All About Betting on a Tie in Baccarat: Probabilities and Strategy
The tie bet in baccarat has the highest reward, yet no skilled player opts for it due to its very poor odds-to-payout ratio. Instead, they prefer the banker bet, which has more appealing odds and is favored in many strategies.
Why Is Betting on a Tie in Baccarat a Bad Idea?
The tie bet wins if both the player and the banker end the round with the same total. The chance of this happening is 9.53%.
A tie in baccarat typically pays 8:1. With this payout and the known probability, we can figure out the RTP, which shows how profitable a bet is. So, the RTP for a tie bet is 85.77%, exceptionally low compared to other casino bet types.
For context, betting on a corner or four adjacent numbers in European roulette offers the same 8:1 payout. However, the winning chance for this bet is 10.81% and the RTP stands at 97.3%.
Certain baccarat games provide a higher 9:1 payout for a tie, resulting in a 95.3% RTP. Though reasonable, it's still below the RTP for other bets. Yet, most online crypto baccarat games, which dominate online casinos, only pay 8:1, effectively reducing your winning potential.
Why Does a Tie Bet Offer Such Low Odds?
Casinos have no issue with players getting a 9:1 payout on baccarat tie bets. To make the bet more appealing, some game variants do offer an increased payout.
However, it has been found that players are even less likely to bet on a tie with higher payouts. This is due to baccarat's popularity in Asia, where eight is a lucky number. So, this is a unique example where a cultural aspect negatively affects the odds of a casino game.
Which Baccarat Games Provide a 9:1 Payout for a Tie?
Most baccarat games online follow traditional rules, making it difficult to find one with a 9:1 payout for a tie.
Baccarat PRO by Platipus, available at ETH Casino, is one of these games. It boasts an appealing design and a user-friendly interface, with regular bets and popular side bets like player or banker pair and perfect pair.
Additionally, in Evolution's Bitcoin live baccarat, a red envelope might randomly appear on a bet during a game round. When this happens, the payout for a tie could soar up to 88:1.
Baccarat Tie Betting Strategies
The tie bet makes sense only if the payout is 9:1. A standard payout lowers your long-term expectations significantly, so it's not recommended.
To add more risk to your baccarat strategy, you can sometimes bet on a tie. Normally, you might bet on the banker, which pays out at 0.95:1. To mix things up, consider placing 10-20% of your bets on a tie.
In most baccarat games, bets on player and banker hands are returned if there's a tie. Therefore, it's sensible to bet both the banker or player and a tie simultaneously, unlike betting on both the banker and player in the same round.
However, we don't recommend using tie betting as a standalone strategy. Other games, like European Roulette mentioned earlier, offer much better odds for similar payouts.
