Baccarat

The 5% commission on Banker bets exists because the Banker hand has a slight statistical advantage due to the drawing rules. Without this commission, players could gain an edge by consistently betting on Banker. The commission balances the game, resulting in a small house edge of approximately 1.06%.

Standard Baccarat (often called Big Baccarat) typically has higher table limits, allows players to deal the cards, and uses a larger table that accommodates more players. Mini-Baccarat has the same rules but features lower betting limits, faster gameplay, and is always dealt by the house dealer, making it more accessible to casual players.

While card counting is theoretically possible in Baccarat, it offers minimal advantage (less than 1%) and requires tracking every card in a multi-deck shoe. Unlike Blackjack, the complex drawing rules and relatively tiny edge gained make card counting impractical for most players in Baccarat.

Side bets in Baccarat are additional wager options beyond the standard Player, Banker, and Tie bets. Common side bets include Player Pair/Banker Pair (betting that the first two cards will be a pair), Perfect Pair, Big/Small (betting on the total number of cards dealt), and Dragon Bonus (betting on winning margins). These offer higher payouts but typically have a higher house edge.

Baccarat is primarily a game of chance with fixed drawing rules, so no strategy can influence the outcome of the cards. However, betting strategy can optimize your chances. Statistically, the Banker bet offers the lowest house edge (1.06%), followed by the Player bet (1.24%). Avoiding the Tie bet (14.36% house edge) and managing your bankroll are the most effective approaches.