What is the Tie bet in baccarat?
The Tie bet is a wager that the Player and Banker hands will end with the same total. It typically pays 8:1 and carries a house edge of around 14.4% in a standard 8-deck game. It’s the worst value bet at the baccarat table.
Why the Tie bet is costly
Ties occur roughly 9.5% of the time — just under 1 in every 10 hands. An 8:1 payout sounds generous, but at a true probability of 9.5% the fair payout would be closer to 9.5:1. The gap between 8:1 and the actual probability is where the 14.4% house edge comes from. Some casinos offer 9:1 payouts on ties, which cuts the edge to around 4.8% — still much higher than Banker or Player.
When the Tie bet pays
A tie is a push for Banker and Player bets — you don’t win or lose those bets when the round ends in a tie, just your stake stays on the table for the next hand. Only the Tie bet itself wins on a tie result. Despite the high house edge, some players place small Tie bets occasionally for the larger payout, similar to how players use side bets in other games.