Baccarat Online Guide – Rules and How To Play

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Steven Lauren

Welcome to AboutCasino! This is our complete guide for Baccarat Online, learn the rules and how to play this simple-card comparing game.Also get our populair tips and ways to get an advantage when playing baccarat!

Baccarat Online
Baccarat Online Guide 2024

What is Baccarat?

First up, getting familiar with the game is a great step towards understanding it fully. Baccarat is a card comparing game popular in casinos and informal events. It is played between two hands, a player and a banker hand.

Rather than have punters playing against each other or the house, each player bets on either of the two hands. One can also bet on a tie; that both the banker and the player will return the same value. The aim of a baccarat game is to have a hand that adds up to nine or closest (8).

Baccarat has three well-known variants; Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer (Chemmy) and Baccarat Banque. Punto Banco, the American version of the game, is the most popular version of the game. In that light, this guide concentrates on that particular version.

The origins of baccarat are not well documented. Some sources claim it was founded in the 19th century. Others pinpoint its existence to as far back as the 15th century. The latter claim attributes the earliest Baccarat version to French soldiers returning from Franco-Italian war.

Understanding Baccarat
Baccarat is a simple game of card comparing. It is a highly popular game where players bet on either the player or banker hand. It has three versions, the most popular among them being the Punto banco model. That is the model discussed in this strategy article. It is also the version you will find in reviews on sites like Wizard of Odds.

How to Play Baccarat

Playing is simple: Players bet on the hand they expect to give the correct returns before the other. There are two hands- the player hand and the banker hand. The player(s) do not receive any cards. Rather, the cards are dealt to each hand in turn, and the hand that gets a sum of nine or closest wins.
To understand how to play baccarat better, please go through this simple playing guide}.

Baccarat Rules

The most important Baccarat rules to have in mind are those relating to card values. Since players do not handle any cards, there isn’t much to learn on that front. Cards between two and nine carry their face value. On the other hand, tens and face cards have a value of zero. The ace has a value of one.

Each hand is dealt two cards whose total is then taken. If the total is nine or less, it remains as such. E.g. a three and a five have a sum of eight. If the total exceeds nine, then the last number of the sum is considered. Thus, a hand with a seven and an eight (total 15) is considered a five.

Once bets are placed, each hand (player and banker) is dealt two cards in turn starting with the player. The hands are then summed up. Any hand with an eight or nine (a natural) wins and the round ends. Similar totals result in tie.

If neither of the above happens, the player is dealt a third card. However, this is subject to the hand having a total lower than five. The banker then follows suit and acts accordingly. The banker hand may draw a third card or stand in line with the live playing rules.

A checklist of rules you should know about

  1. Baccarat is played in rounds known as ‘coups.’ The aim of the gambler is to bet the opposite hand by having a higher total. Also, the player can receive a pay-out if he calls a tie between the two hands.
  2. The player can bet on three outcomes, a player hand, a banker hand or a tie. Note: Many confuse the Banker hand as belonging to the house. Always remember that you can also bet on the banker hand.
  3. Baccarat online is played using both number and face card. Jokers are not used
  4. Cards 2 through nine carry their face/actual value. An ace has a value of one while the King, Queen and Jack have a value of zero.
  5. A game of Baccarat can be played with anything between one and several decks. Most casinos play with six or eight decks shuffled together in a shoe.
  6. The sum of the cards on each hand counts as the value of the hand. Where the sum is greater than nine, the last digit of the total is considered. For instance, if a hand had the cards seven and six (sum 13) the value of that hand is three.
  7. Players with inferior hands may always seek to be dealt extra cards

To know the rules is essential when playing cardgames online

Strategy

Like I always say, a strategy is a long-term plan, so you should not have the picture of winning every round. Rather than thinking of ‘a way to win every time,’ think of a way to ‘not lose every time.’ Or, to put it better, ‘a way to win more than you lose.’ Remember that Baccarat is a game of luck. There’s no control you have over the cards dealt so you cannot influence it with your wit. Forget about any reviews promising Baccarat heaven and asking you for money. Those are daylight cons that are just after your money. The main thing about a baccarat strategy is to know the best odds and extra tricks.

Picking Hands

The main difference between the two hands in a game of baccarat is the house edge. The player bet has a house edge of around 1.24%. The banker bet is even lower with a house advantage of 1.06%. This is however accompanied by a commission of 5% on winning. These two bets offer better odds than, say, roulette. The tie bet, despite paying way better (8/1) has a whopping 14.4% house edge. Some houses try to make this more lenient by paying out 9/1. From these stats, it comes out clearly that the player hand is the best to bet on. Since it receives cards before the banker hand, it always has a better chance of winning. Think of it as a game of football were scoring first puts you at an advantage every time. Steer clear of the tie bet; run away from it like a bad habit. It may be attractive in terms of payment, but it has an agonizingly low chance of occurring. Unless you have been on a very long winning streak and feel extremely lucky, the tie bet is a no-no!

Playing steps

  1. The game starts off with the player placing a wager on their preferred outcome- banker win, player in or a tie
  2. Once wagers are placed, the dealer plays out one card face-up for each hand starting with the player hand. He then repeats the same action with a second card for each hand in the same sequence.
  3. The totals of each hand are calculated, the result of which determines the net course of action.
  4. If any hand has a total of eight or nine, it wins outright and a pay-out is made, ending the round. Such a win is known as a natural.
  5. If the two hands have the same value, the tie bet wins and the round ends.
  6. If neither of the above happens, play continues with a third card drawn.

Again, dealing starts with the player hand. If the player has a six or seven, they stand and the banker hand is dealt a third card. If the player total is between 0-5, the player daws a third card. The sum is checked and if nothing is fulfilled yet, another card is drawn. This is rare, however. The third card is often the last draw of a coup. These rules vary when playing other forms of Baccarat. However, Punto Banco is the most popular baccarat model you will come across in most casinos. It is so popular that is almost universally referred to as simply ‘Baccarat.’

The best ways approach baccarat online – Tips and Strategy

Always keep in mind that playing in an online casino holds several advantages over playing in a physical casinos. Online casinos afford you the luxury of playing from the comfort of your home or office. Furthermore, online casinos give generous welcome bonuses that give you an extra amount of stake. Always remember to look out for wagering requirements, however.

Play around with house edges

Understand the different house edges for particular hand. The player hand appears to have a higher house edge than the banker hand (1.24% vs 1.06%). However, before you rush to bet on the banker hand, care to consider that the house draws a 5% commission from a banker win. Bothe of these bets pay a 1 to pay-out. What this means is that you win an amount equal to your wager. On the other hand, a tie win receives an 8-to-1 pay-out. Sounds attractive, huh? Still, a tie has a low chance of occurrence with a house edge of 14.4%. That is a massive house edge by all standards! The trick here is to always bet on the banker hand when you feel like betting high. When staking low, always go for the player hand. The daring tie bet is for when you are going in for all or nothing. That is quite emotional and not really an advisable way to bet.

Do not be very keen on advantage gambling or edge sorting

Most casino terms look to get hold of you in the T&Cs which almost everyone never reads. Do not expressly use these tricks. While they may appear helpful in small gambling sessions, casinos will probably use them against you if you win big. Punto banco! Happy gambling; you now have the best tips with you. Be sure to stick them on your fingertips.

Go for bonuses

Online betting has presented a great opportunity that Baccarat players should take advantage of. Always look out for bonuses that you can use to play Baccarat with. Punto Banco is a game of luck so you do not need to be good at it to play for money. With your bonus, you could always win big. The welcome bonus is the most popular token in the bonus box. Since the game is the same in most online casinos, you could consider signing up in several casinos. This allows you to use multiple welcome bonuses. Some casinos also offer loyalty bonuses that you can use. The wizard of odds lists these pretty well. Stay alert for such bonuses which are given after specific durations of play or on certain days. Reading your favourite site’s news section will ensure you never miss out on these offers.

Choose fewer Decks

The idea of having more than one deck in a round of card games is to reduce the time used for shuffling. It also reduces incidences of house cheating. These two factors increase players’ confidence and attract them to casinos. However, the more the number of decks, the higher the house advantage. The strategy, thus, is to go for a number high enough to make playing efficient but not too high to blow the house edge. Most houses offer their baccarat games in shoes of between six and eight decks. Always choose a house with six decks over one with eight. Online casino gaming has also made it virtually impossible for card games to be rigged, so you’re sorted on that front.

Advantage Play

If you have a sharp mind, do not shy away from advantage play. Casino’s frown at it, but that does not make it illegal. Given that casinos themselves are not the holiest known altars, they should be the last establishments to preach morality. The most applicable form of advantage play in Baccarat is card counting. Card counting is a trick where the player tries to determine the value of the next card (high or low). Although this trick will not be very applicable within a round, it can be used to gauge what will happen in subsequent rounds. Edge sorting, the other possible advantage play, has already been challenged in court by casinos. A casino in the UK once withheld a player’s $10m winnings on the basis of advantage play. Advantage play becomes less detectable when you play online; you should thus take advantage of it. While many techniques may not be applicable due to the pace of a baccarat round, any skills you are able to master will always be of great use.

Throw Away those notes!

Do not look out for patterns in Baccarat. The game does not play along any known equation. Unless you are trying to carry out a social experiment, do not keep notes about patterns. There is no law that makes the outcome dependent on another. Your notes might cheat you that you have a pattern, then it breaks just after you place your high-roller bet! Again, shred those notes with embarrassment!

Keep betting Sessions brief

The general rule is to not gamble for too long in one session as you are more likely to get sucked in and lose more. In baccarat, this is not just a rule but also a strategy. Statistics show that winning streaks in Baccarat are tellingly short. On the other hand, losing streaks can stretch in an ugly way. The strategy here is to keep sessions between ten and 15 minutes. After that, move to another title or leave the casino altogether. It does not matter whether you are winning or losing; get out!

Follow the General Gambling Code

You know the golden rule of gambling: The House Always Wins. However good at Baccarat (or any other game) you think you are, you lose more often than you win. The general rule is to have an amount of money that you dedicate to betting. This is especially so in online gambling where you can easily transfer money to your casino account with the touch of a button. Pick a fixed bankroll that does not eat into your money for essential bills. Divide this purse into small amounts for every round of betting. Also pick a formula for betting beforehand. What do you do if you win or lose? How much do you raise after every loss so you can recoup your money. Stick to these principles like the law. That’s the ultimate strategy. It will keep your betting enjoyable and increase your chances of winning. Punto Banco!