Baccarat house edge: banker, player and tie
Expected-value method for banker, player and tie bets under standard eight-deck rules.
Written and reviewed by RTP Ledger EditorialMethodologyLast reviewed
Published Last materially updated
Baccarat house edge is the negative expected value of each bet under stated rules. Banker and player are even-money main bets. Ties usually push on those bets. Many tables take a 5% commission on banker wins. The tie side bet pays a fixed odds price and carries a much higher edge.
Method: expected value from shoe probabilities
Combinatorial analysis of a standard eight-deck shoe gives these rounded outcome probabilities for the main game: banker wins ≈ 45.860%, player wins ≈ 44.625%, tie ≈ 9.516%. RTP Ledger uses these textbook probabilities to show the method. It does not claim a live shoe was re-enumerated for every operator.
For a 1-unit banker bet with 5% commission on wins and a push on ties:
EV = P(banker) × 0.95 + P(player) × (−1) + P(tie) × 0 = -0.01058 ≈ −1.06%. House edge is the positive form of that loss, about 1.06%. Equivalent RTP ≈ 98.94%.
For player (no commission, ties push): EV = P(player) × 1 + P(banker) × (−1) = -0.01235 ≈ −1.23%. House edge ≈ 1.23% (RTP ≈ 98.77%).
For a common 8:1 tie: EV = P(tie) × 8 + (1 − P(tie)) × (−1) = -0.14360 ≈ −14.36%. House edge ≈ 14.36%.
Ledger table-game reference
| Bet | House edge | Equivalent RTP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker bet | 1.06% | 98.94% | The Banker bet is the best; the 5% commission is already priced in here. |
| Player bet | 1.24% | 98.76% | Slightly worse than Banker. The Tie bet is a trap at ~14%. |
Convert any edge with RTP versus house edge. Compare card-game speed with Dragon Tiger, which also uses even-money main bets and a costly tie.
Rule checks before you play
- Confirm whether banker wins pay even money minus commission, or a no-commission table with different ties.
- Confirm shoe size and whether ties push on banker/player.
- Read the tie payout (8:1, 9:1 or other). A higher price still needs its own EV check.
- Side bets are separate markets. Do not apply main-bet edges to them.
Baccarat house edge FAQ
What is the baccarat house edge on banker?
On a standard eight-deck shoe with 5% commission on banker wins and ties pushing, banker EV is about −1.06%. House edge is about 1.06% (≈98.94% RTP). Confirm commission and shoe rules on the table you play.
Is player better than banker in baccarat?
No. Under the same standard rules, player EV is about −1.24% (≈98.76% RTP). That is worse than banker after commission.
Why is the baccarat tie bet costly?
A common 8:1 tie pays eight units on a win and loses the stake otherwise. With tie probability near 9.52% on an eight-deck shoe, EV is about −14.4% (house edge ≈14.4%).
Table rules can differ by operator. Recalculate EV when commission, shoe or tie price changes. Gambling can cause losses.
