Baccarat is one of the most popular casino card games at both online and land-based casinos. It is easy to see why baccarat has become a favorite amongst both casual gamblers and high rollers. With the best baccarat strategy, you can increase your bankroll and raise your chances of winning.
Baccarat is a game of chance, but by employing the right strategy you will be able to beat the house. In this guide we take a closer look at different strategies and tips that will increase your chances of winning.
How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat may seem a bit intimidating at first, but if you learn the rules of the game and how to play baccarat, you will soon get the hang of it. Basically, make sure you bet on the winning hand each round.
Baccarat can be played at most of the best baccarat online casinos and does have a few different variations, but generally they are very similar, and all want the same outcome. Baccarat is a card game that uses three to six standard 52 deck playing cards which are shuffled together and placed in the dealing deck called the ‘shoe’. There is no skill required to get started and each round has only 3 possible outcomes. Many online casinos offer free baccarat, this way you are able to get a good feel and understanding of the game.
The croupier starts by dealing out the cards and the player needs to place their bets and let the cards decide the outcome. When it comes to placing a bet, you will use chips, tokens or checks on the Player Hand, Bank Hand, or Resort to a Tie bet.
Once the bets have been placed, the croupier will deal 2 cards to the player and 2 to the banker and all cards are dealt face up. The aim is for the 2 cards to get a total that is closest to 9.
The cards are counted in the following way:
- Cards from 2 to 9 carry their face value
- Tens and Face Cards (K, Q, J) have a value of zero.
- An Ace card has the value of 1
One important thing to remember is that if your total score goes beyond 9, you take 10 away from your score. So, if you got 6 and 9, your total would be 5, not 15.
There is also a rule that each hand can hold up to 3 cards and the casino will specify the rules whether the Player hand or Banker will receive a third drawcard. Most casinos state that the player must stand on 6 or 7.
Types of Baccarat Bets
As mentioned before, there are three types of bets you can make in Baccarat when playing at the best live baccarat casinos. The Player, The Banker and Tie. Which one you decide to choose will depend on how you want to approach the game. The best way to decide is to look at the odds and what they represent.
Each bet type has a probability value as follows:
| Type of Bet | Odds | Payout | House edge |
| Banker | 45.8% | -105 (19/20) | 1.06% |
| Player | 44.6% | +100 (1/1) | 1.24% |
| Tie | 9.6% | +800 (8/1) | 14.36% |
Banker Bets
The Banker Bet is the default option for many players. The Banker bet has theoretical odds of 45.84%. Many new players and seasonal gamblers will choose the banker bet in an attempt to reduce the house edge and give themselves the highest possible chance of winning. Betting on the banker is one of the most popular tips given in baccarat and an important part of most baccarat strategies.
If you bet on the Banker hand and it wins, you will be paid evens, minus 5% that will go to the house. For example, if you bet $15 on the Banker, you will get winnings of $14, while the $1 will go to the house.
Player Bets
Just because the banker has the better chance of winning, it doesn’t mean you should overlook the Player bet. The Player bet is a good choice and a default option if you are using baccarat betting systems. Generally, the player bet will see you through when playing with strategies and that is why you should make sure you understand the aspects of the game and not always just believe that the Banker bet will make you a winner.
If the player hand is closer to 9 than the banker hand, then you will win and your payout will be double or even. For example, the winning wager of $15 on the player’s hand wins another $15, so you will win a total of $30.
The Tie Bets
No strategy will focus on the Tie bet and it is the least favored option. This bet also has less than a 10% chance of showing up and even when it does, it is still not worth it. After doing more research it showed that the house edge for a tie bet is 14.36% compared to 1.06% and 1.24% for the Banker and Player bets respectively.
Top Baccarat Tips
It is important to note that card games always involve a degree of chance, no matter what tips and strategies you use. However, there are a few tips and strategies you can use that may just edge you closer to the win you are looking for.
- Bet with the banker if not using a betting system.
- Set win and loss limits for yourself and stick to them.
- Avoid all-in bets.
- Choose the best betting strategy that suits your gameplay.
- Practice responsible gambling and know when to stop.
- Have fun and take a loss in stride.
Baccarat Betting Systems and Strategies
Apart from simple baccarat strategies like eliminating the tie bet and betting with the banker, there are other more advanced baccarat betting systems that you can employ and use throughout your baccarat game. Here are a few of the most commonly used and popular betting systems.
The Martingale System
The Martingale betting system is one of the most well-known betting systems and has been used for centuries. It first became popular in France in the 18th century. This system progressively adjusts bets. It works in most casino games, not just baccarat.
With the Martingale, you double your stake after any losing bet. You keep doubling your wager until you win, at which point you reset your bet to its original amount. This theory has worked in times and players can recover all their losses with a single win. The disadvantage of using this system is that if luck is not on your side and you end up with a bad streak of cards, you can end up losing a lot of money. This strategy is fine for high rollers, but we suggest the casual gambler rather stick to other strategies.
The Fibonacci Strategy
The Fibonacci baccarat strategy is a betting system in which the amount that you will need to bet after a loss is dictated by the Fibonacci sequence. This is a famous natural number sequence in which the next number in a progression is determined by the sum of the previous two numbers.
The sequence looks like this: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, etc
Although there is a lot of math involved when using this betting system, you do not need to be a mathematician to use it. Simply put, for every bet you lose, you should increase it on your next wager. You will continue doing this until you hit a win. When you win, you should revert back to your original bet.
The Paroli System
Also known as The Reverse Martingale, this Paroli System works opposite to the Martingale system. The system is known as a positive betting system, which dictates that you should double your bets whenever you win until you lose. The main goal is to win three hands in a row.
For example, let’s say that you decided to go with a bet on the Player hand. You bet $10, and you win. Next time, you will bet $20. If you lose, you go back to $10 again, and if you win, then you bet $40, by doubling the previous bet. If you lose while betting $40, you go back to $10. If you win, you go for $80. At this point, you’re at the end of your 3-step cycle, and no matter what happens next, you go back to $10 and start at the beginning again.
The D’Alembert System
The D’Alembert System is also a positive progressive system, quite similar to the Martingale System. However, The D’Alembert System is designed to prevent the player from making quick, steep losses, while recouping lost bets.
You will start by selecting your base unit. Usually the value of one chip. For example, if you play with $1 chips, your base unit will be 1.
When you get a loss, you should increase the next bet by 1 chip. So, if you start by betting $5 and you lose, your next bet should be $6, then if you lose again your next bet will be $7 and so on.
When you win, you will go down by 1 chip. This strategy assumes that your wins and losses will eventually even out.
Handy Tip:
The best way to beat baccarat is by simply wagering on the banker’s hand every time. Doing so cuts the house edge down to 1.06% and increases your odds of winning.
Different Versions of Baccarat
There are many versions to the baccarat game that are available at online casinos and land-based casinos. Here are the most common you will find.
Punto Banco
Another name for Punto Banco is American Baccarat. This is the version of baccarat we have been discussing in the above examples and is probably the most popular version. You can place your bets on the Player hand, Bank hand or Tie. The decision whether a third card can be drawn lies with the casino, not the player. Punto Banco has the following characteristics that make it unique:
- The player and bank hands are executed according to fixed house rules.
- The house banks the game
- All winning banker bets will have a 5% commission charged
Chemin de Fer
A popular French version of the game is called Chemin de Fer, which means “the railway”. The rules are very similar to Punto Banco but have 2 differences.
- Players have the opportunity of becoming banker, so they can be in charge of the bank’s hand.
- Players have a say whether the player hand or banker should draw a third card.
Six standard 52 deck cards are shuffled together and then 1 player is chosen to be banker, with all players having the option to take turns.
The banker decides how much he is willing to bet and then all players will take turns mentioning the amount they are willing to bet. The person with the highest amount will be named the Player.
One player may level the banker on the amount and declare “banco”, this means all other players except the 2 will be excluded from the round.
The croupier deals 2 facedown cards each to the banker’s hand and the player’s hand. They will look at the cards in their hands.
- If either of the hands has an 8 or 9 total, this hand will win the round.
- If none of the hands are an 8 or 9 total, the person playing the Players hand will decide whether or not to draw a third card.
- Once complete, the banker will then decide to stand or draw a third card.
- After the banker has made their decision, both the player and the banker will reveal their cards and see who the winner is.
Players have a big say in the direction of the game in Chemin de Fer and therefore betting systems such as Martingale Strategy, Fibonacci Strategy and Paroli System can be quite tricky to use.
Mini Baccarat
As the name implies, Mini Baccarat is a smaller version of the game which is also known as Big Baccarat. Unlike Big Baccarat that will feature 2 or more bankers, Mini Baccarat will only have 1 banker/dealer. Players are not allowed to be the bank.
Mini Baccarat games are usually quicker than the full Big Baccarat version, but the same rules and baccarat strategy can be applied to the game.