Tie bet

Definition

The tie bet (*égalité*) is a bet that the player's and banker's hands finish on an **equal total**. The payout is usually 8:1 or 9:1, which makes it the most attractive-looking bet on the table — and mathematically the worst.

## The numbers

A tie occurs in about **9.5%** of deals. A fair payout at that frequency would be roughly 9.5:1. The casino pays 8:1, which produces a house edge of about **14.4%**. At a 9:1 payout it is about 4.8%.

Compare: the [banker bet](/glossary/bankeri-panus) at 1.06%, the player bet at 1.24%.

**This means the tie bet loses on average about 14 times more than the banker bet** per euro staked, when the payout is 8:1.

## Why people play it anyway

The combination of a large payout and a rare event reads like an opportunity. And because a tie **does** happen often enough to be seen regularly, it creates an impression of predictability. It is not — each deal is independent of the last, and the [gambler's fallacy](/glossary/manguri-eksiarvamus) is precisely the line of thinking that loses money here.

## The practical recommendation

Avoid it. If baccarat appeals precisely because of the tie bet, a more honest way to look for the same excitement is a high-[volatility](/glossary/volatiilsus) [slot](/glossary/slotimang), where the house edge is usually lower than 14%.