Blackjack vs baccarat

Blackjack vs baccarat: which should you play?

If you’ll take ten minutes to learn a strategy chart, blackjack is the cheaper game. If you want to sit back, pick a side and watch the cards, baccarat is the cheaper game for you, because its best bet carries a fixed 1.06% edge that no mistake can increase. Most of the difference between the two comes down to that one question of whether you’ll play blackjack well.

For full rules, see our guides to online blackjack and online baccarat.

How blackjack works

You and the dealer each get two cards; one of the dealer’s is face up. Number cards count at face value, picture cards count 10 and an ace counts 1 or 11. You draw more cards (hit) or stop (stand), aiming to beat the dealer without passing 21. You can double your stake for one more card, or split a pair into two hands. The dealer then plays by fixed rules, usually drawing to 16 and standing on 17. A two-card 21, a natural, normally pays 3 to 2.

Because you act before the dealer, busting first is the source of the house edge. The rules that matter most for cost are the blackjack payout, whether the dealer hits soft 17 and how many decks are used. Our blackjack rules page covers each one.

How baccarat works

Two hands are dealt, called player and banker, and you bet on which will finish closer to 9, or on a tie. Picture cards and tens count zero, and only the last digit of a total counts, so 7 + 8 = 15 scores 5. Whether either hand takes a third card is decided by a fixed table, not by anyone at the table, so the game plays itself once bets are in.

Winning player bets pay 1 to 1. Winning banker bets pay 1 to 1 minus 5% commission, because the banker hand wins slightly more often. A tie usually pays 8 to 1, and banker and player bets push when a tie occurs. ‘No commission’ versions pay banker wins in full but cut the payout on a banker win with 6 to one half of the stake. The baccarat rules page sets out the third-card table.

House edge compared: blackjack vs baccarat bets

These are standard figures published by references such as Wizard of Odds’ baccarat analysis (opens in a new tab) and its blackjack rule calculator pages (opens in a new tab). They assume eight-deck baccarat and common blackjack rules. A blackjack table paying 6 to 5 instead of 3 to 2 costs you roughly an extra 1.4% of every stake, enough to make it worse than baccarat’s banker bet. Always check the payout printed on the felt or in the help screen.

Skill and decisions: control vs simplicity

Blackjack’s low edge is conditional. It assumes you make the mathematically best choice every hand, which is what blackjack basic strategy charts set out. Common errors, such as standing on 12 against a dealer 2, never doubling, or taking insurance, each add to the edge. Players who play by ‘feel’ can easily face an edge several times larger than the textbook figure.

Baccarat removes that risk. The only choice is which bet to back, and the banker bet is mathematically best in standard games. You can’t play baccarat badly except by betting on the tie or side bets. That makes it well suited to people who want a low-edge game without study.

Win, lose and push rates in each game

The shape of results also differs. These are approximate long-run frequencies for standard rules.

Blackjack loses more hands than it wins, yet stays close to even because blackjacks pay 3 to 2 and doubles and splits put more money on the table when you’re ahead. Baccarat is closer to a coin flip with commission. In both games a tie or push returns your stake, which smooths short sessions.

Cost per session: blackjack vs baccarat worked out

Average cost = stake × hands × house edge. Live baccarat often runs faster than live blackjack because nobody decides anything, so hands per hour matter. The hand counts below are assumptions for illustration.

Good blackjack is the cheapest hour here; careless blackjack is worse than baccarat. The tie line shows why one bad habit outweighs any choice of game. Plan sessions with our bankroll basics guide.

Side bets in blackjack and baccarat

Both games offer optional extras: pairs, poker-style combinations and bonus bets on margins of victory. They pay larger amounts but usually carry far higher edges than the main game, and the exact figure depends on each game’s pay table. Treat them as a separate, more expensive bet, and look up the RTP in the help screen before placing one. Our blackjack side bets page and the side bet glossary entry explain the common types.

Live and RNG blackjack and baccarat in the UK

Both games come in RNG and live dealer forms. Live blackjack variants include Infinite Blackjack, where unlimited players share one hand, and Lightning Blackjack with multipliers. Baccarat variants include Speed Baccarat, squeeze tables where cards are revealed slowly, and Lightning Baccarat. Multiplier versions change pay tables, so check each game’s RTP.

Since 17 January 2025, RNG versions of both games in Great Britain must last at least 5 seconds per game cycle, can’t offer autoplay and must show your net position and session time, as set out in the Commission’s speed of play decision (opens in a new tab). The £5 and £2 online stake limits apply to slots only, so table limits decide the range here.

Myths: card counting, patterns and streaks

More detail is in our pages on card counting online and the gambler’s fallacy.

How to start playing either game

1. Set a session budget and time limit before opening the lobby.
2. Pick an RNG version in demo mode (available after age verification) to learn the flow.
3. For blackjack, check the payout is 3 to 2 and keep a basic strategy chart open.
4. For baccarat, stick to banker or player and ignore the tie and side bets.
5. Check the table minimum and maximum against your budget.
6. Move to a live table only once you’re comfortable with the timer.

Blackjack or baccarat: verdict by type of player

Both are among the lowest-edge games in any casino, which is covered in our low house edge games guide, but both still favour the house over time. For more head-to-heads, visit the comparisons hub or read baccarat vs roulette.

Where to play blackjack and baccarat

All of our partners offer card games in their table and live casino sections, though the exact tables change; check each lobby. Before playing any card game with bonus money, read the contribution rules, because table games are often weighted low. Our blackjack bonus page explains what to look for.

Casumo gives new customers aged 18+ a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of at least £20, with opt-in required; wager the bonus 10x within 7 days, keep bets to £5 or less while it’s active, and note that game, play and payment restrictions apply. Coral gives new players 100 free spins at 10p each on selected slots after depositing (some methods excluded) and betting £10 on slots, with no wagering on winnings and 7 days to use the spins. Terms apply to both.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.