Gotta say, the tie bet in baccarat is a bit of a siren song with that 8:1 or 9:1 payout, but the house edge is a brutal reality check. I’ve dug into the numbers, and the tie’s edge sits around 14.4% in most standard games, compared to banker’s 1.06% or player’s 1.24%. That’s a steep price for chasing a rare outcome—ties only hit about 9-10% of the time.
I’ve seen players go for ties when they think they’ve spotted a pattern, like a streak or a choppy table, but baccarat’s randomness doesn’t care much for hunches. Card counting or trend-spotting can feel like it’s giving you an edge, but the deck resets often enough to keep things unpredictable. If you’re tempted, I’d suggest setting a strict budget for tie bets—treat it like a side gamble for fun, not a core strategy. For me, sticking to banker with a flat betting system keeps things steady. Anyone tried a progressive system with ties? Curious how that’s worked out for you.
