Online Baccarat Guide

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November 19, 2024

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November 19, 2024

There is hardly a land-based casino in the world where one of the most popular card games, baccarat, cannot be played. It is well-known due to its relatively low house edge that allows players to win good pay-outs, raise the winning odds, and take the gameplay to the next level very quickly. Moreover, baccarat is fairly easy to master and it is more exciting than other card games. That is why millions of Aussies and gamblers all over the world relish it both online and in land-based casinos.

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Baccarat is a game that is much older than you can imagine. The first mention of it traces to the 1400s. According to some sources, it was invented by an Italian Felix Falgurien, who played the first baccarat game with the Tarot cards. Later, it embraced the French nobility and gained popularity. Afterward, all kinds of gambling games were prohibited, but baccarat survived the ban and resumed its existence in the underground casino. From the 1950s onwards, this game began to spring up in American cities, and from that momentous moment, it never lost its popularity.

In this article written by Online Casino AU team, you will get acquainted with baccarat gambling and learn more about the rules and strategies of the game. Besides, here you will be able to get to know about the different versions of baccarat.

The Fundamentals of Baccarat: How to Play and Win

As it was mentioned above, baccarat is a fairly simple card game that any beginner can handle easily, if they know a few simple rules. So, if the mysterious world of casinos is something novel for you, and if you are really keen on it, you should continue reading this article.

At first glance, the baccarat game seems to be a bit ostentatious and intimidating, because it covers all the grandeur and opulence. Nevertheless, don’t judge a book by its cover. Actually, it is a game of really good quality.

At first, you need to know what is what. Generally, baccarat is close to standard table games and contains three to six typical 52-card decks that are shuffled together and placed in a dealing machine. The aim of this game is to use two or three cards to make a hand that is as close to 9 as possible. In the traditional version of the game, players competed with each other to decide whether to take a third card or to abandon it.

The first thing you need to do during a play is to wager on the Player hand, Bank hand, or make a tie bet. To do it, you may use chips, tokens, or checks. All you have to do next is relax, calm down and adjust to the good running of the game, as well as good luck. It is worth remembering that the casino does not respect haste, excitement, and anxiety. These feelings only attract negative emotions. Moreover, all the hard mental and physical work is entrusted to the croupier. You don’t need to overload your brain with obscure operations.

After you place a bet, the croupier performs several operations and deals out two face-up cards to the Player and also two cards to the Banker. To understand whether you got a good hand or not, you need to know the value of each card in the deck.

Cards from 2 to 9 have their own face value. However, if the total amount of the hand is more than 9, then 10 points are deducted from this amount. So, if the hand’s two cards are 8 and 5, the total amount will be 3, not 13.
Each of the Tens (10s) and Face (J, Q, and K) cards have a value equal to zero. Thus, the combination of cards with face value 3 and Q will be equal to the value 3.
Each Ace card has a value of 1.

But that is not all. The game still has a third card in the hand, which the player can choose under certain conditions. When the sum of the two cards dealt to the player is less than 5, the third card is drawn. If the amount is exactly 5, the player can refrain from an additional card, or call for it.

There is also a Banker in the game, who can also get this third card, but under slightly different conditions. This happens when the sum of the Banker’s hand is less than 3. Besides, the Banker must stand at any count of 6 or higher. There is one more exception, the Banker may stand or take a third card if the Bank hand’s count is exactly 3 to a Player’s 3rd card of 9. The same should happen when the Banker’s count is 5 and the Player has got a 4 in the third-card draw.

Now you possess the basic information about Baccarat and know its playing rules. Anyway, there is one more momentous point you should get to know. Playing any game, people aim not only to have fun and relax, but the most important goal is also to win. To win, you do not need to know only the rules, the main part of the game is strategies because they will lead you to victory.

The Simplest Baccarat Strategy

If you were already familiar with the game of baccarat, then you have probably heard the phrase “always bet on the Banker.” The matter is that this is the most rational, easiest, and safest strategy in the game. Therefore, if you are new to the game, it is better for you to start your gambling journey with this strategy, with the help of which you will be able to understand the essence of the game and then move to another level.

The reasons that betting on the Banker is always a good idea are the following:

From a theoretical point of view, the house edge for betting on the Banker is 1.06 percent. Accordingly, the return to player (RTP) or payout percentage for Banker bets is a stunning 98.94 percent. Unlike the Player hand wager, which has an RTP of 98.76 percent, it is a bit better. But speaking about the bet on the tie, it is even worse due to its relatively low RTP of 85.64 percent.

According to some mathematical calculations, despite the fact that the Banker bets pay minus 5 percent commission, it still remains lucrative. Player hand loses 45.87 percent, wins 44.63 percent, and ties 9.51 percent. Bank Hand, on the other, loses 44.65 percent, wins 45.87 percent, and ties 9.51 percent.

If you take into account the fact that mathematics is an exact science, you can conclude that numbers do not really lie and by choosing this strategy you get a better chance of winning.

The Martingale System

If you have already fully mastered the easiest strategy of playing baccarat, you can confidently move on to another level. You can choose one of the most intelligible, but risky strategies. We are talking about the Martingale system, according to which you should double each of your next bets if the previous one lost. For example, if you place a $10 bet on the Bank hand and it loses, you should put a $20 wager next on the same hand. If this bet also loses, you should double it to $40. Let’s say you win after this bet. Then you need to return to the starting amount of $ 10.

At first sight, this strategy seems to be doubtless. However, it has a few disadvantages. First of all, the Martingale system does not match the intentions of those who possess a small bankroll, because their money can run out very quickly and as a result, they will not be able to double the next bet. And vice versa, once doubling your bet may reach the table limit. That is why some casinos ban the use of this strategy.

The Fibonacci Strategy

Have you ever heard about the Fibonacci sequence of numbers, in which each next number is equal to the sum of the previous two? Exactly this sequence decides the amount of the bet after the loss in this strategy. As with the Martingale system, after each loss, you should increase your bet but according to the Fibonacci sequence. And it is logical that you should continue to do so until you win. After losing money, you may continue making bigger bets, because the idea is that anyway you will wind up winning back your last two losing bets. On the other hand, this is a doubtful strategy, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The Paroli System

The following strategy is quite popular and effective in betting in various card games. Baccarat is no exception. The Paroli system here is considered to be the complete opposite of the Martingale one. The bottom line is that you need to double your bet after each win until you lose. If you have won three in a row, then you have achieved the goal of this strategy.

The D’Alembert System

The D’Alembert baccarat strategy aims to eventually equalize gains and losses. It is elaborated to warn players against rapid losses, so this strategy is seen as one to start with.

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At the beginning of the game, you choose your own unit that matches the value of the token or chip. Let this be the number 1. If you place this bet and lose, the next bet will be 2. If you win, the bet remains the same. The advantage of this strategy is that after each masterstroke you take away one chip.

The Labouchere System

If you already consider yourself a good player and you’re tired of all the previous strategies, try another, obviously the most difficult of all the above. The Labouchere system provides for an increase in your bet after each loss. The keystone of this system is to be able to recoup losses after a series of losses with several victories, not just one victory, as in the case of Martingale. To begin, you need to create a sequence of numbers, such as, for example, 1-2-3. Then bet the amount equal to the sum of the last and first number on the sequence, so it is 4. Afterwards there are two options for you, depending on whether your bet wins or loses. If you win, you just exclude the first and last numbers in the sequence, so they are 1 and 3. Then, you have to bet the $4 you have left. In case of a loss, you add the number 4 to your line, and accordingly, the next bet will be 5. The game will end when you have one number left.

Baccarat Odds

Another thing gamblers should know is that playing Baccarat, peculiarly Punto Banco, they can get even money for their winning bets on the Player or on the Banker.

Punto Banco baccarat ties pay 8:1 or 9:1, both in online or land-based casinos. The Player bet proposes a relatively low house edge of 1.24%. The Banker bet, despite the 5% commission on the win, has an even lower one, only 1.06%. As it was mentioned above, you would better choose betting on the Banker, in spite of the additive payment, because it is more profitable. Moreover, if you remember the option of a third card in hand, you should definitely bet on the Banker.

Baccarat Versions

As the baccarat game gained its popularity rapidly, it was in dire necessity of constant changes and improvement. Thus, different versions of this game were elaborated to keep it fresh and up to date. Among them, there are two types of French origin – Chemin de Fer, Baccarat Banque, which cannot be found at American casinos. The third one is known as American Baccarat – Punto Banco. And its variations: Mini-Baccarat, Super Pan 9, and EZ Baccarat.

Punto Banco

If you immerse yourself in the world of Las Vegas casinos, the first thing you will encounter throughout these venues is Punto Banco, the American version of baccarat. Particularly this type was created and developed in Argentina, however, when this version of baccarat fell into the hands of Americans, it up-ended the world of gambling drastically. Nowadays, people all over the world, including Aussies, can enjoy the play in the leading online or land-based casinos in the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and Macao. It also should be mentioned that the name of this version of baccarat corresponds to two opponents of the game: punto – meaning “player” and banco which means “bank”. So, playing Punto Banco, gamblers can put a bet on the Bank hand, Player hand, or on the tie.

Chemin de Fer

Now, let’s leave the American casino for a moment and move to the French one. Probably not as popular as Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer also has its proponents and admirers. Unfortunately, you will not find this version of the game in online casinos, but you can join the game in the splendid land-based casinos in Europe, and especially in France.

Compared to other versions of the baccarat game, in this version, players have the opportunity to be responsible for the hand of the Banker. Besides, they have a chance to decide whether the Player hand or the Banker should draw a 3rd card.

Baccarat Banque

Another widely spread baccarat version of the game, Baccarat Banque, can also be found throughout European lands. If you see only three decks of cards playing this version of Baccarat, do not be afraid, this is one of the differences of Baccarat Banque. The essence of this version of the game lies in the fact that players, although in turn take the role of the Bank, they never play against each other. It is also important to note that a player who acts as a Banker cannot cover the bets of other players. In the Banque game, the person who made the highest bet remains the Banker until the shoe is fully played or finishes its bankroll and cannot continue to place other bets.

Baccarat Glossary

To avoid confusion and misunderstanding reading this article, you can consult this Baccarat Glossary. Below, you can see the most important and key Baccarat terms.

Bankroll – a certain amount of money that the players decide to bet and risk losing.
Dealer (croupier) – a person who is responsible for card dealing, drawing extra cards, and smooth running of the game.
House edge – a special reserve of the game that gives the casino a chance of making an income regardless of the consequences of the round.
Hand – the cards that were dealt and played during one round.
Shoe – an automatic dealing machine.

Baccarat FAQ

Why is baccarat so popular?

The matter is that it is one of the simplest card games that you can enjoy in both online and land-based casinos. It is so popular because of its relatively low house edge and highly probable chances to win and to improve your gambling skills.

Is there any skill involved in baccarat?

Without any doubt, in order to win good play-outs, you have to possess at least mathematical skills that are embedded in strategies. However, the casino is more about good luck. Only fate decides whether you win today or lose.

Can you play baccarat online?

You definitely are able to relish the game in online casinos that are very popular and more convenient today. No matter how big your bankroll is, you are welcome to join baccarat online to try your luck.

How do I practice baccarat?

There are a great deal of free platforms for gambling online where you can do some practice and bump up your playing skill. For example, you can try baccarat games from the best developers for free here on Online Casino AU.