Baccarat Bets Explained: Banker, Player, And Tie

The casino game of Baccarat brings to mind suave secret agents outwitting supervillains or their henchwomen through cool-headedness and expert strategy. This is actually amusing, because there are few games in gambling that take less effort on the part of the bettor. In fact, there are only three bets you can make in Baccarat, compared to half a dozen in Blackjack and literally hundreds in Roulette. It also happens to be one of three games in the casino with a House edge of just 0.54 percent. Compare that to Roulette’s 5 percent or the Big Wheel’s 27 percent.

Betting On The Banker

In Baccarat, there are only three ways to bet: On the Banker, on the Player, or on the chance that they will tie. It’s important to understanding that the Banker/Dealer bet has nothing to do with the dealer, just as the Player bet has nothing to do with the gambler at the table. A gambler wins if he bets on Banker, and the Banker has a higher count at the end. All you’re doing is betting which side will win.

Betting on the Banker pays off at 1 to 1. That’s right: even money. How the House gets its edge here is that Banker wins have to pay a 5 percent commission, as in Pai Gow Poker. The Banker bet wins slightly more often than the Player bet, but the Player bet doesn’t have to pay a commission.

Betting On The Player

As with the Banker, betting on the Player means that you wager Player will end up with a higher count at the end of the hand. Its odds, while still very favorable, aren’t quite as high as with the Banker bet. You don’t have to pay a commission here, however. It’s best to think of the Banker and Player bets as essentially the same in terms of payoff.

Betting On A Tie

It happens sometimes that the Banker and Player end up with the same total for their cards. This is when the Tie bet pays off at a handsome 8 to 1. The casino encourages this bet, because the House edge is around 15 percent, which means that gamblers betting this are at a 2.5 percent disadvantage. It’s a sucker bet and should never be made. If Baccarat is boring you, sit out or play a different game. Never bet on the Tie.