Learn About the Baccarat Bets: Player, Banker, and Tie

Want to know more about the betting options in baccarat: Player, Banker, and Tie? Then you’ve come to the right place – baccarat games at Punt Casino are perfect for improving those baccarat card-playing skills.

Everything you need to know about playing baccarat and using the Player, Banker, and Tie bets to your advantage can be found right here – we even have a bonus baccarat game with side bets to give you the upper hand.

How baccarat is played

Baccarat is a fairly simple game to understand, and once you’ve played a few rounds, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. There is also not much skill or decision-making involved when playing baccarat, which is one of the biggest differences between baccarat and blackjack, and why some players opt for baccarat instead.

There are 3 betting options in baccarat – the Player, the Banker, and the Tie. Your objective as the player is to guess which of these baccarat betting positions will come out as the winning hand before the cards are dealt. Card values for each hand are added up once dealt, with both the Player and Banker options receiving 2 cards each.

The winning hand is determined by which betting position in baccarat has a total closest to 9, which along with a total of 8, are known as “Naturals”. If either the Player or the Banker both end up with the same values, it’s a “Tie”. 

All 10’s, including face cards, have a value of 0. The Ace has a value of 1, and the rest of the cards are played at face value. If the first 2 cards dealt to any baccarat betting position total more than 10, the “10” falls away and the remaining value becomes the hand total. For example, a 7 and an 8 total 15, which then becomes only 5.

There’s a little more to the game than that though, with specific rules that come into play for drawing more cards on each baccarat betting position. But as you can see, the basics of baccarat are easy enough to grasp. Let’s take a look at the types of baccarat bets for a better understanding of the betting options in baccarat: Player, Banker, and Tie.

The Player bet in baccarat

The Player bet in baccarat offers a payout of 1 to 1 if this position wins the hand. As mentioned, a total of 8 or 9 is known as a “Natural” and automatically wins the hand, unless the Banker bet comes out with the same value – resulting in a “Tie”. Here is an example of a winning Player hand with a Natural in Baccarat from Reevo on our game menu.

There are, however, some more rules that come into play, should the Player need a third card dealt. If the Player bet’s total hand value is between 0 and 5, a third card will be drawn. A total of 6 or 7 will see the Player stand, and 8 or 9 is an automatic win with a Natural (unless Banker has the same).

The Banker bet in baccarat

The baccarat Banker bet, in most online casinos, charges a 5% commission on all winning payouts. It also pays 1 to 1, but because of the commission, it can actually be seen as a 0.95 to 1 payout, as seen with the Banker payout in the image below.

Hand totals for the Banker bet in baccarat are calculated in the same way as the Player bet, however, there are a few more rules that come into play when the Banker needs to draw a third card. 

If the Player has a total of six or higher, the Banker draws a third card with hand totals between 0 and 5 and stands with 6 or 7, and of course, a Natural 8 or 9. 

Here is an example of the Banker bet pulling a third card on a hand total of 3 (6+7=13-10=3) with the Player on a total of 6, and coming out on top.

But, if the Player had to draw a third card according to the baccarat Player betting rules mentioned above, the following rules must be applied to the baccarat Banker bet:

• Total of 0, 1, 2: Banker draws a card, regardless of the Player’s third card
• Total of 3: Banker must draw a third card unless the Player’s third card was an 8
• Total of 4: A third card is drawn if the player’s third card was a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• Total of 5: The Banker draws a third card if the Player’s third card is a 4, 5, 6, or a 7
• Total of 6: A third card is drawn if the Player’s third card was a 6 or 7
• Total of 7: No third card is dealt

As you can see, because the Player is the first to pull cards in the round, the baccarat Banker bet rules above give the Banker a slight advantage over the Player, which is one of the reasons why the 5% commission is charged on winning baccarat Banker bets.

The Tie bet in baccarat

In baccarat, when both the Player and the Banker end up with the same value, it is called a “Tie”, and both baccarat betting options will receive their bets back in a “push”. However, there is also the option to place a bet on the Tie betting position, which results in an 8 to 1 payout if both the Player and the Banker tie.

Of course, since the Tie bet pays 8 to 1, it may seem like a very appealing bet, but when you look at the house advantage baccarat betting positions, it might not seem as appealing anymore.

Betting options in baccarat: Player, Banker, and Tie house edge

Because of the baccarat betting position rules and payout odds, each bet has a unique house edge. As you can see, the Banker has the lowest house edge (also why the 5% commission is charged), followed by the Player, and finally the Tie.

So yes, the Tie bet does seem appealing at first, but the chances of betting on a Tie and winning the hand are rather slim, with the probability of winning being around 9.5% of the time, compared to the Player’s 44.6% and the Banker’s 45.8% chances.

Baccarat games at Punt Casino

Now that you’re clued up with the betting options in baccarat: Player, Banker, and Tie, you might want to practice your baccarat skills and strategies in some of the best online baccarat games available at Punt.

Apart from Baccarat from Reevo used as an example in the images above, we also have the popular version of Baccarat from Dragon Gaming, with a classy black layout and bets ranging between $1 and $500 per hand.

And if you’re in the mood for a little more action than the regular baccarat games offer, Baccarat from KA Gaming offers side bets on pairs where you can win up to 11 to 1 on top of your original bet if the first 2 cards dealt to the position are the same.

Baccarat with side bets makes the game just that much more interesting – especially if you’re a seasoned player and you know the game well. But if you’re just getting started and you’re looking to maximize your baccarat payouts, Baccarat from KA Gaming is a great choice.

Betting options in baccarat: Player, Banker, and Tie explained!

Congrats! You’ve just learned everything there is to know about baccarat betting positions, how they work, and which of these may be the best choice for you as a player. Now visit our games menu today and pick your baccarat games to start raking in the wins at Punt Casino.

Ethan

With over a decade in the online gambling industry and a passion for all things crypto, Ethan offers valuable insight into playing at Punt with in-depth reviews, gambling guides, and informative content to help our readers make the best of their Punt Casino experience. Get all the ins and outs of crypto gambling with Ethan and our team of gambling experts right here, on the Punt Casino blog.