Baccarat Strategy: Rules, Tips, and Betting Systems to Play Baccarat

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Article by Lisa Cheban
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Last Updated: Feb 19th, 2024 Share On Your Network:

Have you ever heard about the gambling game that is called baccarat? It’s really engaging, while its rules are easy and allow even newcomers to become experienced gamblers with ease. As the game has a bunch of tricks and players can increase their chances of winning big, we are going to explain how to play baccarat, how to choose and start using a good baccarat strategy, what betting on the banker is, and why the money management is important. So, how to master this casino online game?

A Few Words About the Game

This exciting casino online game attracts baccarat players due to its easy rules, impressive payout amounts, and rich history. For this reason, we are going to introduce its history and basic rules before taking a look at the tip list we’ve prepared. All right, here come a few things to know about the baccarat table game!

Quick History

We are lucky to enjoy this game today due to Felix Falguierein, an Italian gambler who invented this entertainment in the 1400s. It’s quite interesting that the game wasn’t played with the cards we use today: there were medieval-era tarot cards at first. Another interesting fact is that the game was brought to France where its other variation appeared – Chemin de Fer (we are going to describe it soon).

Pretty soon the game was brought to various other countries, so in the 18th-19th century, it was quite popular in Europe. Plus, most players are sure that the game was brought to Las Vegas from Cuba by Tommy Renzoni so that each US player was hunting for a good payout on these tables.

General Rules

First of all, we want to mention that the name of this game comes from the Italian word ‘baccara’ that means ‘zero’. Why? Simply because the face cards, including tens, bring this amount of points. And each number is important as you will have to beat the dealer, as well as in blackjack. Well, it will be a good idea for now to explain the rules of playing this game, right?

  • You make a deposit and buy chips/tokens if necessary (sometimes it’s not necessary and you just play for real money).
  • When your bets are placed, the cards are dealt. Usually, 6 decks of 52 cards each take part in the game.
  • The dealer gives two cards to a player and two cards to a banker.
  • The one whose hand value is closer to 9 wins, while the hand with the lower value will lose.

During betting, you have to take into account several things. And the first tip is to find out when the player wins: let’s find out the value of cards in baccarat!

2-9

Each number of these cards has its face value.

Face cards (J, Q, K) and tens

Any of these cards is equal to 0 (zero).

Aces

The Aces bring 1 point for each.

Let’s take a peek at the example. If you have a 3 and a K card, your hand has the value of 3. While the dealer has, for instance, a 2 and a 6. This way, the hand of the banker is worth 8. And as this number is higher than yours (8 is higher than 3), you are losing this round, while the croupier will win.

And here is another example. Imagine that you have a 3 and a 4, while a 2 and a 5. In this case, both of you have 7 points and it means that it’s a tie.

Keep in mind: if the value of the hand is over 9, you have to deduct 10 (or drop the first digit of the sum you have). If you have a 9 and a 5, it’s 14. When you deduct 10, 4 points are left and that’s your outcome. It’s better than blackjack where you lose when getting over 21, right?

Additionally, there are some more rules for the third card that also can be dealt. Let’s learn these details!

  • In most cases, players stand (don’t get a card) when they have 6-7 points. If the value is less than 5, it’s necessary to get the card. And if it’s equal to 5, it’s up to the player to call for a third card or to stand.
  • The banker stops when having 6 or more points. When the dealer has 3 points, while the player’s 3rd card is 9, the banker can get the third card too. The same happens when the dealer has 5 points against the player’s third card equal to 4.

Payouts in Baccarat

To prepare viable gambling strategies and betting systems, a player has to understand how to count the payout while playing online. And as the games can have different rules, one of our tips is to learn the types of bets and the bankroll you can count on. When you keep in mind this fact, your advantage of the tables is much higher. It allows you to keep your deposit and return a good amount back to the bank. So, what are the types of bets in blackjack, and what is the house edge of each?

Player bet

As you could suggest, a player bet is a bet that wins when the player’s hand is the closest to 9. It’s paid 1:1, so when your deposit (and a bet) is $30, the winning will be $60.

Banker bets

Banker bets bring winnings when the croupier has the highest hand. In this case, you will be paid evens (but a 5% commission should be subtracted). If your bet is $40, you will be paid $78 ($2 fee).

Tie bet

The tie bet means that a gambler wins when the outcome of the hands is equal and loses when the result is different. The tie bet has the highest payout: 8:1. So your $30 bet can turn into $240.

 

And keep in mind that during a tie, both a player and a banker bet will be pushed. Your hand neither loses nor wins, so you can leave or remove the bet, or even modify it by reducing/adding the chips.

Different Versions of Baccarat

As you can see, playing baccarat isn’t that difficult. And to develop the baccarat strategy that can lead your betting to the win, you have to understand that there are several variations of this game and you can play all of them at online casinos. That’s why the percent of the house edge and the odds can vary. So, what baccarat card games can you meet?

  • Punto Banco.
    Actually, it’s the classic version we’ve described. The outstanding parameters of this kind are the house that banks the game, and a 5% commission on a banker bet.
  • Chemin de Fer.
    This French word translates as ‘the railroad’. The different characteristics are an opportunity for a player to become a banker and the fact that players can influence the decision of taking the 3rd card by players or bankers.
  • Mini-Baccarat.
    These games are popular both online and offline: baccarat tables of this kind are a low-limit version that provides quick games, while the terms are similar to Punto Banco.

Depending on the type of these games, your deposit, bet, and even winning can vary.

Betting on the Banker: the Best Strategy for Newcomers

Playing at online casinos requires both a matter of luck and your attention to detail. That’s why the baccarat strategy is so essential. If it is successful, you win the game, and you lose your bankroll when the strategies are wrong. That’s why we represent one of the most essential tips that minimize the house edge: take a look at the banker bets.

We’ve already described how betting on the banker works. But why is it so profitable? The key is in the house edge of the banker bet: it’s only 1,06%, so the RTP (the percent that players win) is 98,94%. Your advantage here is obvious.

To make sure that it’s a real streak, take a look at the odds of the other types of bets. The player bet has a 98,76% RTP that is also quite high, while the tie baccarat bet displays only 85,64%.

As for the mathematical background of this game, let’s count the exact percent and find out the odds that are an advantage for gamblers.

Hand

Loses

Wins

Ties

Player hand

45,87%

44,63%

9,51%

Bank hand

44,65%

45,87%

9,51%

 

And if we remove the tie results, we can see that the total win of a player is 49,32 percent, while the banker’s win is 50,68 percent. And even after taking into account the 5% fee, the odds are still higher. This way, the theoretical loss of a $100 bet will be 1,17 percent instead of 1,36 percent.

It’s considered to be the best bet. But it doesn’t matter that this is the only way to win in the game, the odds of the player’s bet are also high. While various strategies can increase the odds to win even more.

The Baccarat Strategy to Avoid

It’s no secret that one baccarat strategy can lead you to winnings, while other strategies don’t allow you to win the game and you would better walk away. For example, the banker bet provides amazing results. But we can’t say so about the tie bet, the house edge of which is extremely high. And as the money management on baccarat tables is extremely essential when you want to win, the bets of this type aren’t recommended. Why not? Here is an explanation.

At first sight, betting on the tie seems to be a good option. Just take a look at this generous payout of 8:1. Like a generous bonus, which casinos don’t require to wager. But one of our tips is still the same: a baccarat player should walk away not to play like this.

The reason for this is obvious: this type of betting has the lowest odds to win, so the potential amount to lose is colossal. Your potential stake of $100 can theoretically be losing 14,36%. And you hardly ever find games where this amount is acceptable. It doesn’t seem to be a bonus that you don’t have to wager, right? The only case when we can recommend it is when this bet is a part of an advanced betting system.

Betting Systems to Play Baccarat

To make gambling at a casino more profitable, especially when it comes to baccarat tables, we provide a list of systems that boost your winning like a good bonus and don’t allow you to face losing. Well, sometimes the winning isn’t that frequent, but when a house edge is lower, it’s already the way to go. So, meet a baccarat strategy guide to get a real winning streak at a casino you play!
The Martingale System
Perhaps, it’s the most popular system that is used to place a bet in casino online games. There’s nothing difficult about the method: all you have to do is to double the bet each time you lose. And when it’s the winning case, you decrease the bet.

Here is an example of the Martingale system:

Your stake, let it be the banker bet, is $10 and you lose. Then you have to bet on the banker again, but the stake will be $20. If you lose again, the stake will be $40, and so on. OK, and if this $40 bet wins? Then your winning is $80.

Is it profitable? Let’s count together. If you win $80 when making a $70 ($10+$20+$40) bet in total, it’s still something, right? So your winning bonus is $10. In other words, your task is to win the biggest bet of the cycle and quit in time.

The Fibonacci Strategy

It’s also one of those baccarat systems when you double the bet each time your wager doesn’t win. But now the way you will count your bet amount will be a bit different. This Italian mathematician has developed a special sequence, according to which you sum up the previous and the current number. For example, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc. And when you win, you step back. The advantage of this baccarat method is the same, while the weak point is that you can run out of money or reach the limit of the baccarat table quite soon.

The Paroli System

The other name of this method is the Reverse Martingale system. It means that you double the baccarat bet, but only after winning some money. While the unlucky games mean that you decrease the amount. The core idea is to benefit the maximum from your deposit, and when a casino player gets three winnings in a row, the money should be withdrawn.

The Labouchere System

This baccarat money management system is a bit more complicated, though, is still based on increasing and decreasing your bet. But this time, everything is a bit more complicated and a player needs some time to delve into this.

  • At first, it’s necessary to select a certain sequence, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4.
  • Then, the first and the last numbers of this sequence are summed up. Here, we add 1 to 4 and get $5. This number will be the first baccarat stake.
  • If you win, cross off the numbers you’ve used. This way, you have 2 and 3 left.
  • Each stake that loses is added to the sequence. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
  • A player should go on using this strategy until only one number is left.

The D’Alembert System

This baccarat betting method also looks like the Martingale one. But now you don’t spend so much money at once. All you do is increase or decrease the bet by 1 each time you lose or win. And as casinos usually have quite tough limits on the baccarat tables, this approach will allow you to play much longer.

The D’Alembert System

This baccarat betting method also looks like the Martingale one. But now you don’t spend so much money at once. All you do is increase or decrease the bet by 1 each time you lose or win. And as casinos usually have quite tough limits on the baccarat tables, this approach will allow you to play much longer.

More Baccarat Strategy Tips

Baccarat is a really exciting and not so difficult game that casinos offer. And if you want an additional bonus during the gameplay, use these tips and your money deposit will increase rapidly!

Your Win/Loss Limits: Play Responsible

Remember that baccarat, as well as any other entertainment at casinos, is a gambling game and is quite risky. So play responsibly and remember that your deposit has to be an amount you can afford to lose, while the money you win shouldn’t be all used for placing more bets.

Pick Low House-Edge Bets

We’ve already mentioned that baccarat stakes vary and some of them have a really high house edge (eg. tie bets) that is not good for gamblers. That’s why this information is crucial, especially for newcomers.

Avoid All-In Bets

All-in stakes mean that you want to spend all your money at once. Actually, in baccarat, it works the same way. And that’s not good as your deposit can be lost at once, which won’t allow you to go on playing baccarat.

Select an Efficient Strategy

We always mention that a good baccarat strategy saves your money and serves as a bonus. If you are a newcomer, pick a banker bet. And if you are an advanced player, pick any baccarat system from our list to increase your bankroll.

Find a Good Online Casino

If you are going to play baccarat, make sure that you’ve selected a good casino that has enough licenses, a rich bonus program with nice conditions for each bonus, a good variety of baccarat tables, and other details that allow gamblers to enjoy the baccarat game.

Final Thoughts

To conclude about playing baccarat, it’s a thrilling table game where a casino player can win good money and use various tricks to add good funds to the total bank. We offer our readers to pick a good baccarat strategy to be prepared and understand how to grab a valuable winning amount at the casino where you place your bet. Use these tricks, grab bonus offers, minimize the house edge, and boost your money bankroll!

FAQ About Baccarat

Baccarat is a really engaging casino online game. And to learn more about how to play this gambling entertainment for real money, we provide detailed answers to the frequently asked questions. You will learn the basic rules of baccarat, find casinos where to play it, understand how to wager bonus promotions, and get a secret of how to win more.

What types of baccarat are available?

In general, this casino game displays several types of baccarat for real money. These types are Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer, and Mini Baccarat. Though the general things of all these types are similar.

How to pick a baccarat table?

One of the important tips from our team is to pick a good baccarat table for betting. Actually, you have to base your decision on the baccarat strategy you choose and the available stakes the table accepts. Depending on your bankroll and preferences, you can select the table that fits your needs.

Where to play the baccarat game?

In fact, playing the baccarat casino game should take place at a reliable online gambling venue. Especially when the wager is for real money. That’s why you have to select a good casino with a rich bonus program, convenient wager to claim each bonus that you get, licenses, convenient ways to make a deposit, etc. And you can use our list of recommended sites we’ve already tested.

What baccarat strategy to use?

As money management is important to win big, we recommend a trustworthy baccarat strategy to our readers. The one that has the highest winning odds – it’s the dealer bet. Plus, we highly recommend avoiding a tie bet. But you can use any other strategy or the betting systems from our list.

Are there baccarat strategy tips to boost my bankroll?

First of all, it’s recommended to choose the banker bet and to avoid tie betting. Plus, we recommend playing at the licensed and proven casinos, picking the tables attentively, taking into account the odds to win, and using casino bonus offers if they are available.

Lisa Cheban Author Betsquare

Lisa Cheban

Author

Lisa works as a content writer and specializes in delivering top tier i-gaming content which is why her articles and blog posts are always very engaging and informative. Well spoken, and does her research very well in an industry where transparency, honesty and constant follow up is a rarity.