Baccarat or Blackjack – Does Blackjack Have Better Odds?

Baccarat and Blackjack are both popular card games that can be played both in land-based casinos and online. However, there are various reasons why some players may prefer to play one over the other, which we will discuss in this King Casino blog post. 

Continue reading to find out if baccarat or blackjack has better odds, which may be easier to play and why blackjack tends to be more popular. 

The answers to these frequently asked questions may just help you decide which may be the right game for you!

Is Baccarat Similar To Blackjack? 

Before we go through the similarities between baccarat and blackjack, let’s briefly look at the basics of these classic casino table games.

Baccarat is a card game where players generally bet on which of the 2 hands has the highest total. It’s a relatively simple card game where essentially all you do is bet on the outcome. This card game typically uses 8 card decks. Once you have placed your bet, the dealer will deal 2 cards to the player, and 2 to the banker. The person who gets the hand closest to 9 is the winner and wins double their original bet.

Blackjack is a card game where the aim is to try and beat the dealer by reaching as close to 21 with your 2-card hand as possible without going bust. Each card is assigned a number. The Ace can be worth 1 or 11 points, and face cards are worth 10 points. All other cards are worth the value seen on them (e.g. the 3 is worth 3 points). Once you have placed a bet and the dealer has dealt all cards, there are various actions you can take, such as stand, hit, double down, or surrender, depending on the version of blackjack you are playing.

After discussing some of the basics of each game, let’s compare the two. Baccarat and blackjack are similar in many ways. First of all, they are both very popular casino card games! Both games traditionally also use a 52-card deck, although modern versions of both games tend to use multiple decks.

Both baccarat and blackjack visually look very similar, and both involve a dealer and player. They also start in a similar way. Blackjack and baccarat begin with the dealer dealing 2 cards to each player. This is followed by additional cards if needed.

Does Baccarat Have Better Odds Than Blackjack? 

When choosing a live casino game, it’s always a good idea to know the odds. But, of course, the casino has more of an advantage in the long run because of the house edge. 

The odds of potentially winning in blackjack are around 42.22%, while the odds of winning baccarat are around 44.66%. 

Try not to get the odds mixed up with the house edge as blackjack has the potential to have a lower house edge if using a basic strategy. However, as mentioned just above, blackjack offers slightly lower odds of potentially winning than baccarat.

Therefore, baccarat can offer players better possible odds. However, when choosing whether to play baccarat or blackjack, it’s ultimately down to the player’s preference of which game they prefer. 

Is Baccarat Easier To Play Than Blackjack? 

From the player’s perspective, baccarat could be considered the easier game out of the two. This is because there are fewer rules involved. Players can usually pick this game up quickly, even without knowing all the rules. It’s as simple as choosing which hand you think will win.

Blackjack could be considered a little trickier, as there is some basic strategy involved. Blackjack requires some basic knowledge of knowing what moves may be best to make and when. Although you may need to play a couple of times to get the hang of it, blackjack can also be a very simple card game, which is why it is so popular.

Why Is Blackjack More Popular Than Baccarat? 

Blackjack is one of the most popular real money casino games and tends to be favoured over baccarat. For some players, baccarat could be too simple. There’s not much to baccarat other than choosing which hand you think might win. With blackjack, you can learn basic rules and strategy and play with more players; the game will likely last longer. 

Another reason why blackjack could be more popular is because it has more variations. When you play baccarat, you can either play at a small table or large table. With blackjack, there are multiple variations of the game to choose from, such as classic blackjack, progressive blackjack, European blackjack, and blackjack switch. The amount of choice available with blackjack may be more appealing to players.

Because blackjack is more popular in casinos than baccarat, it has higher availability. There are usually more blackjack tables available in a casino.

Blackjack could also be more popular because it can be quite an entertaining game to play. With blackjack, players can potentially use advanced strategies to try and lower the house edge, and therefore, increase their chances of potentially winning.

Baccarat VS Blackjack – Which Is Better? 

As the odds of blackjack and baccarat are very similar, it’s difficult to say which one may be better. When you go to the casino, it’s clear to see that blackjack is generally the most popular table game, but at the end of the day, it’s down to personal preference.

Baccarat is a great casino game to play if you are looking for something simple with few rules. You typically don’t need to learn any strategy or rules beforehand, simply choose the hand you think will win. If you enjoy a quieter game, you may prefer live baccarat, as there usually aren’t as many gamblers at the table. However, as it is not the most popular casino game, it’s possible that there aren’t any baccarat tables in certain land-based casinos.

If you are looking for a card game that offers good odds where you can use strategy, you may prefer blackjack. Blackjack is a great game to play at a casino if you enjoy lively games, as crowds at these tables tend to be busier. There are also many different versions of live blackjack games to choose from!

*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these games are subject to change at any time.