Play Baccarat Online 🇺🇸

Baccarat doesn’t require you to memorize lots of convoluted, big-brain baccarat strategies that some MIT genius cooked up. That’s saved for other online casino games like 3 card poker and blackjack. These tips are usable by just about anybody, and they’ll go a long way towards helping you get your first wins at baccarat and a whole lot more. With the tips in this guide, you can be a proficient player in as little as 15 minutes. Okay, it might take a little longer than that, but you get the point.

Oh, and if you’re planning on playing for more than a few bucks, then we really insist that you read this guide to the end. Online baccarat is a game that means business, and if you want any hope of scoring big wins then you’ll need to employ every trick and tip we plan to cover. Trust us, there is a lot here to take note of.

Now then, let’s jump in. There is a total of five things you need to know and understand about baccarat before heading to the tables. You need to know the rules of the game (duh), what natural winners are, what to do when dealing with the third card, what to do about the tie bet, and most importantly, how to win.

Let’s get the blindingly obvious out the way with first, shall we? Playing live baccarat online is surprisingly simple given the game’s intimidating reputation. It might be the casino game of choice for billionaires and high-rollers, but that doesn’t mean the average Joe can’t have fun with it. And because it’s so simple, you can become proficient just by reading the how-to in this section.

If you are skeptical of this claim, we’ll bet you that we’re right. And betting is something you should be thinking about because it’s the one and the only thing you can actually do when playing Baccarat. Here’s what you do: first, decide how much you’re going to play. Don’t try and be a high-roller when you’re on a budget – that will end in disaster.

Once you know how much you’re going to bet, then you’ll need to decide where your bets are going to be. There are three main classes of bets in baccarat – the player bet, the banker bet, and the tie bet. The whole point is to bet on the side that wins – there are no consolation prizes for losers in Baccarat. Yes, the game can be a little harsh in that regard, safe to say that there are no prizes here for second place.

In a typical game, a dealer will use between 6 to 8 decks of cards; this is done to deter any kind of card counting. Once the decks are fully shuffled, two hands are dealt onto the table – the banker’s hand, and the player’s hand. Freezing card counting out the game is another factor that has given baccarat a difficult and challenging reputation, but who doesn’t love a challenge?

You don’t have to stick to just the player’s hand, and you’re not going to win just because the player won – remember what we said about always betting on the winning side? This can be a bit confusing for newer players, so let’s reframe things. Instead of seeing the Banker’s hand or the Player’s hand, instead, see them as Hand 1 or Hand 2.

After the hands are dealt, it is then time to tally up their point total. The point total determines whether or not the hand actually wins, and consequently if you win your bet or not. Any card that is a ten or a royal card is counted as zero points. The other cards are worth their face value, and aces are always counted as one point. Unlike blackjack, the value of an ace is always the same in baccarat. An interesting feature of baccarat is that if your hand exceeds 9 points in value, then only the second digit of your point value is actually counted. In other words, it rolls over.

Here’s an example. Say the Banker gets a 10 of Hearts and a 7 of Clubs. The Player receives a 3 of Diamonds and a 9 of Spades. The Banker will win the bet, because they have a total of 0+7 = 7 points, while the player has 9+3 = 12 = 2 points, which is much further away from 9. As we stated before, double-digit tallies only use the second digit; don’t bother trying to rack your total up as high as you can.

To most modern casino players, this entire setup will be baffling, and we get it. These rules feel like they are from the 1800s, but this simplicity is what makes the game so fun. Forgoing all the sizzle, what you have here is a steak of a casino game that is simple to play, but definitely tough to master. Admittedly, there are a few additional details that we didn’t cover, but those are really only for advanced players. You’ll want to get comfortable with Baccarat online before trying to employ those.

Oh boy, baccarat doesn’t always make itself the most approachable game, that much is obvious. One area where baccarat can feel a little like an insiders-only club is when it comes to terminology, as the game effectively has its own language. These private terms can also impact how you play, so if you want to look and sound like a winner at the table, you need to have an idea of what’s happening around you and what you should be saying during a game.

In addition, understanding the terminology will also help you better understand the rules of the game. Helping you find your baccarat voice; these are the major phrases you are likely to hear whenever you sit down to play the cards.

• Baccarat – This refers to the worst hand in a game, a hand that is equal to zero.

• Banker Bet – Sometimes referred to as a banco bet, it constitutes betting on either the player or the dealer.
• Caller – The croupier who is in charge of cards at the table.
• Coup – The nickname for a full and complete round of baccarat.
• Burning – Discarding the top six to three cards after shuffling, this occurs before a new hand is dealt as a means to prevent card counting.
• Flat Bet – A player that repeatedly and consistently wagers the same amount in successive rounds of baccarat.
• Le Grande – This refers to the best hand in baccarat (a natural total of nine in case you didn’t know), safe to say that you’ll want to be seeing this hand often if you want to be a baccarat winner.
• La Petite – A hand that totals to eight, just below Le Grande in terms of provenance.
• Commission – The money the player must pay when they wager on the banker and win.
• Loss Bet – Refers to a bet placed against the bank.
• Monkey – A now lesser-used term to refer to cards with a value of zero – tens, jacks, queens, and kings.
• Shoe – A box that holds the playing cards, a common sight in all casino card games.

A natural winner is a special rule in baccarat that occasionally comes into play any time you bet on the banker or the player. This process is automatic and results in an immediate win for the player who triggers this condition.

Basically, if the combined point total of the first two cards is neither eight or nine, then the player who managed to achieve this score automatically wins the hand regardless of what the other players or bankers have. Cards are no longer dealt out, and all bets will be cashed out as well. It’s a pretty great feeling when this happens to you.

Natural winners are a bit of a baccarat phenomenon in many ways, as they while they aren’t a super rare occurrence, it isn’t exactly common either. The odds of getting any natural (8 or 9) and winning is 16.25%, while the odds of getting any natural (8 or 9) and pushing is n extremely low 1.79%. Don’t bank on getting a natural hand when you play baccarat, but if you land it and your bets are in the right place, we expect to sing loud and proud about it.

Now if nobody manages to achieve a natural win, then you’ll want to reveal another card on the table. If the player has a score of 6 or 7, then they need another card on a score of 0-5. It’s a bit more complicated if you’re the banker, though. A lot of novice players aren’t fully comfortable with how this works, so be sure to pay close attention to this section, as we’re covering it in detail.

Should the Player not need to draw another card, then the Banker will remain on a score of 6 or 7 and draw a card on a total of 0-5. If this scenario doesn’t actually happen, then one of the following things happens:

• If the player draws a 9 or higher as a third card, the banker will stay on a 4-7 score and draw on a 0-3 score.
• Should the player draw an 8 as their third card, then the banker will stay on a 3-7 score and draw on a 0-2 score.
• Should the player draw a 6 or 7 as their third card, then the banker will stay on a 7 score and draw on a 0-6 score.
• Should the player draw a 4 or 5 as their third card, then the banker will stay on a 6 or 7 score and draw on a 0-5 score.
• Should the player draw a 2 or 3 as their third card, then the banker will stay on a 5, 6 or 7 score and draw on a 0-4 score.

Once the last card has been dealt with, all you need to do is tally up the points to determine the victor. The goal is to get as close as you can to nine points – whoever manages to do this wins the pot. We did say that there are many variables in the game of baccarat, and the above scenarios that can unfold certainly back up that statement.

This is an unusual event, but it does happen. In a tie, nobody wins. This occurs when both the banker and the player have the same number of points. All bets are returned to the banker and the player, and the only bet that winds up getting a payout is a tie bet. Tie bets can be pretty lucrative, being near 10:1 in most cases. But since it’s so rare to win them, players seldom make such bets, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth a shot once in a while.

Looking at straight statistics, the house edge on a tie bet is an eye-watering 14.4%, or around that figure at least. Compare that to the banker bet at a little over 1% and a player bet at a little higher, and it becomes clear why most players steer clear. While the odds are stacked against a tie bet from the very first card, we can’t in all seriousness tell you to never place this bet. Want to just go for it? Maybe mix up the action from the constant player and banker bets? Then throw down a tie wager, as it could be the perfect pallet cleanser. Just don’t expect much from this type of bet, as it will come up short more often than not.

So now you possess all the knowledge you need to get started playing baccarat online. Of course, knowing how to play doesn’t mean you will start winning. That takes strategy, and there’s one simple trick to maximizing your wins – bet on the Banker. No matter if you’re betting chump change or the farm, this is always true.

Don’t be distracted by the 5% commission casinos charge for this – it’s seriously worth it, and we’ll tell you why the house edge is reduced. The house’s edge for a banker bet is 1.06%, and 1.24% for the player’s bet. And of course, it doesn’t matter for tie bets, as you’ll very rarely place them.

Yes, place bank bets time and time again is monotonous, repetitive, and at times boring, but the numbers don’t lie, who can refuse the chance to place a bet that has a low house edge of just 1.06% attached to it? A fool, that’s who!

Written by Shane Pickrell

Shane Pickrell is a seasoned expert in the world of online gambling, with a profound passion for enhancing the gaming experience through his deep knowledge of online live dealer games. With over a decade of involvement in the industry, Shane has established himself as a respected authority on the intricacies of live dealer gaming and its dynamic impact on the gambling landscape.

Shane’s journey into the realm of online gambling was paved with a solid educational foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from a prestigious university in the United States. His academic pursuits not only honed his analytical skills but also provided him with a well-rounded understanding of the business and technological aspects of the online gaming industry.