Baccarat is the most stripped-down game on the casino floor. There are three bets and no decisions after you place one: the cards are dealt by fixed rules and the hand plays itself. That simplicity hides a sharp split. Two of the three bets are among the cheapest in the whole casino. The third costs more than ten times as much. Here’s the maths on banker, player and tie, how the commission works, what live baccarat adds, and why baccarat and bonuses don’t mix.
- Banker: 1.06% house edge, after a 5% commission on wins.
- Player: 1.24%. Close behind, no commission.
- Tie at 8:1: 14.36%. The trap bet. 9:1 tables cut it to 4.844%.
- Bonus wagering: baccarat counts 0%-2% or is excluded in the terms we read.
Three bets and nothing else
A round of baccarat deals two hands, called banker and player. Neither belongs to you or to the casino; they’re just names for the two sides. You bet on which hand finishes closer to nine, or on a tie between them. The drawing rules are fixed, so once the bet is down there’s nothing left to decide.
That’s why baccarat’s house edge is set entirely by the bet you pick. On an eight-deck game:
| Bet | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | Even money, minus 5% commission on wins | 1.06% |
| Player | Even money | 1.24% |
| Tie | 8:1 | 14.36% |
| Tie | 9:1 | 4.844% |
Sources: published baccarat maths (Wizard of Odds), eight decks, compiled October 2026.
The banker and player bets sit close together. The tie is in a different league, and the payout on the felt decides how bad it is.
🧮 Baccarat bets against other table bets
| Blackjack, basic strategy (midpoint) | ~0.5% |
|---|---|
| Baccarat banker | 1.06% |
| Baccarat player | 1.24% |
| European roulette | 2.70% |
| Baccarat tie (9:1) | 4.844% |
| American roulette | 5.26% |
| Mega Moolah slot (100% - RTP) | 11.88% |
| Baccarat tie (8:1) | 14.36% |
The banker bet sits just above well-played blackjack and well below any roulette wheel. The 8:1 tie sits above everything else on the chart, including a progressive jackpot slot that feeds part of every bet into its prize pool.
How the banker commission works
Winning banker bets pay even money, minus a 5% commission. Worked example, illustrative numbers: you bet C$100 on banker and it wins. You get your C$100 back plus C$95, not C$100. On a player win, the same C$100 bet returns C$200 in full.
That commission looks like a cost you could dodge by betting player instead. It isn’t. Even after paying it, banker carries the lower house edge: 1.06% against 1.24%. The commission is how the house keeps an edge on the stronger hand, and the published maths shows banker still comes out cheaper.
In money terms, the difference is small. On C$1,000 in total bets, banker averages a cost of about C$10.60 and player about C$12.40. Either one is a sound choice; banker is just slightly cheaper over the long run. Some players prefer player bets because the payouts are round numbers. That’s a fine reason, and it costs you about C$1.80 per C$1,000.
Why the tie bet costs most
The tie looks tempting: 8:1 is a big payout next to two even-money bets. The trouble is that the payout is short of what the odds of a tie would justify, and the gap goes to the house. At 8:1 that gap works out to 14.36% of every tie bet on average.
Worked example, illustrative numbers: C$1,000 in total bets on each option.
| Bet | House edge | Average cost of C$1,000 in bets |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1.06% | C$10.60 |
| Player | 1.24% | C$12.40 |
| Tie at 9:1 | 4.844% | about C$48.44 |
| Tie at 8:1 | 14.36% | C$143.60 |
A tie at 8:1 costs more than thirteen times the banker bet. Where a table pays 9:1, the edge drops to 4.844%: a big improvement, still about four and a half times the banker bet, and close to an American roulette wheel. The payout is printed on the table layout or in the rules screen, so check it before a single chip goes on the tie.
The simplest rule in baccarat: bet banker or player, leave the tie alone. That doesn’t lower the house edge below 1.06%, but it keeps you away from the bet that costs the most.
🎰 Live baccarat
Live baccarat streams a real dealer and shoe from a studio. The maths stays the same as the digital game with the same number of decks: 1.06% on banker, 1.24% on player, 14.36% on an 8:1 tie.
What the live studios change is the format. Pragmatic Play Live runs speed-baccarat-style tables and Dragon Tiger, a separate game with its own rules. Our research doesn’t cover Dragon Tiger’s house edge, so read its rules screen before treating it like baccarat.
Evolution runs a Vancouver studio that grew out of its partnership with BCLC; in July 2023 it added VIP Baccarat and VIP Blackjack high-limit tables for the provincial PlayNow site in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Limits at live tables are set per casino and per table. The live casino page covers the studios in more depth, and our table games page lines baccarat up against craps, roulette and video poker.
Where baccarat fits among low-edge games
Baccarat’s banker bet belongs to a small club of casino bets that cost around 1% or less. The difference is what each one asks of you.
| Game and bet | House edge | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack, liberal rules | 0.28% | Basic strategy on every hand, and a table with good rules |
| Jacks or Better video poker, 9/6 pay table | 0.46% | Optimal strategy and the right pay table |
| Baccarat banker | 1.06% | Nothing beyond picking the bet |
| Baccarat player | 1.24% | Nothing beyond picking the bet |
| Craps don’t pass | 1.36% | Knowing which bets on the layout to skip |
| Craps pass line | 1.41% | Same |
Sources: published house-edge maths (Wizard of Odds and blackjack odds tables), compiled October 2026.
That last column is baccarat’s real selling point. Blackjack and video poker can go lower, but only if you play every hand correctly and find a good table; mistakes push the edge up fast, and copying the dealer at blackjack costs about 8%. Baccarat has no wrong decision after the bet, because there are no decisions. A first-time player on banker pays the same 1.06% as anyone else at the table.
The flip side: there’s nothing to learn that lowers it further. Banker at 1.06% is the floor, and every round costs that on average whatever you do.
Baccarat and bonus wagering
Here’s where baccarat’s low edge stops helping. Bonus wagering only moves when the game counts, and baccarat barely counts anywhere. From the published terms of casinos on our list:
| Casino | Baccarat counts toward wagering |
|---|---|
| Jackpot City | 0% |
| Grizzly’s Quest | 0% |
| Casino Classic | 2% |
| V.Vegas | Excluded |
| 20Bet | Excluded (table and live dealer games don’t count) |
Sources: each casino’s published bonus terms and our casino data, read October 2026.
At 0%, no amount of baccarat moves the wagering target at all. At 2%, the 🧮 maths is harsh. Worked example, illustrative numbers: a C$1,000 wagering target at 2% needs C$50,000 in baccarat bets. On banker at 1.06%, that averages about C$530 in losses. The same target on a 96% RTP slot at full weighting averages C$40.
So the order of play matters. Clear a bonus on slots first, using the slot RTP and volatility guide to pick cheaper games, then move to the baccarat table with cash. The wagering requirements guide explains the formula, and the wagering calculator shows what any offer really asks of you. If you’d rather never think about weighting, wager-free bonuses land winnings as cash.
Your baccarat checklist
- Bet banker or player. Banker is slightly cheaper at 1.06%; player at 1.24% avoids the commission maths.
- Read the tie payout. 8:1 means 14.36%; 9:1 means 4.844%. Neither is a good bet.
- Check the game. Dragon Tiger and other spin-offs have their own rules and edges.
- Keep bonus money away. At 0%-2% weighting, baccarat can’t realistically clear a bonus.
If you split time between card games, the blackjack guide shows how rules and play move the edge, and the roulette guide explains why the wheel can’t get as cheap as banker. To try a table with small stakes first, see our low deposit casinos.
🍁 For players in Canada
Our casinos serve players aged 19 or over outside Ontario and Alberta, which run their own regulated markets. A 1.06% edge is low, but it still means the house keeps a little of every bet on average, and no betting pattern changes that. Set a deposit limit before you play, and see our responsible gambling page for every provincial helpline.
FAQ
What is the best bet in baccarat?
The banker bet, at a 1.06% house edge with the standard 5% commission on wins. The player bet is close behind at 1.24%. Both are among the cheapest bets in the casino. The tie bet is the one to avoid: 14.36% when it pays 8:1.
Why do casinos charge commission on banker bets?
The 5% commission on winning banker bets is how the house keeps its edge on that side of the table. Even after the commission, banker carries the lowest house edge of the three bets, at 1.06% on an eight-deck game.
Is the tie bet ever worth it?
Not on the numbers. At 8:1 the tie carries a 14.36% house edge, more than ten times the banker bet. Tables paying 9:1 bring it down to 4.844%, which is still about four and a half times the banker bet. Check the payout printed on the table either way.
Does baccarat count toward bonus wagering?
Rarely. In the terms we read, baccarat counts 0% at Jackpot City and Grizzly's Quest, 2% at Casino Classic, and is excluded at V.Vegas and 20Bet. Jackpot City's terms add that playing non-counting games before wagering is done can void winnings.
Is live baccarat different from online baccarat?
The maths is the same: a live eight-deck game carries the same 1.06% on banker, 1.24% on player and 14.36% on an 8:1 tie. What changes is the format. Live studios run speed tables and high-limit VIP tables, and each casino sets its own limits.
