Online baccarat is a card game in which players compare their cards. Your two to three cards and the dealer's two to three cards get compared, and the one with better cards wins. That is, the winner is the one with the closest numerical value to nine.
What Is Baccarat?
Baccarat is one of the traditional casino games. Essentially, it is similar to blackjack, but instead of 21, you are aiming to get as close as possible but not over 9. And the object of baccarat is to predict who will have the winning hand: who will win, the Banker, the Player, or will it be a tie?
The three most common variants of the game are punto banco, baccarat chemin de fer, and baccarat banque (also known as à deux tableaux). In punto banco, every Player's moves are influenced by the cards dealt to the Player. In the other two variants, both players can make choices. Regardless of the variant, the winning odds favour the casino, with a house advantage of at least 1 per cent.
Real Money Baccarat and Free Online Baccarat
Like any other casino game, online providers let you try the baccarat games before you start betting with your money.
The decision between playing real money baccarat and free online baccarat is straightforward: if you're a newbie, don't get carried away. Losing money on any casino game is easy, so make sure you know the potential consequences.
If you're an experienced punter, you can skip free mode and go straight to live baccarat.
Free Online Baccarat Games
Here are some of the upsides and downsides to playing free online baccarat:
Pros:
- Trying out different variants of baccarat
- Learning rules
- Exploring different strategies
- Keeping your bankroll intact
Cons:
- You cannot win real money
Real Money Baccarat Online
On the other hand, playing real money baccarat online also has its advantages:
Pros:
- You can play baccarat at virtually every online casino
- Low house edge
And cons:
- Don't expect big bucks
- You can lose your money
- Lack of casino atmosphere
Baccarat History
Baccarat is believed to have originated in the 1400s and created by Italian Felix Falguiere. By the 18th century, casinos across Europe had adopted this game, making it especially popular with the French nobility, who knew it under the name Chemin de Fer.
From there, the game quickly spread until reaching Central America, Havana more precisely, and adopted its modern form of Punto Banco in the 1940s.
The immense popularity of baccarat is partly ascribed to Ian Fleming and his James Bond novel series. In the James Bond franchise, the elusive 007 agent is frequently described as enjoying and winning a game of baccarat.
Rules of Baccarat: How to Play Baccarat Online
Many casinos offer the possibility to play online baccarat for fun or real money. If you are a beginner, it is best to be acquainted with the history of baccarat first. Then, start playing for free (or in the so-called fun mode) - at least until you get familiar with the game. To play baccarat online, follow these steps:
- Choose a game: An online casino likely has several baccarat variants, so choose the one you like best
- Choose a bet: At the beginning of each hand, you must choose who to bet on (Player, Banker or tie).
- Bet: Place your bet on the corresponding cloth sector and ask for the cards to be dealt.
- Collect the prize: If you have won, you will collect your prize
- Play again: You can choose between repeating the previous bet, doubling it or making a completely new one.
Types of Bets for Online Baccarat
The baccarat rules are straightforward, as there are only three possible bets (Player, Banker or tie), although some variants allow you to choose additional bets. Exact amounts may vary, but for reference, consider this:
- Player: If you bet on the Player hand and hit, you will receive 2x your bet;
- Banker: This bet pays the least, that is, 1.95x your bet.
- Tie: This is the riskiest bet, but if you score it, you receive 8x or 9x your bet. Although it is the one that pays the most, the odds of hitting it are not worth it.
Top Tips to Win at Online Baccarat
To help you get started, we compiled some simple tips to win at online baccarat. Of course, none of these guarantees you will win, but they can be useful when kicking off your baccarat journey.
Avoid the tie bet
The tie bet is the most appealing for many beginners due to its high payout ratio; however, the odds in the tie bet are not in your favour, so maybe try to avoid it before you have mastered the game.
Tie bet odds in baccarat stand at 8:1 or 9:1 payout if you guess the correct result. The tie bet offers a substantially higher payout than Banker and Player (generally 1:1 for both), but the tie result occurs far less frequently than the two.
Also, keep in mind that the house edge on tie bets comes in at slightly over 14%, which, for a low house edge game like baccarat, is pretty high (Banker and Player bets house edge comes in at 1.36% and 1.06%, respectively).
Learn to manage your bankroll
Understanding the stats and maths in baccarat is essential for learning how to manage your bankroll (and it's also essential to prevent big losses, right?).
When playing, always remember to:
- Set your budget and stick to it
- Bet on low house edge (Banker and Player)
- Apply the right strategy
- Don't go all-in
Stick to the banker bet
As we've pointed out, the house edge on the Banker bet usually comes at 1.36%, so it's a no-brainer: you should stick to this one. Of course, you won't get paid out big, but at least you'll be more likely to win.
Most Popular Online Baccarat Strategies
Among numerous baccarat strategies, we will focus on the three most popular: 1-3-2-4, One-Sided, and Paroli.
Remember that none of these guarantee you a win, but they can help you to manage your bankroll and prevent big losses; if you happen to win along the way, it's only a plus.
1-3-2-4
One of the most popular baccarat strategies, 1-3-2-4, belongs in the "positive progression" baccarat betting systems category. In essence, it calls for increasing the wager in the order 1-3-2-4.
Note that this strategy doesn't advise you on which you choose to put your money, Banker or Player; it merely guides your wagers and, potentially, maximises your bankroll. Here's an example:
Start by placing a $10 wager as your first bet, say, on Banker;
If you lose, your next bet will again be $10; in other words, you will bet the same amount until you start winning.
Once you win a round, you increase the wager to $30; and if you win another, the wager will be $20, followed by $40;
If you lose on any of the rounds, you just go back to wagering the initial amount and start all over again.
One-Sided
Another betting strategy commonly used by baccarat players, the One-Sided strategy, is perhaps even simpler than 1-3-2-4. Here's how it works:
You bet on "one side", aka, you stick to one type of bet, Banker or Player. Now the idea behind the system is that either Banker or Player bet has a nearly equal chance of occurring.
Given that there are only three possible outcomes in baccarat, the odds that the Dealer hand will win stand at 45.9% of the time, whereas the Player hand comes in at 44.6%; the remaining hands result in a tie. So, in 100 hands, approximately 46 rounds will be won by the Banker, while 44 or 45 will be won by the Player.
The One-Sided Strategy centres around the assumption that the winning hands will not follow the pattern "Banker-Player-Banker-Player". Instead, both of them have approximately the same chance of occurring several times in a row.
Paroli
If you're familiar with the Martingale system, you won't have trouble understanding Paroli. Essentially, Paroli is the opposite of Martingale.
You start by wagering $10 on the Banker and win. Your next bet doubles to $20; however, this time on the Player hand. If you feel you're on a winning streak, double your bet again and wager $40.
Those more experienced among you have probably realised the hazard of this system. You shouldn't push your luck too much, or your lucky stars might stop twinkling.
If you use this strategy, always go back to the initial bet after the third try so as not to go in the red.
Common Baccarat Terms
Like any other game, Baccarat has its own lingo. Here are some of the essential terms:
- Bankroll: The money a player has set aside for betting.
- Burning: Taking the first card and, according to its numerical value, taking the corresponding number of cards and discarding them.
- Callman: One of the three dealers serving large baccarat tables
- Commission: A percentage deducted from your winnings.
- Face card: 10s and face cards; they are worth zero.
- Shoe: Dealing box
- Standoff: Another slang term for the Tie bet
- Natural: A situation when the first two cards add up to 8 or 9.
- La Grande: It is a natural 9 and the best hand in baccarat.
- La Petite: Meaning "the little one" in French, it is a natural 8, or the second best hand.
Can You Get Rich Playing Baccarat?
Baccarat is one of the casino games with the lowest house edge, which means that if you place your bets right and use the right strategy, you might win pretty frequently. However, you shouldn't expect to win big bucks playing baccarat.
Think of the game as a way to spend time doing something fun and never chase big money (this goes for any casino game). Manage your bankroll and pick the strategy that suits you. Thinking about how you will get rich can lead to problems like addiction and spending more than you have, so it's really the worst strategy.
Is Baccarat a Game of Skill?
Online baccarat is a game of chance; although it is low, the house has the advantage. That doesn't mean you're always going to lose; but if you are winning, it is better to retire before it is too late. Gambling responsibly is always the best strategy.
Explore More Card Games
Feeling more confident about your knowledge of baccarat? Want to learn about other types of card games? Make sure you give our card game section a read through; we're sure you'll find the necessary info on all the games you're curious about.
