What does a baccarat RTP of 98.94% really mean? What comes back when you bet $1,000

2026-10-06

RTP, return to player, shows up in almost every casino game description: the share of money wagered that comes back on average. Baccarat is known for a high RTP, but what the number actually says is rarely explained. We worked it out with the 8-deck odds of Evolution live baccarat at the Stake (stake.com) casino.

RTP by bet

Bet       Win chance   Pays     RTP      House edge
Banker      45.86%     0.95x    98.94%     1.06%
Player      44.62%     1x       98.76%     1.24%
Tie          9.52%     8x       85.64%    14.36%

On a tie, Banker and Player bets are returned, so that hand is neither a win nor a loss. The RTP figures above count every hand, ties included.

Betting $1,000

An RTP of 98.94% does not mean "put in $1,000 and $989 remains". It means that, on average, 1.06% comes off the total amount you wager across all hands. Bet $10 on Banker for 100 hands and your total wager is $1,000, with an expected loss of about $10.60. Bet the same $10 for 1,000 hands and the total is $10,000, with an expected loss of about $106. The cost is set by how much you turn over, not by your bankroll.

Real results differ from RTP

RTP is the average over a very large number of bets. Over 100 hands luck swings far more widely, and finishing ahead is common. As hands pile up, results gather around the average, and that average is negative. The cost for a given wagering volume is in Stake baccarat wager math, and what changes when you run it automatically is in the baccarat bot guide.

Summary

RTP        average share of wagers that comes back
Banker     98.94% (house edge 1.06%)
Player     98.76% (1.24%)
Tie        85.64% (14.36%)
Based on   total amount wagered, not bankroll
Example    $10 x 1,000 hands on Banker, expected loss about $106

Hiddenpick is a Windows program that runs Evolution live baccarat on Stake (stake.com) for you, following the rules you set. What the commission actually costs is covered in the 5% banker commission.