[playersare]

if you play according to basic strategy, the theoretical house edge on blackjack is around 0.5%, and baccarat slightly over 1%. however, the actual house edge among all players is higher because of people who don't know the correct BJ plays, and betting the "tie" in baccarat which has a house edge of 14%.

according to the American Casino Guide 2005, the gross profit margin reported on all wagers in both games are about the same, about 2.6%. the "hold" percentage, or total amount retained from player chip buy-ins, was just over 13%. this means that if you were a 'typical' player, your $200 would turn into $174 if all your sessions were averaged out.

assuming you get 60 hands dealt per hour at a full BJ table, perfect basic strategy should "cost" you about 0.3 times your average bet per hour. for mini-bac, betting only on the dealer and getting 100 hands per hour, you would theoretically lose one full bet per hour.

comps from the casino can partially offset these edges. the standard rate is about 20% of your average bet per hour given back to you from the players club program.