Think of an online casino table game, and most players jump to blackjack, poker, or roulette. But veteran players know that baccarat is one of the top online casino games. Balanced baccarat odds, an element of strategy, and fast gameplay are all of the game’s appealing features.
Baccarat sees the banker hand against the player hand, with bettors around the table able to wager on either outcome. But which bet is best, with the lowest house edge and biggest payouts? Read on to find out.
Betting on Banker vs Player in Baccarat
The vast majority of online casino baccarat games use punto banco rules. In these games, the dealer lays out two cards for each of two hands: the banker’s hand and the player’s hand. Bettors are free to wager on either hand winning.
A baccarat hand is scored based on the total value of its component cards, with a unique twist. Every card is worth its pip value, except for tens and face cards (all worth zero). Both cards are combined in value, but if the total is more than 9, the first of the two digits is dropped. So if a hand adds up to 15, the hand is worth 5 (the tens column is dropped). Under these rules, a hand value of 9 is the best possible outcome.
Depending on the values of the banker’s or player’s hands, the dealer will deal out a third card. Both hands have different rules for receiving a third card, but these are all mandatory rules that the dealer handles. Compared to a game like blackjack, there’s almost no element of strategy to punto banco baccarat, as players or the dealer can’t affect the outcome in any way. The only choice players have is whether to bet on the banker’s or the player’s hand.
Baccarat Banker Bet
The banker bet is saddled with a whole host of mandatory rules that dictate when and how a third card is dealt to the hand:
- If the player’s initial total is 6 or more, the banker follows the player’s rules for being dealt a third card. This means if the banker’s hand is 5 or less, then they receive a third card, they stand on 6 or 7, and get a natural for an 8 or 9.
- When the player’s hand is dealt a third card, the following rules come into effect:
- If the initial total is 2 or less, the banker’s hand is dealt a third card.
- If the initial total is 3, the banker’s hand is dealt a third card unless the player’s hand’s third card is an 8.
- If the initial total is 4, the banker’s hand is dealt a third card unless the player’s hand’s third card is 2-7.
- If the initial total is 5, the banker’s hand is dealt a third card unless the player’s hand’s third card is 4-7.
- If the initial total is 6, the banker’s hand is dealt a third card unless the player’s hand’s third card is 6 or 7.
- If the initial total is 7, the banker’s hand stands.
All these rules in baccarat serve to smooth out the hand and eliminate a fair amount of randomness. As a result, the banker’s hand tends to be more consistent than that of the player’s hand. But keep in mind that it could mean consistently good or bad compared to the player’s hand.
That said, betting on the banker’s hand has a 1.06% baccarat house edge and pays even money minus a 5% commission for the casino. The commission accounts for the slightly better odds of the banker’s hand winning. This results in a +95 payout on banker bets.
Baccarat Player Bet
Betting on the player’s hand comes with two major differences from a banker bet. First, there is only one rule for dealing the player a third card: if the initial total is 5 or less, the player’s hand is dealt a third card.
The smaller set of mandatory rules means the player’s hand is a little more swingy than the banker’s hand. That leads to the second major difference: no commission. Player bets pay exactly even money.
In all, betting on the player hand has a 1.24% baccarat house edge and pays +100.
Other Baccarat Bets
In both basic baccarat and some baccarat variants, a few additional bets are available beyond the banker and player bets.
Baccarat Tie Bet
A third bet is available in baccarat. Players can wager that the banker and player hands will end up at the same value, resulting in a tie. Successfully winning a tie bet is quite unlikely, sitting at a 14.4% house edge. But to balance that out, tie bets pay +800 odds.
Baccarat Side Bets
Some versions of baccarat introduce high-risk, high-reward side bets. These can be an interesting way to spice up the base gameplay, though they’ll appeal less to players who choose baccarat for its balanced odds, as side bets have a higher house edge than banker or player bets. Common side bets include:
- Perfect pairs: pays +2,500 if the banker or player is dealt a paired hand
- Dragon 7: pays +4,000 if the banker’s hand wins with three cards totalling to 7
- Panda 8: pays +2,500 if the player’s hand wins with three cards totalling to 8
What’s the Best Baccarat Bet?
Banker bets have an edge in terms of theoretical probability, but the difference in odds between banker and player bets is extremely slim. The increased chance of winning with a banker bet is balanced out by the 5% commission on payouts.
The only disadvantageous baccarat bet is betting on a tie, which is significantly less likely than either a banker or player bet paying out.
At the end of the day, the best baccarat bet is a winning bet, which is impossible to predict. Focusing on averaging out wins and losses over a longer session and practicing responsible bankroll management are the most effective strategies for long-term success.
Visit the frequently asked questions about online baccarat for more information on the game.
