Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games. This card game has a history dating back to the 15th century and its name originates from the Italian word baccara meaning zero. Baccarat has been popular among elite casino players ever since. If you are a fan of James Bond movies, you must remember the scene from the 1962 movie Dr. No when the secret agent plays Baccarat. It is believed that James Bond has contributed to the popularity of the game, especially with high rollers. Today you don’t have to go to a brick and mortar casino to play Baccarat. The game is available at online and mobile casinos and you can choose from virtual and live tables to play it. You don’t have to be a high roller either, as the game is affordable for all kinds of players. Of course, a betting range at live casinos starts at a higher amount due to management and maintenance costs, but nevertheless you can enjoy the game at a reasonable price.
- Play Banker Bets
The banker bet comes with a lower house edge than the player bet. To be exact, the house edge when playing banker bets is 1.06% whereas it is 1.24% when betting on the player. That practically means that the banker bet wins more frequently than it loses. That’s why the casino will charge a commission of 5% on all winning banker bets. As the main objective in Baccarat is to score 9 or as close to 9 as possible, playing banker bets means that you place your bet that the banker will have a total closer to 9 than one of the player.
- Play Banker Bets Until You Lose
When playing banker bets, winning chance is 45.843% while with the player bets the chance of winning is 44.615%. Although banker bets pay 0.95 to 1 due to the house commission, it is recommendable to play them as this bet have a better chance of going on a streak. However, even with such a low house edge, there is no guarantee that you will always win when playing banker bets, so stick to your budget and do not exceed it.
- Don’t Rush with Your Next Move
When the banker bet loses, you should make a pause with your next move and look what happens. If the player wins in the next round, you should place the player bet.
- Play Player Bet Until It Loses
Just like with banker bets, you should continue playing players bets as long as the player wins. As soon as the player loses, bet on the banker. When the banker loses again, follow the previous tip.
- Ignore Tie Bets
You should act as if winning tie bets don’t exist. If a tie bet wins, just continue with the bet you have played before that. More about tie bets will be explained in the next tip.
- Don’t Play Tie Bets
Although it offers an 8 to 1 payout, the tie bet comes with a high house edge. The odds of tie winning are 10.5 to 1 and this is one of the key reasons you should avoid playing it. The house edge of tie bets is around 14.4% and, when compared to banker and player bets coming with the house edge around 1%, this is a high rate. To put it simple, for every 100 credits wagered, you will lose 14.4 credits when playing tie bets.
- Manage Your Bankroll Efficiently
Baccarat is more a game of chance than skill and this is something you should keep that in mind. That’s why it is of the uttermost importance to set your bankroll and stick to it. Besides, you should also set the win and loss limits and stick to them. If you keep on losing, you should quit playing as soon as you reach the loss limit you have set. The same goes for winning. If you want to play more once you have reach the win limit, you can take a portion of your winnings and use it as a bet. If you lose while wagering it, you will still have some money in your pocket.
- Avoid Playing Mini Baccarat
Mini Baccarat is a fast-paced version of the game with the minimum bets typically lower than the in the regular game. While with the regular version of the game a player can play 40 rounds, with Mini Baccarat there are even 200 decisions to make. With this variant, one should apply a betting system that involves playing banker bets until the banker loses. Wait to make the next move until the player loses and start playing banker bets to reduce the number of moves and potential loss.
Although you can choose from different variations of the game, the basic principles are same. In this guide we will present you with key tips and tricks you can apply to perform better at a Baccarat table and win. Once you have learned the basic rules of playing Baccarat, add these tips and tricks for the best score.
