Baccarat, one of the most elegant casino card games and certainly James Bond’s favorite, has graced American casinos since the mid-20th century. But, perhaps the most remarkable thing about playing baccarat, besides the banker tie, is the chance to do so online. With the American iGaming industry surging past $200 billion in recent years, baccarat has no doubt played, and shall we say paid, more than its fair share to the pot. Fall in love with baccarat with these tips and strategies.
Only Play at Licensed Sites
While the exciting world of American virtual casinos is a fascinating one, before you begin buying your chips, we recommend only playing at reputable sites. Currently, seven states, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and West Virginia, regulate online casinos. Playing at these reputable sites ensures much-needed player protections like the assurance of getting paid in a timely manner and high security to keep your personal information and financial details safe.
Take Time to Learn the Rules
Baccarat isn’t a complex game, but to win, more often than not, the wise move is to learn how this basic card game works. Unlike blackjack, you don’t have to worry about going bust. However, the aim is to get, hopefully, a natural hand or a three-card hand to get to nine or eight. In baccarat, players and the dealer are dealt two cards.
In most variants, the rules call for the player to only hit, meaning being dealt a third card if the value is five or below. However, at six, the player has to stand. Similar rules apply to the banker, known as the dealer. The banker hits if the player’s hand is worth five points or less. But, if the player’s hand is between six and seven, the banker can only hit if their first two cards are worth six points or less.
For cards between two and nine, they carry the face value. Unlike blackjack, where the royalty cards and tens count as tens, they count for zero in baccarat. Aces only count for a single point. So, if your cards exceed nine points, you don’t go bust. Instead, the last number of the amount becomes your current baccarat value. For example, sixteen would become six in baccarat terms. Jokers are not used in baccarat.
Understand the Odds
While Punto Banco is the most used variant at most online casinos, baccarat doesn’t have as many variants as poker or blackjack. The best online casinos try to offer variants like Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. While the games operate under traditional baccarat rules, there might be slight differences, which, of course, impact the odds and the house’s edge.
For most baccarat variants, you can make three principal bets: the player bet, the banker bet, or betting on the tie. The player’s bet is betting on the player winning, and it gives the house a slight edge at 1.24%. For the banker bet, where you bet on the banker winning, the house edge is 1.06%. For the tie bet, when you wager on the banker and the player having the same hand value, the house gains more with a 14.36% edge. Most baccarat players, including beginners, steer clear of the tie bet.
Be Wary of Side Bets
Some online casinos, especially live dealer play, might have variants supporting side bets. A side bet is an additional type of wager beyond the basic bets. The problem is that the house edge is often so high that side bets like the dragon bonus, where you can receive up to 30:1 payouts for the point differential for winning banker or player hands, can lead to a 9% house edge.
Consider Using a Strategy
Baccarat work with many of the same roulette strategies. So, if you’re familiar with roulette, you might already have some experience. For example, using the Martingale method for baccarat calls for at least doubling your wagers after you lose. While this can pay off, it’s wise not to be addicted to strategies because if you go on a losing streak, you can go broke fast.
Use the Bonuses and Promotions
The best online casinos break the bank with new member promotions. Usually, there is a 100% matching bonus worth up to $1,000, or sometimes more, which you can use to hit the baccarat table. Veteran members can look forward to rebate bonuses to help rebound from losses or reload bonuses to add to their bankroll to win at baccarat.