A bit of background
There are just two principal bets to make: banker or
player - Banco or Punto, plus the rarely used Standoff.
Some casinos let the players deal the cards in turn
and others have a casino dealer to deal the cards. In
online Baccarat the cards are dealt automatically by
a virtual dealer.
Each player, including the player dealing, can bet
on either Punto or Banco but it's customary for the
dealer to bet on Banco. Players can opt not to deal,
passing the 'Shoe' to the next player. The shoe remains
with one player as long as the Bank wins. If Punto wins,
the shoe passes on to the next player.
Two hands are dealt and you bet which one will win,
or that they will tie. It's just like betting on Black
or Red at roulette, and the payoff is even money, 1:1
(except for the standoff, which pays 8-1 or 9-1). The
only difference between the Banco and Punto bet is a
win on Banco will cost you 5% commission or tax levied
by the casino - the in-built advantage.
The reason for taxing the Banco is because it has been
established that over an 8-deck cards play on average
the Banco will win three to four hands more than the
Punto. Each hand consists of a minimum of two and a
maximum of three cards. The person dealing will put
two cards, face down, tucked under the shoe, and give
the player with the largest bet on Punto the other two
cards, face down.
The Punto player then looks at the cards and gives
them back to the player who is dealing. Then the player
who is dealing will turn over the cards of both hands
while one of the casino dealers will announce the results
and the winner.
If either hand has a total of 8 or 9 (nine is the highest),
then it is called a 'Natural' and no more cards are
dealt. If it's not a natural, then depending on the
value of each hand the casino dealer can instruct the
card dealer to deal a third card. The decision when
to deal a third card follows precise set rules used
by all casinos.
Once dealing is completed, the hand with the highest
count wins. The paying casino dealers will collect the
losing bets first and then pay the winning ones. The
player who actually deals the cards is not responsible
for the payouts. He is just like any other player, playing
against the casino.
The rules
Baccarat is played from a six-deck or an eight-deck
shoe. All face cards and 10s have no value. Cards less
than 10 are counted at face value, Aces are worth 1.
Suits don't matter. Only single digit values are valid.
Any count that reaches a double digit drops the left
digit. 15 is counted as 5 and 25 is also counted as
5.
To start, the players bet either on Banco or Punto
or Standoff. The card dealer gives two cards each; first
to the player and then the banker. The object of the
game is to bet on the hand that you think will have
the highest total value.
A third card may be dealt to either or both the player
(Punto) and the bank (Banco) based on the following
three-card-rules. It's not necessary to learn these
rules to play, they are compulsory decisions and therefore
automatic. Only on rare occasions a mistake is made:
Player's third-card-rule
If
the player's total is less than or equal to 5 the player's
hand draws a third card.
If the player does not draw a third card, then the bank's
hand stands on 6 or more and takes a third card on a
total of 5 or less. If the player does take a third
card then the Bank's third-card-rule below will determine
if the bank takes a third card.
Bank's third-card-rules
If the bank's total is 2 or less then bank draws a card,
regardless of what the players' third card is. If the
banks total is 3 then the bank draws a third card unless
the players third card was an 8. If the banks total is
4 then the bank draws a third card unless the players
third card was a 0, 1, 8, or 9. If the banks total is
5 then the bank draws a third card if the players third
card was 4, 5, 6, or 7. If the banks total is 6 then the
bank draws a third card if the players third card was
a 6 or 7.
If the banks total is 7 then the bank stands.
House advantage
Banker (Banco) 1.17%
Player (Punto) 1.36%
Tie (Standoff) 14.12% at 8:1 payout
Baccarat Strategies
(Click HERE to return to BACCARAT RULES)
Baccarat or Punto Banco is usually played in a separate casino area. The playing table is about the size of a craps table with three casino dealers and up to 12 or 14 players.
Using the right strategy for some casino games can be very advantageous to the player. The best example is a game of blackjack, of course. When you know the basic strategy and understand what 'card counting' is, you can even override the negative expectation and have an edge over the casino of about 1%!
Card counting is not for Video Poker, but still you can be in very good position when you possess the proper Video Poker strategy.
Unfortunately, there is no strategy that works for Baccarat as the player hasn't actually got many options - rules are automatic and after you have made a bet you can only hope on your luck. Any baccarat system that is based on the previous hands (and the bets you have made, if any, on those hands) is useless and should be completely disregarded.
But as for any other casino game, there is always room for improvement and if you want to establish an effective baccarat strategy there are a few things to consider.
Don't bet on "Tie"
Playing Baccarat you have only a choice of three bets, but it does not mean you don't have any options at all. Betting on the Player Hand - the house edge is 1.29%. Betting on the Bank Hand - the house edge is 1.01%. Betting on a Tie Hand - the house edge is 15.75%. The house edge numbers mean that Banker hand wins more often in the long run. Even after paying a 5% commission it is still a slightly better proposition than betting on "Player hand". So, there is only one good bet to make - Bank Hand.
As for betting on Tie hand the casino will pay nine for one odds. Unfortunately, the casino advantage on this bet is over 15%. So, don't bet on "Tie". Well, it may be a very boring when you have only one good bet to make, but still the game of baccarat has one of the best odds in casino if you know this.
Number of Decks and Commission
As shown on the Baccarat Odds, you can improve your chances by choosing the right game to play: you should look for the casino that offers the lower number of decks played and lower commission.
The best choice is the 6 deck card game with 4 percent commission on the winning "Banker" hand. As for the single deck, you can find it only at some Online UK casino which use Microgaming software.
Money management
Knowing only the best bet for the Baccarat game won't make a good strategy. The next decision is how much to bet.
It's no secret that many players risk more than they can afford to lose when they put their money on the table - a really good way to go completely broke. But following some simple rules can help you to increase your chances to win:
Even before you sit down at the baccarat table decide how much you are going to lose.
Divide up your money and control how much you bet at each round.
One of the best ways to manage your money during the play is to pocket a certain percentage of your winnings each time you win or to pocket it all.
For example you have $500 to wager. Start the game betting the table limit (let's say $25). Put the winnings aside, and at the end of the 25th round you'll only have played $500 even, which is exactly what you intended to spend and any winnings are yours to keep.
This simple strategy gives you the chance to enjoy the thrill of gambling for a longer period of time without going broke.
And one more piece of advice: Never underestimate luck, it's the biggest factor when you play any game of chance - if you leave the table having more dollars in your pocket than you started (even if it is only $25) you win!
The sad thing about any gambling strategy is the discipline. Remember, if you don't follow your chosen strategy, you don't have any strategy at all!
So, bet on the Banker hand, stick to the money management and let the luck be on you side!
Think you are ready to play?
Start playing at one of
our recommended Online UK casino.
