Baccarat can look complicated, but the premise is simple: the winning hand is the one with a total closest to 9. Baccarat betting revolves around three core bets – Banker, Player and Tie.
These bets can create confusion, but they refer to hands dealt as opposed to the person physically playing. Each bet has distinct payouts and mathematical house edges, and some may seem more attractive than others.
Nevertheless, no baccarat bet guarantees a winning outcome, so players should act cautiously. Let’s dive straight in and explore the various main bets and side bets associated with baccarat. If you’re new to the game, our guide on how to play baccarat covers the basics first.
How Are Baccarat Hands Scored?
Before looking at each bet, it helps to know how a hand’s total is worked out. Cards 2–9 count at face value, Aces count as 1, and 10s and picture cards count as 0. Only the last digit of the total matters, so a hand of 7 and 8 (15) counts as 5. Each hand starts with two cards, and a third card may be drawn automatically under fixed rules. The hand closest to 9 wins.
What Are the Main Baccarat Bets?
Baccarat betting is built around three wagering options. Here’s a quick look at the main baccarat betting options before we cover each one in detail.
Banker Bet
This entails betting that the Banker’s hand will win and finish closest to 9. The Banker is just the name of the hand, and the bettor here doesn’t need to act as the Banker.
The Banker bet sees the house take a 5% commission from any winning bets placed. The commission is applied because the Banker hand wins slightly more often than the Player hand – roughly 45.9% of rounds compared with 44.6%, with the rest ending in a tie.
Player Bet
Another one of the main baccarat bets, the Player bet is a wager that backs the Player hand to win. This pays out at 1:1 (even money) and has a house edge of 1.24%.
Tie Bet
The Tie bet rounds off the core baccarat betting options, and it involves predicting both hands to finish level.
This comes with an 8:1 payout, and if there is a tie, standard Player and Banker bets normally push, meaning the stake is returned to the bettor. The house edge is high too with Tie bets (more than 14%), but remember, cards are drawn according to fixed rules stated by the casino.
Banker Bet Explained
The Banker bet in baccarat wins when the Banker hand finishes closer to 9 than the Player hand. In traditional commission baccarat, a winning Banker bet pays out at 1:1 and a 5% commission is deducted, making the baccarat Banker payout around 0.95:1. For example, a winning £10 Banker bet returns £9.50 in winnings plus the original stake.
Under standard eight-deck rules, the Banker bet house edge is roughly 1.06%, the lowest of the three main baccarat bets. This lower house edge comes from the fixed third-card rules, which the dealer applies automatically, so players never make these decisions themselves. Even so, the Banker hand does not win every round, and a Banker bet never guarantees a profit.
Some baccarat variants use alternative commission structures, so players should check the exact payout before taking their seat at the table.
Player Bet Explained
A Player bet in baccarat wins when the Player hand finishes closer to 9 than the Banker hand. The typical baccarat Player payout is evens (1:1), and under standard eight-deck rules, the Player bet house edge is approximately 1.24%, slightly higher than on the Banker bet.
Contrary to the hand’s name, choosing Player doesn’t mean the bettor controls the hand. Drawing decisions are made automatically according to baccarat rules. Under standard rules, the Player hand draws a third card on a total of 0–5 and stands on 6 or 7. If either hand has an 8 or 9 from its first two cards, known as a ‘natural’, both hands stand and the round ends immediately, with no third card drawn by either side.
If the Player and Banker hands tie, the standard Player bet usually pushes and the stake is returned.
Tie Bet Explained
A baccarat Tie bet arguably carries more risk. It wins when the final Player and Banker totals are identical, and it loses whenever the result isn’t a tie, regardless of whether the Banker or Player hand wins.
A common baccarat Tie payout is 8:1, although some tables operate with a different paytable, so bettors should check this first. As ties occur less frequently (around 9.5% of rounds), the payout is higher than on Player (1:1) and Banker bets (1:1 minus a 5% commission).
Under common standard eight-deck rules with an 8:1 payout, the house edge for Tie bets is approximately 14.36%. This is much higher than the house edge on standard Banker and Player bets. The exact payout and Tie bet house edge can vary with game rules, so bettors should be mindful before proceeding.
Baccarat Bets and Payouts Compared
Conventional commission baccarat offers the following betting types and payout levels, which we have compared in our table. However, bear in mind that exact rules can vary when it comes to payouts.
| Bet | Typical payout* | Approx. standard house edge | Approx. chance of winning |
| Banker | 0.95:1 after standard commission applied | 1.06% | 45.9% |
| Player | 1:1 | 1.24% | 44.6% |
| Tie | Often 8:1 | 14.36% | 9.5% |
*Typical figures for eight-deck commission baccarat; exact rules can vary.
In terms of baccarat payouts, it’s worth noting the following:
- Higher payouts don’t automatically equate to a more favourable mathematical return.
- Tie bets can pay out more as the outcome occurs less often.
- Despite lower payouts, Banker and Player bets have much lower standard house edges.
- Different baccarat variants can alter the commission or payout structures in games.
Put simply, baccarat payouts reflect how often each outcome lands. The Tie bet pays more because it wins far less often, but its house edge is more than ten times higher. Whichever option you choose, the house edge applies over time, and no bet changes the odds of an individual round.
What Are Baccarat Side Bets?
Baccarat side bets are optional bets that players can make in a game that stand separately from the three main wagers. These will vary considerably by table; however, we’ve tackled some of these below.
Player Pair
A common side bet, a Player Pair bet wins if the first two cards dealt to the Player hand are a pair – two cards of the same rank. A Player Pair commonly pays 11:1, with a house edge of around 10.36% in an eight-deck game – far higher than on the main Banker or Player bets.
Banker Pair
A Banker Pair mirrors the structure of a Player Pair, as you are betting on the Banker to be dealt a pair at the start of the round. Like the Player Pair, it commonly pays 11:1 with a similar house edge.
Perfect Pair
Available at some tables, the Perfect Pair wins if the first two cards dealt to the Player or Banker hand are identical in rank and suit – for example, two 7s of diamonds, which is possible because baccarat uses multiple decks. It commonly pays 25:1, although paytables vary.
Other Side Bets
Depending on the game you are playing, baccarat may also involve:
- Winning margin
- Number of cards dealt, such as Big and Small
- Suited or matching cards
- Specific three-card combinations
It is also worth bearing in mind these points with baccarat side bets:
- Side-bet availability is subject to variant specifications.
- Payouts can differ between tables.
- Side bets normally carry a substantially higher house edge than the standard Banker or Player bet.
- Users should check the paytable and full rules before assuming two baccarat games settle a bet identically.
What Happens to Baccarat Bets When the Hands Tie?
So, what happens on a tie in baccarat? This provides an interesting dimension to the game, and we’ve explained further what players can expect:
- If the final totals of the Player’s and Banker’s hands are equal, this will result in a tie.
- A standard Tie bet wins.
- Standard Player and Banker bets will normally push, meaning the original wager is returned.
- The next hand will then begin normally.
- Exact rules will depend on the baccarat variant played, so table rules ought to be checked first.
- This is one of the baccarat tie rules that most often causes confusion – a tie does not mean Banker and Player bets lose.
Do Baccarat Rules Change Between Game Variants?
Although the three main bets are used across many baccarat variants, there may be some underlying differences:
- The Banker commission may be eliminated from some games.
- Tie payouts, side bet rules and settlement rules may not align across variants.
- Examples of this may include traditional commission baccarat, squeeze baccarat, and live-dealer variants with extra side bets.
- In many no-commission games, for example, a winning Banker bet pays only 1:2 (half the stake) when the Banker wins with a total of 6, rather than the commission simply being removed with no other adjustment.
- Again, paytable and rules matter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baccarat Bets
What are the three main baccarat bets?
They are Banker, Player and Tie.
What does a Banker bet normally pay?
This will be around 0.95:1 after the standard 5% commission has been deducted.
What does a Player bet pay?
Normally, this will be 1:1.
What happens to Banker and Player bets on a tie?
In standard baccarat, they usually push and the stakes are returned.
Can you bet on Banker and Player at the same time?
Many tables allow it, but the two bets largely cancel each other out, and the commission on winning Banker bets means the combination loses money over time.
Is baccarat a game of skill or luck?
Baccarat is a game of chance. All drawing decisions follow fixed rules, so the only choice is which bet to place, and no strategy can change the outcome of a round.
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