Comparing Craps vs. Baccarat – Which Game Should Gamblers Play at Casinos?

There might not be two games more dissimilar than baccarat and craps. Sure, they are both casino table games, but one is played with dice, the other with a 52-card deck.

One has so many types of wagers available that it needs approximately 40 acres and a mule to tend to the betting grid. The other has exactly three wagering choices—two of which pay the princely sum of 1:1.

One has been around for many centuries, and the other is younger than the United States.

One was played by that epitome of manliness and sophistication, James Bond. The other was sung about by none other than the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra.

Is craps a better table game than baccarat, or is it the other way around? In order to find out, we will have to compare them on different levels, so let’s discuss the relative merits and drawbacks of both games.

Is baccarat better than craps? Well, one way you can compare them is by declaring which is the better option to play online. Now, technically there isn’t a wrong answer, but you can make an argument for either one.

Some of you might prefer one game over the other. In that case, the craps vs. baccarat online decision is very easy. For those of you who don’t know which game to play online, allow me to help.

There are countless online gambling sites that offer just about every game you can think of. That said, you’re going to want to use the best online casinos to ensure that you’re playing the right way.

In terms of availability, baccarat typically has more options to choose from. However, you still have some top choices if you’re looking for where to play live craps online.

You can compare baccarat vs. craps in many different ways. If you prefer to play the game online, baccarat has the slight edge. Wild Casino is one of the top sites that offer this casino game.

They also award a 250% welcome bonus (up to $5,000) to help get your account started. Head over to Wild Casino to play baccarat now!

Is craps a better table game than baccarat? Another way you can look at the debate is by comparing the levels of difficulty and strategy involved.

I will say that both games are not that complex once you get the hang of it.

You also might prefer more decision making on your end, while someone else might prefer the game to do the work for them. Slots and poker are two of the most popular casino games and they are two great examples of each method.

So, in terms of baccarat vs. craps, which one requires more strategy?

In craps, the shooter will have two dice and his first toss is called the come-out roll. If he rolls a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, his turn is over and the next person will throw. Either a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be the shooter’s “point” and he will try to roll that number again before he rolls a seven. That’s the base part of craps.

They say that baccarat is as easy to play as Rock, Paper, Scissors. It might not seem like that at first, but after a few rounds you should get the hang of it.

The object of the game is to be dealt a hand as close to the value of 9 as possible. Cards 2-9 are worth face value, while aces equal one, and the ten, jack, queen, and king are worth zero.

You bet on if the player or dealer has the better hand, or you can bet on a tie. Like craps, there are side bets that can add more strategy.

It’s even easier to understand when you play live baccarat online.

I also recommend reading a baccarat guide that can help you decide between the two.

To even begin to choose a winner in the battle of craps vs. baccarat, we need to establish the strengths and weaknesses of each. And the only important strength/weakness of any gambling game is how often the gambler gets paid.

First, take a quick look at the house advantage.

Craps has this one nailed—taking odds on the Pass Line gives the house no edge at all (we’re talking payout at real odds here). But that’s a single wager on a table full of other bets that are far less advantageous to the gambler.

The house edge at the baccarat table is 1.06%, which isn’t better than zero, but it’s much better than craps side bets.

With baccarat, the Banker and the Player bets pay 1:1, while a winning tie wager pays either 8:1 or 9:1, depending on the table and/or the casino. Since a tie happens 9.6% of the time, you’ll want to sit down at a baccarat table, paying 9:1 on ties.

Are baccarat odds better than craps? If you’re not betting on the Pass Line in craps, then the answer is yes.

In this arena, craps vs. baccarat is hardly Godzilla vs. a random toddler. Baccarat seems complex only if you have yet to notice the rules of the game written in their entirety on the back of a playing card.

The fundamentals of both games are surprisingly easy to learn. Craps definitely has superior numbers in the betting options department, while baccarat has the upper hand when it comes to casino games for beginners.

That doesn’t address our main question, i.e., is craps better than baccarat, of course. Regarding easiness, however, I’m going to give this one to baccarat.

If you want to give this complicated game a chance, we have a piece on some of the unwritten craps rules that you should take a look at if you really want to hone your skills.

For those of you who think baccarat isn’t complex enough, maybe these hard card games suit your style a little more.

8 Hard Card Games That Are Tough to Master – Pai Gow Poker, Contract Bridge, and More

Poker variants tend to be mentioned a lot when talking about hard card games in the casino. Pinochle is a trick-taking game that is difficult to learn but not necessarily hard to win. Cribbage, Whist, Teen Patti, and others are on the list of the hardest...

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Is baccarat better than craps? Well, if that’s your best game out of the two, then the answer is most likely yes. When it comes to enjoying one game more than the other, it’s truly a personal preference.

Both baccarat and craps are gambling, and provided the player understands how each game is played and what the odds are for each wagering option each game offers, then the answer is simple: It’s whichever of the two the player is successful at.

Sure, the ambience at the baccarat table is quite different from that of the craps table. And you may enjoy one much more than the other. There’s a certain refinement to the playing of baccarat, while craps can be exciting, raucous, chaotic—all at the same time. But enjoying the milieu is not the same as enjoying the game itself.

Is craps better than baccarat? I would say so if you prefer the social aspect over anything else. Baccarat has the edge when it comes to more consistent wins, but you can still make a nice profit in craps.

If you want to play craps online, I recommend Ignition Casino. They have a 300% welcome bonus (up to $3,000) and a wide variety of other games to choose from as well.

This Ignition Casino review can tell you more about their site before you sign up.

You must decide the winner of the craps vs. baccarat online battle for yourself.

The more you know about various gambling games, the more you’ll feel comfortable with calculating odds and determining risk on the fly, and that is always a good skill to hone.

Because let’s face it: Nobody enjoys a game they lose with alarming regularity. So sure, get skilled at both games, if for no other reason than other, less cool folk, then you will be impressed and envious that you understand both.

If you’re a gambler fien and want to take up a new casino game, maybe you’ll want to compare 7 Card Stud vs. Texas Hold’em before learning how to play.

Footnote:

• Street Directory provided the Baccarat history and American Baccarat rules.