Baccarat
Baccarat Online - Rules, practice and tips
Baccarat, also known as Punto Banco, is ideal for those who don't want to memorize thousands of rules, who don't want to make cumbersome or complex side bets, and who don't have different hands. Baccarat is suitable for players of all skill levels.
What you should know about the game of Baccarat:
- Baccarat is a very simple game where the player bets on one of the three available bets: Player, Banker or Tie.
- After the players have bet, the rest of the game is out of your control.
- But Baccarat is as volatile as a coin toss. This makes it very exciting, but also difficult, to apply an optimal strategy.
- To play Baccarat successfully, you should use a betting system, keep an eye on your bankroll and know that you don't have to bet every round.
Rules
It is always very pleasant to play and you can sit back and relax, because the rules are very simple. In fact, you only have to make a few decisions, because everything in this game is pre-determined. All you need to do is have a basic understanding of the bets available - and you're perfectly prepared for hours of entertainment.
The bets
In Baccarat, players have the option to bet on either the player or the banker. Bettors can also bet on the player and dealer ending up in a tie, but this bet really has very bad odds of winning and should therefore be avoided.
You place the bets in the appropriate betting box on the table before the dealer deals the cards to the players, so you have to make the decision before you see the cards. In total, there are only three bets in the game to consider, with no option to place another or additional side bets.
The payout odds for these three bets are as follows:
- Player bets are paid 1:1.
- Banker bets are paid 1:1, but with a 5% commission to the house.
- In most casinos, draws are paid 8:1, and sometimes (but rarely) 9:1.
Game play
The goal in Baccarat is to get as close as possible to the highest hand of the game - the Nine. Wins the hand that is closer to the Nine.
- Players bet on whether the banker's or player's hand wins or on a tie. Once the bets are placed, players can only watch how the game unfolds.
- The dealer deals two cards to the player field and two cards to the banker field.
- The Dealer assesses both hands according to the rules of the Baccarat game, including dealing additional cards.
- The dealer announces which hand or bet has won.
How does the dealer rate the player and banker hands?
It is absolutely unnecessary for the player to understand how the dealer rates the cards and hands. All this is automatically determined according to the rules of the Baccarat game.
However, if you still want to know how the game is decided, we have listed the detailed rules for you here:
- After the bets are placed, the dealer deals two cards to the player first, then to the banker and begins to rate the two hands.
First, the dealer evaluates the player's hand:
- if the player hand has an 8 or 9, it is a so-called natural and the player hand wins automatically, unless the bank also has an 8 or 9 - then it is a tie;
- if the player's hand has a 6 or 7, the player's move is finished - so called "stand";
- if the player hand has a 5 or less, the dealer deals a third (last) card to the player hand and the player's move is finished - called the "stand".
Score Action
- 0 - 5 takes third card
- 6 - 7 "Booth"
- 8 - 9 "Booth"
The dealer then assesses the banker's hand:
- If the banker hand has a 7, 8 or 9, the banker move is terminated;
- If the banker hand has a 6 and the player's third card was 6-7, the dealer deals a third card to the banker hand;
- If the banker hand has a 5 and the player's third card was 4-7, the dealer deals a third card to the banker hand;
- If the banker hand has a 4 and the player's third card was 2-7, the dealer deals a third card to the banker hand;
- If the banker hand has a 3 and the player's third card was 0-7, the dealer deals a third card to the banker hand;
- If the banker hand has a 2 or less, the dealer deals a third card to the banker hand.
Once both hands have been scored by the dealer, he announces the winner - the hand with the highest score wins.
The scores of the cards in Baccarat
- Ace 1 point
- 2 -9 2 to 9 points
- 10, Jack, Queen, King 0 Points
If the cards total more than 10, only the value above 10 counts; e.g. 8 8 = 16 equals 6 points. If the score is 10, e.g. 7 3 = 10, the player has 0 points. Having a direct eight in your hand is called a Le Petit, a natural 9 is called Le Grande. If one of these sums occurs in the first two cards dealt, the Le Petit or Le Grande wins, the hand stops and the round ends. With cards of the same value, there is a draw and the game is finished.
Baccarat Table
On the Baccarat table, there are numbers engraved on the edge of the table that indicate the number of players. A regular Baccarat table has room for 12-14 players. There is also a table for 7-9 players (Mini Baccarat).
Above the player number you can see three boxes on the table:
- Punto (player): the first box closest to the number of players is the player competition box;
- Banco: then the banker's bet box;
- Tie: and finally the draw box furthest away from the field.
You select one of these three boxes on the table and place your bet here.
Mini Baccarat Table
Depending on which casino you are playing in, you may notice a Baccarat variation called Mini Baccarat. This variation is offered in land based casinos as well as online casinos. Mini Baccarat follows the same rules as the glamorous mother game, with some subtle differences:
- There is only one croupier instead of two or three as in stationary casinos.
- The game takes place at a table with room for seven players. The table is a semicircle and has room for only seven players.
- The dealer deals all cards face up.
The Mini Baccarat table is currently the most common table variation as in land based as well as online casinos.
Live Baccarat
- In live casinos, a table with only one player/banker field is often used.
- All bets are processed digitally for each player separately and each player sees only his own score.
- Therefore, this Baccarat table variant has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- You don't see how many players are playing and what bets they are making.
- However, there is all the more screen space for all other aspects: Cards, Dealers and Statistics.
- That's why this table variation is particularly popular with smartphone and tablet players.
Strategy tips for beginners
Controlled and consciously played, the house advantage in Baccarat is very player-friendly:
1. always bet on the banker's hand
In online baccarat, the chances are that the banker's hand will win slightly better than the player's, since the banker's hand is determined after the player's hand. This means that the banker hand knows what to beat before deciding whether to draw a third card or not. According to statistics, this house advantage is 1.24%. If you bet on the banker hand, you must pay a commission of 5% (your winnings are only paid you 95%), which reduces the bank advantage for the online casino to 1.06%. So if you bet on the player's hand, the bank advantage of the online casino is 1.24%. However, if you bet on the banker's hand, the bank advantage of the online casino is 1.06%.
2. draw bet is not worth it
If you bet on a tie, these bets are not paid 1:1 but between 8:1 and 9:1 depending on the online casino. This may sound tempting at first, but it proves to be the worst bet for you. The probability of a tie is only 9.53%, which means a house advantage (e.g. an 8:1 payout) of 14%. These bets should therefore be avoided.
3. baccarat money management
Read our Baccarat Money Management article to learn the best strategies to minimize your losses and end the game with more money in your pocket than you originally had. There are also various game strategies that can be applied to Baccarat.
Fibonacci System, Paroli System and Martingale System can all be used in this game, depending of course on your individual preferences in the game. Betting strategies are very useful for organizing your own bets and keeping track of them, but first read carefully which betting strategy is best for you and your game needs.
Fibonacci System, Paroli System and Martingale System can all be used in this game, depending of course on how your individual preferences look in the game. Betting strategies are very useful for organizing your own bets and keeping track of them, but first read carefully which betting strategy best suits you and your game needs before trying them out.
Play Baccarat Online - Select a Casino from our Toplist
All the casinos listed in our top list above offer both free and real money Baccarat games. Or you can try the free Baccarat game directly from us. When you're ready to get started, choose one of the best Baccarat casinos from our list and start playing! All you need is a registered account, the casino software or browser access and of course the Baccarat game of your choice!
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All major Baccarat terms
Au chocolat - Difference if the players bet less than the bank total, this amount is withdrawn and the banco reduced accordingly.
Baccarat - Besides the name of the game, Baccarat names the worst hand - 0 points.
Baccarat Box - Exclusive, separate area in casinos where high rollers can play relatively privately.
Banco - The amount bet by the bank, also called the bets on the bank.
Banco Ă deux - When two players are bankers together.
Banco double - Doubling the bank amount.
Banque ouvert - Banker holds all bets, regardless of how high they are.
Banker - The bettor who in principle plays for the casino and determines the banco.
Bankroll - The budget you provide for your game.
Cagnotte - Tax deducted from the banker's total in a classic casino is between 2 and 4%.
Carte d' arrĂŞt - Neutral card placed before the seventh last card.
Carte de coupe - Neutral red card on both sides that determines the point at which the card is couped.
Chef de partie - The dealer who changes the chips.
Chemin de Fer - Baccarat variant in which the player has a more active role.
Coup - Refers to a single round of play.
Couping - Cutting, taking off.
Down Card - A face down card.
Egalite - A draw.
Go Bank - Bet alone against the full bet amount of the banker.
Pit (Baccarat Pit) - A restricted user area where High Rollers can play Baccarat relatively privately. Not necessarily a real "pit", but compared to the rest of the casino, some Baccarat pits are actually upscale.
High Roller - Players who risk extremely high bets.
Hit - Take a third card. The rules of whether the player or dealer gets a third card are already in place, and more than one hit is not allowed.
La Grande - A hand with a value of 9.
La Petite - A hand with a value of 8.
Mini Baccarat - A faster low bet Baccarat variant played on the regular casino floor instead of in a Baccarat pit.
Modulo 10 - Mode that for all values over 10 the tens are not calculated. e.g. 14 = 4 points.
Natural - hand that reaches 8 or 9 points with the first two cards. The player wins automatically if he gets a 9 unless the dealer gets a 9. And the player wins automatically if he gets an 8 unless the dealer gets an 8 or a 9.
Ponte - The player who bets the highest amount against the banker.
Pointers - The players who bet with the Ponte against the banker.
Punto - Bets on the player.
Punto Banco - A variant popular in America where the casino is the banker.
Sabot - shoe in which the cards are placed.
Suite - The banker wins and wants to withdraw his capital.
Suivi - The banker wins and wants to continue playing.
Stand - Do not take a card. See Hit.
Waist - deck of cards.
Trend - A pattern in the player's or banker's wins. A player notes the frequency of his winnings on a specially provided paper to determine a trend after which they can bet.
Tie - Riskiest bet on a draw.
Up Card - The face-up card.
Vigorish - The 5% commission charged on bets placed on the banker.