# Dragon Tiger rules: the deal, payouts and ties

> Dragon Tiger rules explained: how a round works, what each bet pays, and why the tie rule changes the house edge on Dragon and Tiger.

- Source: https://toolsgambling.com/blog/dragon-tiger-rules
- Publisher: ToolsGambling
- Published: 2026-10-26
- Updated: 2026-10-26
- Cite as: "Dragon Tiger Rules: Bet Payouts and House Edge", ToolsGambling, https://toolsgambling.com/blog/dragon-tiger-rules

Dragon Tiger is a casino card game in which one card is dealt to the Dragon and one to the Tiger, and the bet goes on whichever card is higher. If a tie returns half the stake, the house edge on the main Dragon or Tiger bet is 3.73%. The calculation applies to eight decks and the rule that a tie returns half the stake; under these assumptions, the conclusion is conditional. A winning Dragon or Tiger bet pays 1 to 1.

The tie rule makes the biggest difference: a push produces a house edge of 0%, while losing the whole stake on a tie produces 7.47%. You therefore need to know both the winning payout and what happens when the cards have equal ranks.

## How Dragon Tiger is played

Each side receives one card, and the side with the higher rank wins. The ace is the low card and the king is highest; suits do not count in the ordinary comparison.

You choose the side and the amount before the deal. Once the cards appear, there is no decision to draw, stand or replace a card. Equal ranks produce a tie, even when the suits differ.

Wizard of Odds describes Dragon Tiger as a two-card comparison game similar to baccarat. That similarity does not mean the games use the same method of determining the winner or the same payouts.

A tie bet is a separate wager that wins when the ranks match. Suited Tie requires both the rank and the suit to match.

## How one round works

Choose your bet and stake before the deal, then compare the cards and settle the wager under the table’s tie rule. For a main bet, the sequence is:

1. Choose Dragon or Tiger and the amount to stake.
2. Wait for one card to be dealt to each side.
3. Compare the ranks, with ace lowest and king highest.
4. If the ranks match, apply the table’s tie rule.

For a **\$40 bet on Dragon**, assuming a tie returns half the stake:

- **Dragon has the higher card:** the winning payout is \$40 at 1 to 1, and your original stake is also returned.
- **The ranks match:** \$20 comes back and \$20 is lost.
- **Tiger has the higher card:** your \$40 stake is lost.

Here, 1 to 1 means winnings in addition to the returned stake, not the total amount returned. Getting half back on a tie is a partial loss, not a reduced winning payout.

## Payouts and house edge for each bet

Dragon and Tiger pay 1 to 1, while the tie bet payout depends on the version. These figures use eight decks, with half the main stake returned on a tie.

| Bet | Payout | House edge with 8 decks |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon or Tiger, tie returns half | 1 to 1 | 3.73% |
| Tie | 8 to 1 | 32.77% |
| Tie | 9 to 1 | 25.30% |
| Tie | 10 to 1 | 17.83% |
| Tie | 11 to 1 | 10.36% |
| Tie | 12 to 1 | 2.89% |
| Suited Tie | 50 to 1 | 13.98% |

![Table: house edge of Dragon Tiger and tie bets with eight decks](https://toolsgambling.com/media/article/2026/10/7fbc799f770e03c4b8837093bb7a8160.webp)
*Edge of each bet with eight decks: Dragon or Tiger with half returned on a tie, and tie bets by payout.*

The half-stake tie rule and the figures for different tie payouts come from the analysis by [Wizard of Odds](https://wizardofodds.com/games/dragon-tiger/).

The house edge is the casino’s expected profit as a percentage of the stake, and the corresponding expected loss for the player. Read [how the house edge works](https://toolsgambling.com/blog/house-edge) for more on that definition. It is a mathematical average, not a fee deducted from every wager.

Among the tie payouts in this table, a tie bet has a higher house edge than Dragon or Tiger unless it pays 12 to 1. At 12 to 1, its house edge is 2.89%, so the exact payout matters more than the bet’s name. The 9 and 12 to 1 rows come from the Wizard of Odds grid; the described providers pay 8, 10 or 11 to 1.

## The tie rule changes the edge

The same winning payout can produce different house edges because the settlement of a tie changes the expected loss. Unless stated otherwise, the figures below use eight decks.

| Tie rule | Dragon or Tiger house edge |
|---|---|
| Tie pushes: whole stake returned | 0% |
| Tie returns half | 3.73% (8 decks) |
| Tie takes the whole stake | 7.47% |
| Tie returns half, 6 decks | 3.70% |

Rows 0%, 7.47% and 3.70% are our calculation under the same rules. The headline 3.73% assumes eight decks and the loss of half the stake on a tie. Under these assumptions, Dragon and Tiger have equal house edges. Losing the whole stake instead doubles the edge to 7.47%; a full push reduces it to 0%.

A push returns the stake without a win or loss. Returning half leaves you with a loss. These are different settlements, even if both appear under a table’s description of ties.

Deck count also affects the calculation. However, the difference between 3.70% and 3.73% is smaller than the changes caused by the tie rules shown here.

## Our calculation: where 7.47% comes from

With eight decks, ties account for 6,448 of 86,320 unordered two-card pairs, giving a tie probability of 7.47%. The edge at half returned is half that probability, 0.5 × 7.47% = 3.73%; with the whole stake lost it is the full 7.47%. Dragon wins in 39,936 of 86,320 pairs, or 46.27%; Tiger has the same win probability.

Enumerating the card pairs matches the closed-form count, and the results agree with the Wizard of Odds table to 0.01 percentage points. Cards are drawn without replacement from the shoe, so the figures are exact for this calculation. A shoe is the collection of decks from which the cards are dealt.

The equal chances of either side winning do not create a player advantage. The main bet’s expected loss comes from the amount lost on ties.

For a **\$40 Dragon bet**, using eight decks and returning half the stake on a tie, the expected loss is:

- **\$1.49 per round**;
- **\$149.40 over 100 rounds**, with **\$4,000 wagered**.

These are long-run averages, not a prediction for one session. Amounts are rounded to cents. The 100-round total uses the exact edge of 3.7349%: 4,000 × 3.7349% = \$149.40; multiplying the rounded \$1.49 by 100 gives \$149.00.

A 3.73% house edge expresses expected loss as a percentage of the stake. Use the [house edge calculator](https://toolsgambling.com/casino/house-edge-calculator) to convert it to your own amount, retaining the same eight-deck, half-stake tie assumptions.

## Provider variants

The described provider versions all return half the main stake on a tie, but their tie payouts differ. Per the Wizard of Odds description, 2 October 2026, the terms are:

| Provider | Decks | Tie rule | Tie payout | Tie edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pragmatic Play | 8 decks | Half returned on tie | 11 to 1; Suited Tie 50 to 1 | 10.36%; Suited Tie 13.98% |
| SA Gaming | 8 decks | Half returned on tie | 8 to 1 | 32.77% |
| Deltin | 6 to 8 decks | Half returned on tie | 10 to 1 | 18.65% at 6 decks; 17.83% at 8 decks |

These are descriptions of specific rules, not universal properties of a provider’s name. The tie bet has the same winning condition across these entries, yet its house edge changes with the payout. For Deltin, the deck count also matters.

## Is there a strategy

Under the rules described, you choose only the side and the amount; you cannot influence the cards after the deal starts. Switching from Dragon to Tiger does not change the win probability in this calculation.

Wizard of Odds advises a player who does not count cards to stick to Dragon and Tiger because they have the lowest house edge **among the bets analyzed**. That qualification matters: the payout table above shows that a tie bet paying 12 to 1 has a lower house edge (2.89%) than Dragon or Tiger, though none of the described versions pays 12 to 1.

No bet guarantees a win or changes the outcome of a round. Changing the stake changes the possible loss or payout, not which side receives the higher card.

## Side bets and limits

Side bets concern separate properties of a card, with payouts and availability that depend on the provider. Their house edges are not the same as those of Dragon or Tiger.

Big/Small bets win when the chosen card is over or under seven, respectively. Exactly seven loses either bet. A win pays 1 to 1, and the house edge is 7.69%.

Odd/Even rules vary:

- **Pragmatic Play:** both bets pay 1 to 1, with a house edge of 7.69%. Seven loses both.
- **SA Gaming:** Ace = 1 through King = 13, so odd cards are A, 3, 5, 7, 9, J and K, and a seven wins the odd bet. Odd pays 0.75 to 1 with a 5.77% house edge; Even pays 1.05 to 1 with a 5.38% house edge.

There are also limits on availability within a shoe. Pragmatic Play closes Big/Small, Odd/Even and Red/Black after 50 rounds. SA Gaming closes these side bets after 25 rounds. This restricts access to those bets; it does not change the main bet’s payout.

## How it differs from baccarat

Dragon Tiger compares one card on each side, whereas baccarat determines its result differently; neither game lets the player decide what happens to the cards. See the [baccarat rules](https://toolsgambling.com/blog/how-to-play-baccarat) for that comparison.

Wizard of Odds states that the house edge on the standard Banker and Player bets in baccarat is lower than the 3.73% on Dragon or Tiger when ties return half. The [baccarat simulator](https://toolsgambling.com/casino/baccarat-simulator) lets you test baccarat bets against the Punto Banco engine.

Dragon 7 is a different side bet in baccarat, not a bet in Dragon Tiger.

## Limits and mistakes

These conclusions are conditional: eight decks is the assumption in the Wizard of Odds calculation, and a particular table may use other rules. Before betting, check its deck count, payout table and tie settlement.

Do not confuse a tie bet with the settlement of a Dragon or Tiger bet. A tie bet is a separate wager, not an add-on to either side: matching ranks are its winning outcome, with its own payout.

Likewise, returning half the stake is not a push. That distinction is why the same 1 to 1 winning payout can come with different house edges. The 3.73% figure cannot be transferred to a table with a different tie rule.

## FAQ

### Which is better, a Dragon or Tiger bet, or a tie bet?

Dragon and Tiger have a house edge of 3.73% with eight decks when a tie returns half the stake. A tie bet has a house edge of 32.77% at 8 to 1, 10.36% at 11 to 1, and 2.89% at 12 to 1. Verdict: at any tie payout below 12 to 1, Dragon and Tiger have the lower edge. At 12 to 1 the tie bet’s edge is lower (2.89%), but none of the described versions pays 12 to 1, so check the payout at your table.

### Is the ace high or low?

The ace is the low card. The order is A, 2 … K, with king highest. Suits are ignored when comparing Dragon and Tiger.

### Does a tie return the whole stake or half?

It depends on the version. In the versions described for Pragmatic Play, SA Gaming and Deltin, a tie returns half the main stake. With a full push, the Dragon or Tiger house edge is 0%, as shown in the tie-rule table.

### Can you win by counting cards?

These figures do not establish that card counting is profitable. Under the rules described, you choose a side and an amount. Wizard of Odds advises a player who does not count cards to stick to Dragon and Tiger, which have the lowest house edge among the bets analyzed. It also calls Big and Small “highly countable” but gives no counting data for Dragon or Tiger. Neither point shows that counting produces a positive result.