“No commission” describes the collection method. It does not describe the price of the bet.
In the common eight-deck Banker-6 half-pay game:
- most winning Banker bets pay 1 to 1;
- a Banker win with a total of 6 pays 0.5 to 1;
- Player wins usually pay 1 to 1;
- Tie pushes the Banker and Player bets;
- the exact side-bet menu is separate.
Nevada's published live-baccarat rules describe that no-commission mode: Banker pays 1 to 1 except a Banker win with 6, which pays 0.5 to 1. See the Live Baccarat Rules of Play.
The half-pay result is where the missing 5% commission reappears in a different form.
Build the Banker edge from the outcome table
For a common eight-deck model, the Banker bet can be represented as:
| Event | Probability | Net payoff | Contribution to return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker wins, not with 6 | 0.404734 | +1.0 | +0.404734 |
| Banker wins with 6 | 0.053864 | +0.5 | +0.026932 |
| Player wins | 0.446247 | -1.0 | -0.446247 |
| Tie | 0.095156 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | **1.000001*** | -0.014581 |
*The one-millionth rounding difference comes from displayed probabilities.
The expected return is approximately:
EV = -0.014581 per $1 wagered
Therefore:
House Edge = 1.4581%
The detailed combination analysis is published by Wizard of Odds.
This is not an estimate from a few shoes. It comes from weighting the complete outcome classes by their payouts.
Why the half-pay event matters so much
A Banker 6 win occurs on about 5.3864% of all resolved and tied hands in this model.
Among Banker wins, the proportion ending in 6 is approximately:
P(Banker 6 | Banker wins)
= 0.053864 / (0.404734 + 0.053864)
≈ 11.74%
So roughly one in every 8.5 winning Banker outcomes receives half profit rather than full profit.
That is frequent enough to change the long-run return materially.
A $100 Banker wager illustrates the settlement difference:
| Result | Standard 5% commission profit | Banker-6 half-pay profit |
|---|---|---|
| Banker wins with 8 | $95 | $100 |
| Banker wins with 7 | $95 | $100 |
| Banker wins with 6 | $95 | $50 |
| Tie | $0 | $0 |
| Player wins | -$100 | -$100 |
Most Banker wins feel better in no-commission mode. The Banker-6 result carries the cost.
Compare the three main bets correctly
Under common eight-deck rules:
| Main bet | Approximate house edge | Expected loss per $10,000 action |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Banker with 5% commission | 1.0579% | $105.79 |
| Player | 1.2351% | $123.51 |
| No-commission Banker, Banker 6 half-pay | 1.4581% | $145.81 |
The expected-loss difference between standard Banker and Banker-6 half-pay is:
$145.81 - $105.79 = $40.02 per $10,000 wagered
That difference is small enough to hide inside short-term variance and large enough to matter over sustained action.
House edge is applied to action, not the starting bankroll
Suppose a player brings $1,000 and makes 120 Banker wagers averaging $100:
Total Action = 120 × $100 = $12,000
Expected Loss = $12,000 × 0.014581
≈ $174.97
The player did not need a $12,000 bankroll. The same chips circulated through repeated wagers. House edge prices the cumulative wagering volume.
If the game produces 70 decisions per hour and the average wager is $100:
Action per Hour = 70 × $100 = $7,000
Expected Loss per Hour = $7,000 × 0.014581
≈ $102.07
Actual hourly results can be thousands above or below that expectation because baccarat is volatile at the session level.
“No commission” is not one universal rule
The phrase can describe different replacement mechanisms:
- Banker 6 pays half;
- a specific Banker total pushes;
- another winning total receives reduced pay;
- special natural or draw rules apply;
- only certain electronic or live modes use the altered paytable.
The edge must be calculated from the exact rules displayed at the table. A number from one no-commission version should not be copied to another.
Before betting, verify:
- which Banker total triggers reduced pay or a push;
- whether two-card and three-card results settle the same way;
- number of decks and standard drawing rules;
- Player and Tie payouts;
- whether the “Super 6” wager is a separate side bet;
- when a mode switch becomes effective;
- how the special payout is marked on the layout or display.
The Super 6 side bet is not the Banker bet
This naming causes frequent confusion.
The main Banker wager wins on any Banker outcome, with half pay on Banker 6 in this model.
A Super 6 side bet usually wins only when Banker wins with 6 and has its own payout table. It can carry a far higher house edge than the main bets.
Do not combine their percentages. Every wager has its own probability, payoff, and expected value.
Operational reasons casinos offer the format
No-commission baccarat can simplify most settlements:
- fewer commission calculations;
- fewer commission markers or ledgers;
- quicker payment on ordinary Banker wins;
- a simpler marketing phrase;
- a visible special rule that surveillance and dealers can verify.
The tradeoff is concentrated error risk on Banker 6. Dealers must recognize the result, announce it consistently, pay half profit correctly, and distinguish the main wager from any Banker-6 side bet.
A faster game can also increase action per hour. Even if the edge changed only modestly, more decisions can increase expected hourly cost.
Common comparison errors
Comparing payout frequency instead of expected value
No-commission Banker pays full profit on many wins. That does not establish a better return. The reduced-pay event must be included.
Using session results as proof
A player can win heavily on the 1.4581% Banker bet or lose heavily on the 1.0579% standard Banker bet. Short results do not reorder the mathematical edges.
Ignoring the Tie push
Tie is normally a zero-payoff event for main Banker and Player bets. It must remain in the probability model.
Treating all “commission-free” games as Super 6
Other products use different push or reduced-pay rules. Read the actual layout.
Mixing house edge and hold
House edge is the theoretical expected loss per initial wager. Table hold is an operating result commonly measured against drop. They are not interchangeable.
A rule-sensitive calculation template
For any no-commission Banker wager:
Player EV = Σ [Probability of event × Net payoff for event]House Edge = -Player EV
Expected Loss = Total Action × House Edge
The hard work is not the final multiplication. It is building the correct event list and payouts.
The verdict
In the common eight-deck Banker-6 half-pay version, the Banker house edge is about 1.4581%. That is higher than the standard commissioned Banker edge and higher than the ordinary Player edge under common rules.
The game removes the visible 5% deduction from ordinary Banker wins. It does not remove the casino advantage. It collects more of that advantage when Banker wins with 6.
Continue with No-Commission Baccarat, Banker 6 Half-Pay Math, Super 6 House Edge, Baccarat Odds, and the Expected Loss Calculator.