Baccarat has an image of gentlemanly sophistication and shrewd gamesmanship that is long-held. But, contrary to this reputation, to get a chance of winning at Baccarat online casinos, you don’t need to be a professional. In reality, Baccarat provides some of the most desirable chances of winning in most casinos today, and all players need a basic understanding of the rules and a relaxed approach.
Now note that the advantageous house edge of Baccarat comes from the choice to ‘side with the dealer,’ a seldom presented option for casino games and one that can place you at odds with fellow competitors. First, let us see how to play Baccarat.
Rules of the game
All variants of Baccarat have a basic premise; the banker or dealer distributes two cards to himself and each of the players after bets are laid. The side that amounts nearest to nine wins. A third card can be given based on the amount of the initial deal. Cards are graded as per the following:
- Ace = 1
- 2-9 = face value
- 10 = 0
- Face cards = 0
The strategy of the game
There is no tactic in the majority of the Baccarat games. Whether or not a third card is given depends on the laws of drawing, as applied by the dealer. Both will stand if either the player or banker scores eight or nine. Plays with five or more will stand if not and players with five or fewer will hit. The banker typically hits with two or fewer player scores, or:
- on three, unless eight is scored by the player.
- on four If a player scores a face card, or two to seven.
- on five if a player scores four to seven.
- on six if a player scores six or seven.
Betting and odds
The only places where a player can have a reasonable effect on their probability of winning are by carefully picking their table, betting on the most probable results, and resisting panic betting on long odds results. It is important to know what the odds of any given betting result are to do this.
The odds are for a banker/dealer victory, a player win, and a draw while playing a game with the regular eight decks of cards in a shoe. Players can wager on any hand featuring a pair in certain six-deck games. Here are each scenario’s odds and payouts:
- Banker/Dealer Win = 0.458 (0.95/1 Pays)
- Winning Player = 0.446 (Pays 1/1)
- Tie = 0.095 (8/1 or 9/1 Pays)
- Either Pair = 0.074 (Pays 11/1)
This suggests that the house advantage is 1.06% on banker bets, 1.24% on player bets, 14.36% on tie bets, and 11.25% on pair bets. Therefore, despite some players calling poor Baccarat manners to ‘side with the dealer’, the banker bet is the best bet worth in Baccarat.
Banker bets cost 1/1 in certain casinos, but are responsible for commission. This usually amounts to 5% of winnings, making the payout effectively 0.95/1, although certain casinos will charge lower commission rates.
The Exceptions
Big table, midi and mini-Baccarat will still follow the format described above with Chemin de Fer being played by some European casinos, especially in France. The player will determine whether or not to allow a third and a fourth card in this variant of Baccarat. When determining whether to hit or stand to capitalize on a deal, rules similar to blackjack should be deployed in these games.
Egalite Bets
- In casinos in England, these bets are popular, but uncommon or unheard-of anywhere else. During a Baccarat game, an egalite bet is just a side bet on a particular event. (It’s similar to any of the bets offered at the table for craps). These bets and their payouts differ depending on the casino you are playing at.
- Being allowed to bet on a single tie, such as 0-0 or 1-1, is a typical example. Depending on the particular bet, these usually pay off at between 45 to 1 and 225 to1. (Some similarities are more possible than others.)
- At 45 to 1, a bet on 6 or 7 ties pays off, and it is the most likely tie to be hit.
- At 225 to 1, a gamble on 2 pays off. This is the least likely tie to be hit.
- There’s one thing in common with all these bets: a high house edge. None of them currently have a house edge of less than 10%.
- Few casinos often make it easy to gamble on scales, such as 1-3 or 4-5. Of course, the payoffs for both are lower, so you have more chances to win. A typical payout could be 70 to 1 for a 1-3 egalite, but the house advantage on that bet is still 10.86%.
- However, some of the ranges provide the player with betting chances. A 4-5 egalite has a meagre 7.28% house edge. That’s still a horrible gamble, but it’s not as miserable. Experienced casino players refer to a bet as a “sucker bet” with a house edge this big.
Baccarat Strategies, Tips, and Advice
- It is often easier to play against the lower edge of the house than against the higher edge of the house. In the scenario of Baccarat, the bet of the banker is the lowest house edge bet.
- Even if a hunch is played, you should avoid the tie bet or the pair bet. The edge of the house is just too high. If you trust hunches, you might be able to make a case for a player bet. If you do not believe in hunches and want a better chance, take the banker’s bet.
- Yeah, on a particular bet, you will see winning streaks and losing streaks. Or you’ll think that after winning too many times in a row, the dealer bet might not possibly win again. Don’t bother. Trends are apparent only in retrospect. They don’t influence the future at all. There is in truth, also a term illustrating this false conviction. It is named the gambler’s fallacy.
- Blackjack players may wonder if by counting cards you can get an advantage at Baccarat. This may be true technically, but it would be very rare to have an advantage, and it would not be enough to get you an overall edge.
EZ Baccarat and Counting Cards
EZ Baccarat is a variant in which even cash on a banker bet is paid and you don’t have to pay commission. The casino considers a victory to make up for this as the banker gets a total of 7 with a push instead of a win with 3 cards.
They add 2 extra side bets as well:
- The Panda 8 Bet – If the banker has a 3-card sum of 8. This bet pays off at 25 to 1.
- The Dragon 7 Bet – If the banker has a 3-card sum of 7, this bet pays off at 40 to 1.
The house edge is 10.19% for the Panda 8 bet. You can use card counting in this game to gain an advantage.
Conclusion
Baccarat is a simple, slow-paced, elegant game that doesn’t involve the player’s abilities. You can play a game with a very small house edge and have a lot of fun. If you think you have familiarized yourself with Baccarat well, you can try your luck at a reliable platform like Swift Casino. Good luck there!
