Baccarat
Baccarat banker vs player
Eight-deck shoe, standard commission banker. Banker is the cheaper bet. Player is close. Tie is the trap. Side bets are worse.
Education only. No pattern on the scoreboard (roads, derived roads, streaks) changes the next-hand odds. FeltEdge tracks Banker and Player off the felt. It does not claim a system beats the shoe.
| Bet | Typical pay | House edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 minus 5% commission | 1.06% | Best main bet on a standard table |
| Player | 1:1 | 1.24% | No commission; slightly worse than Banker |
| Tie | 8:1 | 14.4% | Some tables 9:1, still a bad bet |
| Banker (no commission, 6 pays half) | 1:1 / 1:2 | ~1.46% | Worse than 5% commission Banker |
Drawing rules, short version
- Naturals 8 or 9 end the hand. Nobody draws.
- Player total 0–5 draws a third card; 6–7 stands.
- Banker then follows a fixed third-card chart. You do not choose. There is no “hit or stand” like blackjack.
What people get wrong
- Banker is not a lock. It is just the smaller house edge of the two main bets.
- A long Banker run does not make Player “due.” Each hand is a new deal from the remaining shoe.
- Commission on Banker is the fee for that lower edge. Skipping Banker to avoid the 5% is usually more expensive.
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