a 5% commission on winning banker bets to keep its advantage. 6 The exact edge depends on the bet type and payout rule, which is why Banker, Player, and Tie each have different figures. 52
The house edge formula can be expressed as (t − a) / (t + 1), where t is the true odds and a is the actual odds paid. 4 This formula shows how a payout that is less than the true odds creates the casino's edge.
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- No commission baccarat house edge — a variant where the banker bet does not pay a 5% commission, and the house edge is adjusted by special rules
- Ez baccarat house edge — a variant with rule changes that produce a different banker edge than the standard 1.06%
- House edge baccarat vs blackjack — a comparison between baccarat's fixed edges and blackjack's variable edge depending on rules and player skill
Related terms
Sources
- House Edge of Casino Games Compared wizardofodds.com Provides the standard house edge figures for banker, player, and tie bets in eight-deck baccarat.
- Baccarat Basics - Rules, Strategy, and Tips for Beginners wizardofodds.com Confirms the tie bet house edge at 8-to-1 payout and the banker bet edge in standard baccarat.
- Live Baccarat Dealer - Online Casinos wizardofodds.com Supplies the Super 6 banker edge and confirms standard banker/player edges.
- Baccarat - FAQ wizardofodds.com Provides the house edge formula (t − a) / (t + 1).
- Baccarat en.wikipedia.org Provides the UK tie payout edge and the Super 6 banker edge.
- Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Defines the 5% commission on banker bets and the term cagnotte.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.