Vigorish (Vig)
The commission or surcharge applied by a casino to certain bets, most commonly the 5% commission on winning Banker bets in baccarat.
Detailed Explanation
Vigorish (from Yiddish 'vyigrish' meaning winnings) is the commission charged by a casino or bookmaker for facilitating a wager. In baccarat, the standard vig is 5% deducted from winning Banker bets. Because the Banker hand wins slightly more than 50% of non-tie hands, a zero-commission Banker bet would favour the player over time. The 5% commission is calibrated to ensure the casino retains its 1.06% edge.
In sports betting, vig (or juice) is built into the odds structure rather than applied as a separate commission. At standard -110 odds on both sides of a binary bet, the bookmaker guarantees a profit if action is balanced. This embedded vig is why bettors need to win approximately 52.4% of bets just to break even at -110.
In poker, vig manifests as the rake — a percentage of each pot retained by the casino. Commission-free baccarat variants restructure the vig and typically carry a slightly higher overall house edge than traditional 5% commission games.
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