Pretty much every baccarat strategy article and book says that baccarat odds are as follows:
- 1.06% house edge on banker bets
- 1.24% house edge on player bets
- 14.44% house edge on tie bets
But what many players don’t realize is that these are only the odds based on a 6-deck game of baccarat. And depending on how many decks you play with in baccarat, the odds can change dramatically.
For instance, if you play single deck baccarat, the house only holds a 1.01% edge on banker bets making this the most profitable form of baccarat. However, it’s also important to note that the player and tie bets offer worse odds to people since the player bet gives the house a 1.29% edge while the tie wagers give the house a 15.57% edge.
Switching to eight-deck baccarat, the banker edge is pretty much the same at 1.06%, but the player bets and tie bets offer even better odds at a 1.235% and 14.36% house edge. So if you’re into betting variety, then eight-deck baccarat is definitely your game. The player bet is at its best here while tie bet odds improve slightly as well. But anybody who follows good baccarat strategy knows that players should avoid tie bets at all costs anyways.
If you could care less about betting variety, and are instead only interested in beating the house, then you should try to find single-deck baccarat games. Of course, it won’t always be easy to find single-deck baccarat games because the house doesn’t like to give away it’s edge. But if you are really serious about baccarat, changing the banker bet from a 1.06% house edge to a 1.01% edge is going to help out immensely over the long run.
But if you’re only a casual player, the time it takes to search for single decks may not be worth the effort.
