Step into any land-based or online casino, and you will always find a crowd gathered around the baccarat table, and for a good reason. Baccarat is one of the most elegant card games, dating back the 15th century Italy. However, it is widely believed that the baccarat game that we all know and love gets its name from the real-life French town of the same name. This article is geared towards helping members of all skill levels win it all playing baccarat.
Practice Baccarat in Demo Mode
While baccarat isn’t an overly complicated game to play, there is a learning curve for beginners. One of the easiest ways to get a foothold on baccarat is to practice. Fortunately, many reputable online casinos offer the chance to play practice play. We highly encourage taking up practice play so you can better understand the baccarat odds and how it works.
The Rules of Baccarat 101
Baccarat’s rules are straightforward. The goal is to have a natural hand that equals nine or at least eight. When playing baccarat, consider these essential steps towards winning:
· players strive to have a hand higher than the dealer
· players can bet on the player, the banker, or the tie
Some baccarat games have side bets, like the Super 6 and the Dragon bet. However, we don’t recommend beginners making these side bets due to the higher house edge.
The Baccarat Card Values
Unlike blackjack, baccarat players don’t have to worry about busting. Busting means having a hand exceeding 21. However, with baccarat, going bust is impossible. Instead, with baccarat, players are dealt with two cards.
The aces always count for one point, while the tens and the royalty cards all count for zero. Cards between two and nine count for a straight-up value.
Objective
As we mentioned, the goal of baccarat is to have a hand with a natural nine value, or at least eight, based on the specific bet. But, if there isn’t a natural winner after receiving the first two cards, baccarat has specific rules for drawing additional cards. Also, if the cards exceed nine, the first digit of the value is removed, and the second one is kept.
· If the first two cards have a value between 0 and five, players receive a third card
· If the player’s hand is worth six or seven, they must stand
· If the banker’s hand is worth 0 or 2, they hit
· The banker draws a third card if the first two are worth three, and the player stands with a value of eight
These basic baccarat rules apply to the most common baccarat variants. While Punto Banco and variants like Super 6 are available at most online casinos, Chemin de Fer might be available at land-based casinos.
Baccarat Strategies for Novice Players
When playing baccarat for the first time, especially with Punto Banco, we strongly recommend taking these basic steps to gain confidence and eventually win.
· Learn the game: We briefly mentioned the basics of baccarat, but it’s worth taking the time to understand the official rules.
· Stick with certain bets: Because the tie bet carries a high house edge of over 14%. Beginners should stay with the players’ bet due to its 1.25% house edge or the banker’s bet with a smaller 1.05% house advantage.
· Start with small bets: When first playing baccarat, it might be wise to place small bets so you can gain confidence and stick around long enough to win.
Baccarat Strategies for Advanced Players
For those with a little bit more baccarat experience or with higher budgets, you might consider these tips to quickly stack bankroll.
· Use bonuses: Fortunately, playing at online casinos offers a long list of bonuses and promotions that all members can use to build their budgets.
· Card Counting: While some casinos frown on card counting, players might gain a slight advantage when used effectively. Card counting keeps track of the high-value cards that have been dealt.
Final Words
Thanks to technology, the classic baccarat game continues to reach new heights and draws new members. Also, AI continues to help developers create new and exciting baccarat variants to keep long-time and new players hooked. With more mobile apps becoming available and more refined, access to baccarat will continue to grow.
