Dragon Tiger strips a card game down to its core. The dealer places one card on the Dragon side and one on the Tiger side, and the higher card wins. Rounds take seconds.
That simplicity hides a cost. Ties come up roughly once every 13 rounds, and the house collects half of every Dragon or Tiger stake when they do.
Below: how a round works, what each bet pays, where the edge comes from, how the game compares with baccarat, and the details worth a look at any live Dragon Tiger table.
How a Round Works
Live versions typically use eight standard decks, 416 cards in all, with jokers removed. After the betting window closes, the dealer draws one card face up for Dragon and one for Tiger.
Cards rank from ace, the lowest, through to king, the highest. Suits play zero part in the main result, so a seven of hearts and a seven of spades count as equal.
The higher card wins the round. Equal ranks produce a tie, and a match on rank and suit produces a suited tie.
The Bets and What They Pay
Evolution’s live version shows the standard paytable, and many studios follow it closely.
Bet
Payout
Return to player
House edge
Dragon
1:1, half the stake lost on a tie
96.27%
3.73%
Tiger
1:1, half the stake lost on a tie
96.27%
3.73%
Tie
11:1
89.64%
10.36%
Suited tie
50:1
86.02%
13.98%
Last verified: October 2026
Some tables add side bets on whether a card falls above or below seven, or on its colour. Paytables differ by studio, so read the help panel at each table.
Where the Edge Comes From
The edge lives entirely in the tie. Once the first card falls, 31 of the other 415 cards left in the shoe share its rank, so a tie occurs about 7.47% of the time.
On a Dragon or Tiger bet, wins and losses balance out over time. Each tie then costs half the stake, and 7.47% of a half stake equals the 3.73% edge.
Picture 1,000 rounds at $10 on Dragon. Around 463 rounds win $10, around 463 lose $10, and around 75 ties cost $5 each. Expected loss comes to roughly $373 on $10,000 wagered.
The Tie Bet in Numbers
Tie payouts at 11:1 return $12 for every $1 that hits, against a 7.47% chance. The result: a 10.36% edge, almost three times the main bet.
Older or regional tables pay 8:1 on a tie, which pushes the edge to about 32.8%. Check the payout printed on the table before any tie bet, since the difference costs more than any other rule in the game.
Suited ties hit about 1.69% of the time. At 50:1, the bet returns 86.02%, the costliest standard option on the layout.
Dragon Tiger Against Baccarat
Dragon Tiger often shares a lobby section with baccarat, and the two look alike at a glance. The arithmetic differs sharply.
Game and bet
House edge
Baccarat Banker, 5% commission
1.06%
Baccarat Player
1.24%
Dragon Tiger, Dragon or Tiger
3.73%
Dragon Tiger, Tie at 11:1
10.36%
Last verified: October 2026
Rounds also move quicker in Dragon Tiger, so more hands fit into an hour. Higher edge per hand, multiplied by more hands, raises the hourly cost. Our look at the baccarat Banker bet covers the commission side in detail.
Roads, Streaks and the Shoe
Live tables display scoreboards, often called roads, that chart past Dragon, Tiger and tie results. They make streaks easy to spot.
Each round still deals from a large, shuffled shoe. Past results shift the odds of the next card by tiny amounts, far too little to beat a 3.73% edge, so a long Dragon streak tells you very little about the next hand.
Dragon Tiger at Dexsport
Dexsport tags 13 live Dragon Tiger tables in its lobby, plus two digital versions. Live studios on the platform include Evolution, Playtech Live and Ezugi, so paytables can vary from one table to the next.
Casino play at Dexsport counts toward a withdrawal gate: a deposit must go through x2 in casino wagers before it turns withdrawable. Dexapp LTD holds the platform’s Anjouan licence.
For a wider view of game costs, see our house edge rankings.
Conclusion
Dragon Tiger deals one card to each side, and the higher card wins. Ties decide the cost: they occur about 7.47% of the time with eight decks, and each one takes half of a Dragon or Tiger stake, which builds a 3.73% house edge into every main bet.
Tie and suited tie bets cost far more, at 10.36% and 13.98% on standard paytables, and an 8:1 tie table costs more still. Baccarat’s main bets stay cheaper.
Treat each round as entertainment with a known price. Check the law where you live, play only at legal age, and expect that KYC or AML checks may apply. Responsible gambling starts with a session limit.
Disclaimer: The information here is provided for general purposes only and is not legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Paytables, house edge figures and table rules vary by studio and change over time, so check each table’s rules before you play. Casino games involve risk, and rules vary by country, so check the law where you live. Please play responsibly, within your means, and only if you are of legal age.
