Baccarat house edge compared with live blackjack

A fair comparison fixes four things:

• the bet: baccarat has several bets, each with its own published return;
• the blackjack rules: payout 3:2 or 6:5, soft 17, number of decks;
• the strategy assumed: basic strategy or none;
• the source and its date.

Change any one and the figure moves. That is why a single "lowest" number in a review is hard to test.

The house edge column is derived as 100% minus RTP, on the same basis.

A 6:5 payout instead of 3:2 changes what blackjack returns, as shown in Why 3:2 and 6:5 blackjack payouts matter. Strategy also changes the figure: see Basic strategy in blackjack, defined and Basic strategy and the house edge: what the numbers say.

So a blackjack table can be above or below another game depending on its rules. The claim needs a table-by-table check.

House edge = 100% minus RTP, so a small gap in RTP is a gap in cost. As an illustration only, with invented figures: a gap of 0.5 percentage points costs £50 on £10,000 staked.

That is why two sources can both be right and still disagree. One may quote the blackjack figure with basic strategy, and the other without it.

Also read whether a baccarat figure already includes any commission on a bet. The provider's page must say so, and we do not assume it.

Once the figures are read, the answer takes one of three forms:

• one named baccarat bet is below one named blackjack rule set;
• the order depends on the blackjack rules, such as 3:2 or 6:5;
• the figures cannot be compared on one basis.

Any of the three is a valid result. None of them is a recommendation.

We read the claim and defined the comparison basis from our term pages. No provider page was read for this verdict. A comparison is for information only. Report an error through Wrong figure on a Seatcheck page? Report it here.

Is baccarat the lowest house edge game?

We could not confirm it. As of 13 November 2026 we have not read the published payouts for baccarat and blackjack, so the verdict is not verifiable yet.

Why can the answer differ from one source to another?

Baccarat offers several bets, and blackjack figures depend on rules and strategy. A source that mixes bases gives a figure that cannot be compared.

What is the link between RTP and house edge?

On one stated basis, house edge is 100% minus the return to player (RTP). The relation holds only for the same bet and the same rules.

Is this advice to play baccarat or blackjack?

No. The comparison is for information only, and neither game is a way to make money.

Live blackjack claims, checked against primary sources

Which claims about live dealer blackjack hold up? Our verdict labels, the primary sources we use and the claim families that reviews and assistants repeat.

House edge in blackjack, defined

House edge is the share of each stake the casino expects to keep on average. A worked £10 example, how it differs from RTP and volatility, and where to read it.

Basic strategy in blackjack, defined

What basic blackjack strategy is, how to read a strategy chart, why the chart changes with the table's rules, and what it does not promise. Checked 13 November 2026.

RTP in blackjack and the strategy it assumes

What a published RTP for a blackjack table assumes about how you play, how it differs from slots, what RTS 3 requires, and how not to confuse it with your session.

Why 3:2 and 6:5 blackjack payouts matter

Blackjack pays 3 to 2 or 6 to 5: worked arithmetic on a £10 stake, where to find the payout in a table's rules, and what is still unchecked.

Basic strategy and the house edge: what the numbers say

Claim check: does basic strategy reduce the blackjack house edge? The formula, an assumed worked example and the provider RTP figures still to be recorded.