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Baccarat has no player decisions once you've placed your bet: the drawing rules are fixed. The only choice is which bet to make and how much. Every bet has a house edge, so no strategy removes the house edge.
| Bet | House edge (8 decks) | House edge (6 decks) |
|---|---|---|
| Banker (5% commission) | 1.06% | 1.06% |
| Player | 1.24% | 1.24% |
| Tie (8 to 1) | 14.36% | 14.44% |
Source: Wizard of Odds baccarat basics, checked Oct 15, 2026.
The Banker bet has the lowest house edge of the three, which means the lowest expected cost per bet. It doesn't mean Banker bets will win in any session. The Tie bet's house edge is much higher.
The fixed drawing rules make the Banker hand win slightly more often than the Player hand. Casinos charge a 5% commission on winning Banker bets to keep a house edge on that bet.
Rules vary. In one common commission-free version, winning Banker bets pay even money except a winning Banker total of six, which pays 1 to 2. Wizard of Odds puts the Banker house edge in that version at 1.46%, with Player and Tie the same as regular baccarat (Wizard of Odds commission-free baccarat, checked Oct 15, 2026). In EZ Baccarat, a winning three-card Banker total of seven is a push. Check the rules screen of the table you're playing.
Scorecards and "roads" show past results, but past hands don't predict future ones in a way that overcomes the house edge. Betting systems (Martingale, Paroli, 1-3-2-6 and others) change the size and timing of your bets, not the house edge on each bet. Over time the expected loss is the house edge times the total amount wagered.
Many tables offer side bets with large payouts. Their house edges vary by game and are often higher than the main bets; check the paytable and rules before betting.
Live tables use physical cards; RNG tables use software. Both use fixed drawing rules, and the commission and payouts are shown in the table's rules. Related: low house edge casino games.
Set a time and money limit before you play, and stop when you reach it. Help is free and confidential: see the helpline list for every province on our responsible gambling page and the responsible gambling tools guide.