Banker or Player Baccarat Bets: Which is the Better Wager?

We’ll answer this question quickly: the banker bet is always the more profitable bet for players in baccarat. If you are playing with classic baccarat rules, the house edge for a banker bet is 1.06%, while a player bet house edge is 1.24%. That means that the player will win more on a banker bet, over time.

It’s marginal, but any edge that a player can get when playing baccarat online is something they should consider. In most cases of making player or banker baccarat bets, the banker bet will always provide an advantage for you. I’ll explain why in the next section.

The rules for drawing cards are already set for both player and banker, which means you don’t have any control over the hands, except for placing your bets. The below image will show you these rules:

Both the player and banker will get two cards each. If the player gets 5 or less, they must draw a third card (aces are worth a point, 2-9 is face value, 10s and face cards get zero points). If they get 6 or 7, they must stand. This is where it gets interesting.

The banker has to draw a third card, with a number of rules related to the player’s third card. But based on these rules, here are the chances of each side’s hand winning. The winning hand is the closest total to 9.

• The banker wins 45.8% of the time.
• The player ins 44.6% of the time.
• Ties happen 9.6% of the time.

Both sides push in the instance of a tie, and there is a 5% commission on the banker bet if you win. This gives a 1.06% house edge for the banker bet, and a 1.24% house edge for the player bet. A tie will always be the worst option, with a house edge of as much as 14%, but is usually around 10%.

Over time, that means the best house edge will always be the banker bet.

There are exceptions to player or banker baccarat bets in some cases. In classic Punto Banco baccarat, the banker bet is still the favorable wager. However, there is no 5% commission like there is for banker bets, and the house edge is still 1.24%. You’re still going to avoid a tie bet, as the house edge is still 10% or more.

But in Super 6 Baccarat, the player bet gets the advantage. There is no commission if the banker bet wins. But there is a rule that states, if the banker is victorious with 6, the payout is only 1:2, which is half your bet. That gives it a house edge of 1.46%, while the player bet stands at 1.24%.

That is why you should always ensure you know the rules of the baccarat variation you are playing before stepping up to the tables at Bovada Casino. You can also play a fantastic variation of live dealer baccarat with real-life croupiers!