How Baccarat Odds and Payouts Work

Baccarat has always carried a certain air about it, but the reason for its popularityis something more grounded: a straightforward structure, three clear bets and payouts that are easy to follow once you know what you're looking at.

This guide covers baccarat game odds and payouts in full: the main bets, how they pay out, the side bets available on certain titles and what to keep in mind when you take your seat.

And if you’d like to know what to expect playing in real time, our how to play live baccarat guide has everything you need.

How to play baccarat: quick-start guide

Every round of baccarat comes down to two hands: the Player’s and the Banker’s. Your job is to predict which one will finish closest to a total of nine, or whether they'll end level in a tie. That's it. Once you’ve placed your bet, the dealer takes care of everything else.

• Card values are fixed across every game:

• Aces count as one

• Cards two through nine are worth their face value

• 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings count as zero – a nod to the Italian word baccara, meaning zero, which gives the game its name

If a hand's total exceeds nine, the first digit is dropped: a seven and an eight make five, not 15.

If either hand totals eight or nine from the first two cards, that's what’s known as a natural, and the round ends immediately with no third card drawn.

In other cases, a third card may be drawn under fixed rules that the dealer applies automatically.

Baccarat payouts: the main bets

The three core bets in baccarat each carry a different payout, reflecting how each one works.

A few worked examples

You place £20 on the Banker. The Banker hand wins. Your return is £20 in winnings minus the 5% commission, so £19 profit, plus your £20 stake back. Total returned: £39.

Place the same £20 on the Player and win: £20 profit, no commission. Total returned: £40.

Place £20 on the Tie and win: £160 in winnings, plus your £20 stake back. Total returned: £180. Ties are infrequent, and the higher payout reflects that.

The Banker commission and why it exists

A 5% commission is applied to winning Banker bets because the Banker hand wins more often than the Player hand on resolved rounds.

Without the commission, there would be a built-in mathematical advantage to always backing the Banker. The commission restores balance to the game.

This is standard across baccarat tables. Some titles offer a reduced commission, in which case the game rules will make this clear.

What happens on a Tie

If the round ends in a Tie and you haven't backed it, your Player or Banker bet is returned, not lost. The round is effectively replayed.

If you have backed the Tie and it lands, your 8:1 payout is credited and the round concludes.

Baccarat side bet payouts

Some baccarat titles carry additional side bets alongside the three main bets. These are only available on certain games, so always check the game info panel before placing. Here's what's available on selected titles at MONOPOLY Casino & Sports.

Pair bets

A pair bet is a wager on whether the first two cards dealt to the Player or Banker hand will form a matching pair. Two versions of this bet are available on certain titles.

Player Pair and Banker Pair pay 11:1 if the relevant hand's first two cards are a pair. Available on selected tables, including Peek Baccarat Live.

On certain titles, pair bets extend into more specific variations with their own payout structures.

Any Pair and Perfect Pair

Available on selected titles such as Baccarat Remastered, these side bets offer more granular pair combinations with their own payouts.

Side bet payouts and availability vary by game. Always check the table info before placing a side bet, as not every baccarat title carries these markets.

Baccarat odds: what are the odds of winning?

Understanding baccarat odds means knowing how often each outcome tends to occur across a large number of rounds. In a standard eight-deck game, the Banker hand wins more often than the Player hand on resolved rounds, which is why the commission exists. Ties are the rarest of the three outcomes, and the 8:1 payout reflects that.

Of the three main bets, the Banker and Player markets carry considerably lower house advantages than the Tie. The Tie's higher payout comes with a correspondingly larger built-in edge for the casino. It lands less frequently than the other two outcomes, which is what the odds on it represent.

Side bets like Any Pair and Perfect Pair carry their own probabilities, typically with longer odds and higher payouts reflecting how infrequently those specific outcomes occur. The longer the odds on a side bet, the less frequently that outcome is expected to land, and the higher the payout is set accordingly.

Baccarat is a game of chance. Card draws are random, outcomes cannot be predicted and no knowledge of previous rounds changes the odds of any individual hand. Each round starts fresh.

Baccarat strategies

When it comes to approaching baccarat - live or otherwise - with a clear head, it's vital to understand its odds and payouts.

Some players also like to adopt a structured approach to their game, sizing their bets accordingly using live baccarat strategies like the Martingale or the Fibonacci. And while none of them alter the fundamental chance-based nature of the game, they can help shape a session.

For a full breakdown of how each one works, our live baccarat strategies guide covers them in detail.

Playing baccarat responsibly

Baccarat moves quickly. Rounds resolve in seconds and a session can cover a lot of ground without it feeling that way.

Before you take your seat, set a budget for the session and stick to it.

Our spend limit tools are built into your MONOPOLY Casino & Sports account and are there to help you stay in control throughout. If a session stops feeling enjoyable, step away.

Baccarat Odds & Payouts FAQs

Does the Tie bet pay 8:1 or 9:1 in baccarat?

At MONOPOLY Casino & Sports, the Tie bet pays 8:1. Some casinos offer 9:1, which you may also see expressed as "9 for 1". This means nine chips are returned in total including the original stake, making it equivalent to 8:1.

What’s a natural in baccarat?

It’s when either the Player or Banker hand totals eight or nine from the first two cards dealt. This ends the round immediately. A natural nine beats a natural eight. If both hands produce the same natural, the round is a tie.

What is the highest-paying standard bet in baccarat?

Of the three main bets, the Tie pays the most at 8:1. Among the Player and Banker pair side bets, the standard pair pays 11:1, which is higher than any of the three main markets.

Make a move to the MONOPOLY Casino & Sports blog for more in-depth guides like this one. We've got a range of online casino guides alongside timely sports betting explainers and event previews.

All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.