Baccarat and the House Edge
As with most casino card games, several Baccarat betting systems and techniques have sprung up in attempts to win more games. However, as attractive as these methods may be, the real key to becoming a consistent winning player lies in being able to focus on the house edge.
All the games in the casino have the house edge (hence the phrase "the house always wins"). But having said that, it is still possible for players to reduce this advantage so that can come away with money in their pockets. While some games require deep strategizing in Baccarat it is different.
In most of the games you will play, the Baccarat house edge will be constant: 1.29% for the Player, 1.01% for the Banker and an 15.75 % house edge for the tie.
Obviously, betting on the tie is a poor Baccarat strategy. Some players prefer to do so, owing to the much bigger payout. If you have won several hands already and can afford to lose some, then betting on the tie occasionally is all right; however for the most part it is unadvisable.
The most advantageous is betting on the banker, which has the lowest Baccarat house edge. To make up for this deficit, the casino will charge a 5% commission, but in some instances it is less than that. Even with this cut, it still makes sense to wager on this hand.
In the end, Baccarat is all about math, and how the odds stack up, and in this case it is in favor of the banker, so bet on it. Some player go through entire sessions betting on just the banker, without employing any betting system or method.
A word here about betting systems: there are probably as many Baccarat betting systems as there are in craps, but in terms of efficiency they cannot compare with just betting on the banker. Other methods, like card counting, are not reliable. At most, the betting systems will help you manage your bankroll, but usually nothing more than that.
If you are a novice, this can be important, as the bets here are usually high, but if you have played the game before, you can probably do without them.
The bottom line is that the Baccarat house edge is at its lowest with the Banker hand, so it makes sense to go for it all the time. If you are new to the game and want to try your luck, you now know which hand to bet on.