Mastering Baccarat - Comprehensive Guide, Bets and Tips

If you’re wondering how to play baccarat and win, this comprehensive guide is the perfect companion. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced player, this guide covers the rules of baccarat, odds, bets, baccarat variations, and tips and strategies on how to play baccarat online.

While baccarat may seem complicated, it is one of the most accessible games to play in a casino, thanks to its low house edge. This makes it the perfect introduction to casino card game players and is often featured in movies of a bygone age, such as James Bond.

So, if you want to learn how to play baccarat, let’s dive into this complete baccarat guide.

Baccarat Rules

Learning how to play baccarat begins with understanding the basic rules. The game is played with six, seven, or eight standard 52-card decks, and players compete to correctly predict which of two hands will win the round or whether the two hands will tie.

The value of the hand is the sum of its cards. Cards ranging from 2 to 9 are worth their face value, while 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all worth 0 points. An Ace is worth one point.

Dealing Rules

Each hand begins when two cards are dealt with additional cards from the deck. The dealing rules of baccarat can be complex but become more apparent as you play.

If the total is 5 or less, the dealer deals a third card to the hand.

If the player total is 6 or 7, no additional cards are dealt as the player stands.

When the player stands, the banker receives another card on 5 or less. However, they also stand on 6 or 7.

If the banker total is 0, 1, or 2 from the first two cards, a third card is dealt to the banker regardless of the player’s hand.

If the banker’s total is 3, and the player’s card is not an 8, the banker receives another card.

If the banker’s total is 4 and the player’s third card is between 2 and 7, the banker’s hand receives another card.

When the banker’s hand is 5, and the player’s third card is between 4 and 7, another card is drawn to the banker’s hand.

If the banker’s total is 6, and the player’s third card is 6 or 7, the banker receives another card in their hand.

The hand stands if the banker total is 7 from the first two cards.

This table highlights the dealing rules:

A strategy chart for baccarat showing the player's third card and various outcomes. The chart is color-coded with green "H" for hit and red "S" for stand, helping players decide their next move based on the card values.

Baccarat Table

Baccarat tables come in two sizes: full-size and mini-baccarat games. The game takes place on a felt table in real-world casinos and live dealer games at online casinos.

The full-size table is uniquely designed with 14 numbered sections. In the US, the numbers range from 1 to 15, with the number 13 missing. Shaped like a pair of glasses, sections 1 to 7 are on one side of the table, and numbers 8 to 15 are on the other. Each player (up to 14) sits before one of the numbers.

Three dealers are positioned in the middle of the table, with dealer one acting as the croupier or caller.

Meanwhile, the mini-baccarat table is smaller and has a maximum of seven players. Each player sits by a numbered section in a half-moon shape, with the single dealer sitting on the linear edge of the table.

Odds in Baccarat

The house edge in baccarat changes depending on the number of decks used. When using eight decks, the Player bet has a house edge of 1.24%, while the Banker bet has better odds, with a lower house edge of 1.06%. This means the banker has the best bet.

The third standard betting option is the Tie bet, which has a high casino edge of 14.4% when paying 8:1 and 4.85% for a 9:1 payout. When a tie occurs, banker or player bets are pushed, and players receive their stake back.

Winning bets on the banker’s hand occur 45.8% of the time, while the player’s win percentage is 44.6%. Ties, when both the player and banker’s hands are the same, happen in 9.6% of rounds.

This makes baccarat one of the money casino games with the best chance of winning bets, especially when avoiding the tie bet. Betting on the banker’s hand offers the best chance of winning bets when you play baccarat due to the lower house edge.

Baccarrat Bets

Learning how to play baccarat is relatively straightforward due to the limited betting options. This makes it simpler to play than learning how to bet on roulette.

The best option is sticking to the main bets. However, side bets can be appealing if you want to seek larger payouts.

Let’s explore them and the tie bet in more detail.

Main Bet

Baccarat’s main bets are on which hand wins the round. Players bet on whether the player or banker hand will be the biggest on the table. To place the bet, you can lay your chips over the respective box to place the wager.

A player win occurs when they have the higher hand, while the banker wins when they have the higher hand. Losing bets occur when chips are placed on the incorrect winner, and the lost bets go into the bank.

Tie Bet

Tie bets are the most lucrative bets in baccarat, with potential payouts of 8:1 or 9:1. These bets have a much higher house edge and larger payout but rarely occur.

Side Bet

Players at the baccarat table have the potential to lay side bets. These can be in a range of banker bets and player bets, such as Banker Pair and Player Pair.

A Banker Pair pays out when two cards are dealt the same value to the banker, while the Player Pair does the same to the player. Players can bet on any pair occurring or lay bets on the two cards having a specific face value, such as a Player Pair 3.

Other side bets include a tie bet on the value of the tie, such as the 3 Tie, which pays 200:1. Both the player and banker’s hands have to be worth 3 points at the end of this round for this bet to win.

Baccarat Variations

There are several different baccarat game versions available online. For instance, baccarat chemin de fer is a famous French variation of the standard baccarat game.

One of the most popular versions to play baccarat online is with Lightning Baccarat.

Lightning Baccarat

Lightning Baccarat is a live game that uses standard Punto Banco rules and adds a random multiplier with up to five random cards in the deck. Multipliers range from 2x to 8x, and the cards must appear in the winning hand to apply. This means standard bets on player and banker hands can be increased by up to 512 times.

The game has a standard 20% fee on every bet to account for these larger wins. Therefore, to make a $10 bet on the banker’s hand, players must pay $12.

Baccarat Tips

If you want to know how to play baccarat successfully, there are several tips and strategies to consider. When you understand how to play baccarat, it can be one of the best casino games for frequent players. However, it can be a volatile game displaying inconsistent monthly win percentages.

Here are some top tips and strategies to help you win while playing baccarat.

A detailed shot of a red baccarat table, focusing on several stacks of poker chips in red, black, and gold. In the background, out of focus, a dealer or player is seen preparing for the next move. The warm, glowing lights create a rich, luxurious casino ambiance.

Mastering the Rules

The best way to play baccarat is to master the rules. The house edge cannot be controlled, and the player cannot control the outcome of any round once minimum bets are laid.

Some versions of baccarat allow players to squeeze and turn the cards, but this does not influence game results.

Once the bets have been laid, the dealer cards are dealt according to baccarat rules. The player’s hand is dealt to the Player side of the table, and the banker’s hand is dealt to the Banker side of the table.

Once the hands are revealed, the dealer pays winnings to players, and the table resets for a new round.

Consider the House Edge

Before placing your bets, consider the house edge on each type of bet. In baccarat, betting on the banker side has the lowest house edge and the best chance of winning, even on tables with a 5% commission on wins.

Betting on the player’s hand delivers similar odds, while tie bets have a much greater house edge, meaning the odds of winning are much lower.

Practice

Before committing your real-world cash to play baccarat, the best way to learn how to play baccarat is to practice in a demo mode for free. Most top online casinos have a free demo mode where you can learn how to play and win baccarat to fully understand the rules and odds of winning.

Watch for Patterns

Keep an eye out for patterns emerging as you play baccarat to help inform your betting strategy.

Begin tracking outcomes, such as how often the player wins, the banker wins, and ties occur. Keep an eye out for streaks, especially for wins on either the banker or player side.

Be mindful of the Gambler’s Fallacy. Past outcomes don’t affect what happens in the future. Instead, employ the Law of Large Numbers, which states that outcomes tend to be influenced by probability over time. Scorecards like the Bead Plate or Big Road are excellent tools for visualizing outcomes and identifying patterns and trends.