Choosing a table: commission, EZ and Super 6
No-commission tables, 4% tables, 6 decks and 9:1 ties: which is cheapest.
Open this lesson in baccaratton — free, play money
Many casinos now advertise no-commission baccarat. There's no free lunch: each version takes the 5% back in a different way.
EZ Baccarat (ez). Banker wins pay 1:1, except when the Banker wins with a three-card 7
(the "Dragon 7"). Then the Banker bet pushes. That happens about once every 44 hands. The Banker edge
is 1.02%, a hair better than the commission game's 1.06%. EZ tables also offer two famous side
bets, Dragon 7 and Panda 8 (lesson 21).
Super 6 / Punto 2000 (super-6). Banker wins pay 1:1, except when the Banker wins with a total of
6. Then it pays only half (1 to 2). That happens about once every 19 hands, and it costs more than
it looks: the Banker edge is 1.46%, worse than both the commission game and the Player bet.
Every option, cheapest first (8 decks unless noted; 6-deck and 4% figures as published by the Wizard of Odds):
| Table | Banker edge | Player edge | Banker, $10 for an hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4% commission (rare) | 0.60% | 1.24% | $4.32 |
| EZ Baccarat | 1.02% | 1.24% | $7.33 |
| 6 decks, 5% commission | 1.06% (1.0558%) | 1.24% (1.2374%) | $7.60 |
| 8 decks, 5% commission (default) | 1.06% (1.0579%) | 1.24% (1.2351%) | $7.62 |
| Super 6 | 1.46% | 1.24% | $10.50 |
At a Super 6 table, Player (1.24%) is the cheapest main bet. Everywhere else it's Banker. The number of decks barely matters for the main bets. It matters more for Pairs (lesson 20).
Also check the Tie: 9 to 1 (4.84%) instead of 8 to 1 (14.36%) is a big improvement if you like the bet.
Show the math: EZ and Super 6, exactly (8 decks)
P(Banker wins with a three-card 7) = 19129247848/848912750595 ≈ 2.2534% (1 in 44.4). EZ Banker: EV = P(Banker) − P(Dragon 7) − P(Player) = −66274384744/6508331087895 ≈ −1.0183%. P(Banker wins with a 6) = 210337737856/3904998652737 ≈ 5.3864% (1 in 18.6). Super 6 Banker: EV = P(Banker) − ½ × P(Banker wins with 6) − P(Player) = −284694798368/19524993263685 ≈ −1.4581%.
Quiz
At an EZ Baccarat table, what happens when Banker wins with a three-card 7?
- Banker pays 40 to 1
- Banker bets push
- Banker pays half
- Banker bets lose
Show the answer
B: Banker bets push. That's the trade-off for paying 1:1 without commission.
Quiz
Which table gives the Banker bet the highest edge?
- EZ Baccarat
- 8 decks, 5% commission
- Super 6
- 4% commission
Show the answer
C: Super 6. Super 6: 1.46%, worse than the Player bet's 1.24%.
Quiz
At a Super 6 table, what's the lowest-edge main bet?
- Banker
- Player
- Tie
Show the answer
B: Player. Player is 1.24% everywhere, and Super 6 Banker is 1.46%.
Quiz
Does a 6-deck shoe change the Banker edge much?
- Yes, it halves it
- No: 1.0558% vs 1.0579%
- Yes, it doubles it
- Banker can't be played with 6 decks
Show the answer
B: No: 1.0558% vs 1.0579%. The number of decks hardly matters for the main bets.