James Bond is often seen sipping on a dry martini with a femme fatale on his hand playing cards. His game of choice is baccarat and he’s usually very successful at the table. But compared to poker tournaments for instance, baccarat is a game of pure chance that requires no skill what so ever. It’s a nice looking game that is often played for high stakes. The thing that appeals about baccarat is that the game itself is quite simple and the House edge is quite low.

There is a basic strategy for baccarat. However, since the House automatically makes the correct plays for you, there is no need to concern yourself with what it is. Let’s have a closer look.

Payout Odds in Baccarat

In baccarat, payout odds are fairly simple. Winning player bets pay off at even money. Winning banker bets pay off at .95-to-1, even money minus a five percent commission. Tie bets pay off at 8-to-1. There are no other bets one can make in baccarat.

House Edge in Baccarat

The one bet to stay away from in baccarat is the tie bet. Even though it offers tempting 8-to-1 odds, the true odds of a tie are over 9-to-1, resulting in a 14.36 percent House edge on this bet.

The banker has a slight edge over the player, since the banker’s actions are based on the player’s completed hand. Therefore, player bets carry a House edge of 1.24 percent. With the five percent commission, the banker bet has a House edge, but it is still an appealing one, at 1.06 percent.

Notes on Baccarat Odds

Given the respective House edges, one should always bet on the banker if possible. These edges are based on an eight deck shoe. Fewer decks can adjust the odds.

In general, fewer decks widen the gap between banker and player, so it becomes even more advantageous to take the banker. In addition, fewer decks make the odds of a tie longer, so this bet will have an even worse House edge.

Baccarat is a game that offers one of the more favorable casino edges. Whether you bet on player or banker, you can expect to lose less than a dollar and a quarter on averages out of every $100 you play over the long term. This is probably why high stake players are okay with wagering the huge sums of money at the baccarat table. But not all players are as lucky as Bond.