An Introduction to Baccarat Math

In baccarat, as in most other casino games – online or offline – one critical area you should know about is the role of math in baccarat. Baccarat math is not a myth, but a reality. Baccarat math is not very tough to follow, either. There are a few basic things about the game of baccarat and the bets in it that you should know about, which will make it easy for you to understand baccarat math.

There are a few things you should know about that would make it easier for you to work out the baccarat math. One of these things that you need to know is the house advantage in baccarat for the different types of bets. The banker bet gives the casino a house advantage of 1.06%, the player bet gives it an advantage of 1.23%, and a tie bet gives it an advantage of 14.05%.

More about Baccarat Math

Once you know the house advantage associated with the different kinds of bets in baccarat, it becomes easier for you to work out the pros and cons of using these bet types and also to calculate the math in baccarat for these bets.

One of the things to remember when you talk of baccarat math is that the player hand gives you a 100% return on a win, while a banker hand gives you 95%, after deducting the 5% commission that is applicable to all banker-bet wins.

There are a number of formulas available for you to work on and figure out the way the hands play out in the long term. Based on the outcome that you derive by using these formulas, you can then decide which type of bet you want to employ.

Using Math in Baccarat

As mentioned above, there are a number of different formulas that you can try out in baccarat. One of these is a formula that Allan N. Wilson laid out in the book ‘The Casino Gambler’s Guide’. The house advantages mentioned earlier in this article are derived by using this formula.

One thing becomes clear when you use Wilson’s formula – if you are looking not to lose too much money in baccarat, the one bet you should try to avoid is the tie bet, as its 14.05% casino advantage means you will lose more frequently than you win compared to the other two kinds of bets.

One technique you will not find in casinos today, when it comes to baccarat – both traditional as well as online – is card counting. One such technique was developed by Edward O. Thorp, the man who created the first blackjack card-counting system. Thorp’s system suggested more naturals would be possible with an additional amount of 8s, 9s, and 10-cards. The system received a lot of publicity, and ended up in Life magazine in 1964, after which the casinos took out this option.