Learn how to play baccarat with these sites

Each baccarat casino in the above list has been chosen because of its number of baccarat games, its online casino bonus, the different types of baccarat games offered, and whether you can get your baccarat fix on the go.

Most of them also offer demo games where you can practice playing baccarat for free. Some will also offer a no-deposit bonus such as freeplay bonus. 

How baccarat works

Baccarat does give you more control than most casino games; however, in essence, it’s a guessing game. The player must bet on whether their hand or the banker’s hand is the winning hand. The winner is the one who gets the highest number of points out of nine. You can also bet on a tie, though it’s long odds. 

Card values

While baccarat uses around eight decks of cards for its standard games, the cards are the normal cards you would find in any standard pack. However, for the purposes of how baccarat works, some cards take different values. Here is a breakdown of what each card is worth in the baccarat world:

• Cards between 2 and 9 keep their value – therefore, 2 remains 2, 3 remains 3 etc.
• The 10 and Jack, Queen, and King cards have 0 value
• Aces have a value of 1

How to play baccarat card game — basic rules

Baccarat rules aren’t all that hard to follow. Here are the basic baccarat tips you need to follow to get set up.

The third card — additional rules (when to hit / stand)

When it comes to how baccarat works, it’s the third card that can make or break a player once the initial two cards have been distributed. We have put together a detailed baccarat rules chart to illustrate when you should hit (get another card) or stand. This should help you when it comes to deciding what to do with your third card.

Baccarat table layout

If you’ve never sat at a baccarat table, you’ve probably seen it in movies. The table diagram shows how the table physically looks and the different areas and what they mean. Of course, it can change a little according to the particular variant of baccarat being palyed, so let’s go over those differences now: 

Mini baccarat

At first glance, the mini baccarat table looks more like a blackjack table. It has one dealer and around 7 seats for players. The dealer runs the game, and each player must bet on the banker, player, or tie by putting their chips in the table box that has been assigned to them. The dealer then deals 2 sets of cards – one representing the player and the other the banker. Each casino has different rules about third hand draws. As soon as each player’s total is calculated, the dealer will rake in the losers’ chips. Because of its simplicity, this table is usually used in online casinos.

Midi baccarat

Midi baccarat rules are identical to the ones used for mini baccarat; however, instead of the dealer dealing the cards face up, they deal the 4 cards face down and give the player cards to the player that has bet the most at the table, and the banker cards to the player with the highest banker bet. These 2 players are then given the option of playing the hands without showing them till it’s time for the big reveal. The other players at the table have to wait and see if the player representing their bet has been successful or not. This makes the game run a lot slower.

Big baccarat

The big baccarat table is almost a full circle in shape. It’s big enough to allow 12 – 14 players. Due to the table size, there are usually 2 dealers instead of 1. There is often also a caller who will lead the game. Not many casinos will have a big baccarat table on show; you can generally find them in VIP areas. Everything else about the game is the same as on a mini baccarat table.

Baccarat bets explained — our recommendations

Unlike table game favorite blackjack, there are three main baccarat bets that you can make, not including side bets. These bet types do not only utilize different areas of the baccarat table to be played, but they also offer different payouts. Let’s take a closer look at each one of them below.

 

How to play casino baccarat and make money

While many people love to play at casinos for the love of the game, even more go because they want to score some cash. Note that winning is never guaranteed, and that casinos are designed to make more profit than they lose; so be careful. With that said, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you hold onto your winnings while still following the baccarat rules.

1. Bet with the banker – As we’ve spoken about in the previous section, the banker bet is the best bet to go with. Given that the banker will win slightly over 50% every time, it’s usually worth that 5% commission you have to dish out.
2. Avoid making the tie bet – The tie bet has a house edge of 14.4% to the banker house edge of 1.06%. You hardly need to be Einstein to figure out what this means for you and your pocket.
3.  Miss a turn when the bank loses – When the bank loses to a player, don’t bet on the turn right after. Miss a turn and take a note if that round is a win for the bank or the player. Then, take advantage of that streak and bet the same as the outcome.
4.  Avoid mini baccarat – Although the minimum bets are lower in mini baccarat, the game is extremely fast-paced and revolves around the dealer. The number of decisions the dealer has to make will greatly impact your bankroll very quickly – and not always in the best way. In this case, longer and slower is definitely better.

 

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