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Baccarat Appendix 6

Last update: July 8, 2008

Punto Banco

This version of baccarat follows the conventional rules, except a winning banker bets pays even money, except 1 to 2 (half) on a winning total of six. The house edge on the player and tie bets are the same as regular baccarat. The house edge on the banker bet is 1.46%. This game is called "Punto Banco 2000" in England, and just "Commission Free Baccarat" in the United States.

Commission Free Baccarat - Winning 6 pays 1-2
Event Combinations Probability Pays Return
Banker wins 1-1 2023020261982210 0.404734 1 0.404734
Banker wins 1-2 269232304455680 0.053864 0.5 0.026932
Player wins 2230518282592260 0.446247 -1 -0.446247
Tie 475627426473216 0.095156 0 0
Total 4998398275503360 1 -0.014581

I have an unconfirmed report that the Pala Casino in San Diego County offers this game, with a side bet that pays 18 to 1 on a banker win of six. The player advantage on that bet is 2.34%. Unfortunately, I’m told the maximum side bet wager is 10% of the banker wager, for an overall house edge of 1.11%.

I have also heard of a variant in Singapore where there is no commission but a banker win of 8 pays 1 to 2. This has a house edge of 4.07% on the banker bet. Following is the return table for this version.

My webmaster, Michael Bluejay, says he is "96.42% confident" that a casino he visited in Amsterdam paid 1 to 2 on banker wins of 5 points. That would result in a house edge on the banker bet of 0.51%.

Commission Free Baccarat - Winning 8 pays 1-2
Event Combinations Probability Pays Return
Banker wins 1-1 1762338107764740 0.352581 1 0.352581
Banker wins 1-2 529914458673152 0.106017 0.5 0.053008
Player wins 2230518282592260 0.446247 -1 -0.446247
Tie 475627426473216 0.095156 0 0
Total 4998398275503360 1 -0.040658

I hear there is a game in the Netherlands in which the banker bet pays 1 to 1, except a winning 5 pays 1 to 2. Here is the return table for that game, assuming 8 decks. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 0.93%, which is less than conventional baccarat.

Commission Free Baccarat - Winning 5 pays 1-2
Event Combinations Probability Pays Return
Banker full win 2075536637521920 0.41524 1 0.41524
Banker half win 216715928915968 0.043357 0.5 0.021679
Player win 2230518282592260 0.446247 -1 -0.446247
Tie 475627426473216 0.095156 0 0
Total 4998398275503360 1 -0.009328

Yet another variation has the following rules.

  1. Banker or player 8 or 9 is a natural, neither hand draws.
  2. Both banker and player stand on 6 and 7, draw on 0 to 5.
  3. All wins pay even money except winning 3, which is a push.
  4. Ties push

The following tables show the possible outcomes of either banker or player bet.

Commission Free Baccarat - Winning 3 pushes, Banker and Player Hit 0 to 5 Only
Event Combinations Probability Pays Return
Win 384732321058944 0.437758 1 0.437758
Loss 398265579972864 0.453157 -1 -0.453157
Tie 82338046949952 0.093686 0 0
Winning 3 13533258913920 0.015398 0 0
Total 878869206895680 1 0 -0.015398

The lower right cell shows a house edge of 1.54% on both banker and player bets.

EZ Baccarat

On July 3, 2004, at the Plaza in Las Vegas I observed a no commission baccarat game called EZ Baccarat. In April, 2008, I saw it at the Paris casino in Las Vegas. The rules followed standard baccarat except on the banker bet: (1) all wins pay even money, and (2) if the banker wins with a 3-card total of 7 then the banker bet will push. In addition there was a bet on a three card winning banker hand of 7 points that paid 40 to 1.

The following table shows the possible outcomes of the banker bet, based on six decks. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 1.02%

EZ Baccarat
Event Combinations Probability Pays Return
Banker win 383290367308416 0.436118 1 0.436118
Normal tie 83552962932288 0.095069 0 0
Three card 7 tie 19805383926144 0.022535 0 0
Player win 392220492728832 0.446279 -1 -0.446279
Total 878869206895680 1 -0.010161

With a probability of winning of 2.2535% the house edge on the Three Card Seven bet is 7.61%.

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