Baccarat online
For years baccarat was one of the less accessible table games and was generally seen as a game for rich, high rollers at casinos. However, nowadays, thanks to online casinos, baccarat is easily available and comes with a wide range of betting limits to satisfy any player’s budget. The game itself is a relatively speedy game, meaning players can get through a few rounds in a short period of time. The game is similar to blackjack, but has more to do with luck, although there is some skill involved in it. However, bear in mind that because this game is actually very simple (anyone can learn it), it means that there are only a few strategies that will actually work when it comes to playing baccarat online. With that in mind, keep reading to find out all you need to know about baccarat.
- Big wins available
- Easy to learn
- Quick rounds equal quick wins
How to play baccarat online
Baccarat is a simple game to understand – it’s played purely between the player and the dealer. Baccarat is usually played with six to eight decks of cards and the game starts with two hands being dealt out, one to the player and one to the dealer. At this point, the player can take a look at their hand to determine whether or not they think they can win. However, they can choose to place the bet on their own hand or on that of the dealer’s. Cards are each given values which must be added up to form a top value of 9. Cards with numerical values on them will be worth that specific value, with the exception of the 10, which is counted as zero, as are the face cards. The Ace is worth only 1 point. If the value of the hand makes a two-digit number, for example, it’s made up of two eights which equals 16, then only the second digit is counted making this a hand value of 6.
Baccarat online strategy
When it comes to baccarat, the winning margins can be quite slight so that means players will need to know and understand all the rules quite specifically. In this way, depending on what cards the player has, they will know what move to make to ensure they can win. One of the first things that any new player needs to know about baccarat though, is that the tie bet should always be avoided. While it does offer the best odds, this is because this bet barely ever wins and should never be taken, it’s a sure loss.
The odds of winning at baccarat online
The odds of winning baccarat partly depend on the bet you have chosen to take. As a general rule, baccarat has a relatively low house edge, but this does depend on the bet you make. If you make the aforementioned tie bet, this means you’re looking at a 14.36% house edge, which is astronomical and a clear indication of why that’s a losing choice. Placing a bet on the player’s hand gives you much better odds, with a house edge of just 1.24%. But there’s an option that gives you an even better winning chance and that’s by placing a bet on the banker. Placing the bankers bet gives players the lowest house edge of just 1.06% and is generally the preferred strategy by players the world over. If in doubt, place your bet on the banker.
Baccarat online Dictionary – get to know the lingo
There are a number of terms that it’s important to understand when starting out with baccarat. For example, a ‘natural’ is when a hand is dealt that has the exact points needed to win right from the outset. It means that players don’t even need to ask for additional cards. It’s also known as “Le Grand” if players are with French speakers! While baccarat is the name of the game itself, a ‘baccarat’ is also the name of the worst hand you can get during the game. ‘Muck’ is the pile of cards that have been discarded throughout the game and will include the cards from hands that have folded. Following on from this, ‘to fold’ is when a player determines their cards cannot make the desired value and they decide to simply bow out of the game rather than seeing the round through to the end.
Variations of baccarat online
While baccarat is the overarching name of the game, there are three variations available. Chemin de Fer is a popular variant from France where only six decks are used. In this version, all players get to be the banker at some point and all the cards are placed face down rather than face up as they are in other versions. The most popular version found online, however, is Punto Banco. The last variant is Baccarat Banque. Here one player takes on the dealer’s role for the entire game, and there are also fewer decks used.
Good to know – things to consider when playing baccarat online
As we have touched upon already, there are a couple of bets that should always be made, or avoided (the tie), when playing baccarat. Outside of this it’s important to note that most baccarat games have commission attached. This means that when players make the banker’s bet, there is usually a 5% commission on it so players won’t get their full prize. However, there are some casinos that will offer no commission baccarat games so it’s very worthwhile hunting these out in order to win some extra cash. It’s also a good idea for new players to seek out games that use fewer decks. The fewer decks used in a game, the better the odds are of winning. Unfortunately, baccarat games with just a single deck are few and far between. Players are likely to only find games with six decks or more.