Baccarat and blackjack are two incredibly popular casino table games that can be played at physical establishments or online. But there has been a raging debate for years: which of the two is better?

It all comes down to personal preference, so read on to discover what you need to know about each game to decide which one is best for your gaming preferences.

Playing Baccarat

The player’s goal is to predict whether the hand of the banker or player will have a total closest to 9 in terms of points. Cards numbered 2 to 9 are scored at face value, 10, Jack, Queen, and King are worth nothing, and Ace is worth one point. 

Two cards are dealt for each hand to start. A third card may be drawn, depending on game circumstances. Players either bet on the banker’s hand, the player’s hand, or a tie.

The best baccarat sites often have multiple variations of this game, although American Baccarat is most commonly played. Daniel Smyth points out that the American version is often referred to as punto banco. 

Playing Blackjack

The aim of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible. The player and the dealer get two cards, and the player can choose to hit, stand, double down, or split. The player wins if they’re closer to 21 than the dealer, loses if they go over 21 (bust), or there is the possibility of a tie. 

Baccarat vs. Blackjack

Now that we’ve discussed briefly how each game is played, let’s dive into the differences between the games to determine which game you would prefer to play.

Difficulty Levels

Bacarrat is an easier game to play. It requires you to make just two choices: your bet amount and whether you’re wagering on the dealer, player, or a tie. Whatever happens next is up to fate. 

Blackjack is more complicated, as you have to make various decisions based on your hand. You’ll have to select your bet, analyze your cards, and decide whether you want to stand, hit, double down, or split. You will require a sound understanding of the game’s rules and also have a good strategy to increase your winning chances. 

Odds

Baccarat offers a low house edge (1.06%) if you bet on the dealer. With blackjack, the house edge can be 0.5% for betting on the dealer, but this can drop as low as 0.35% when playing with a single deck.

The house edge increases to around 1.2% when you bet on the player in baccarat. Betting on a tie sees the house edge increase to 9.5%. 

From these house edges, it is clear that blackjack offers better odds, especially in the long term. 

Return To Player

Both games offer a high return to player (RTP). Online blackjack offers an RTP of 99% or higher if you know what you’re doing and you have a good strategy. The style of baccarat impacts the RTP, but it hovers between 98% and 98.77% if you back the dealer. Backing the player offers a worse RTP. 

Blackjack therefore offers a better RTP than baccarat, but you will need a good grasp of the game.