If you are thinking of getting into playing baccarat, or you have already started, you might be interested in finding a baccarat strategy that works for you. The best baccarat strategy for you will depend on a few different things, so we’re going to take a close look at the basics of the game, the rules you need to know, and the types of strategies you might want to use.

Basics of Baccarat – what are the rules?

In baccarat, there are only three possible outcomes: a player win, a banker win, or a tie. At the start of the game, players can place a bet on any of these outcomes, and then the dealer deals two face-up cards to both the player and the banker. All the cards have a specified value; two through nine hold their face value, and a ten or a picture card has a value of zero. 

The aim of the game is to get a hand that totals nine or close to it. The hand closest to nine wins, and if you’ve bet on it, you’ve also won. Hands lower than nine are worth the sum of the two cards added together. If a hand totals more than nine, you add the cards up and drop the first digit to get the hand’s value. So, for example, if you are dealt a seven and an eight, you’d add them up to 15, then drop the first digit to get a hand value of 5. 

If the player’s total is five or fewer, then the player will receive another card. Otherwise, the player will stand. If the player stands and the banker has five or fewer, then the banker hits. If either the player or banker is dealt a total of eight or nine, both the player and banker stand.

Baccarat payouts 

To work out your winning baccarat strategy, you’ll need to know which hands to bet on and what the possible payouts are if you win. This is fairly straightforward because, as we’ve already mentioned, there are only three possible outcomes. 

Player hand bets

If the player hand wins, and you bet on it, you will win double whatever your original bet was. There is an almost 50/50 chance of this happening, but as with most casino games, it’s not exactly 50/50, as we’re about to explain.

Banker bets 

If you have a bet riding on the banker’s hand and it wins, you’ll win double whatever you wagered, but there will be a small commission on your winnings. This is usually 5%, taking your winnings down to 95% of your original stake. There is a slight house edge at play here due to the rules explained above that govern when the banker can stand or hit.

Tie bets

The rarest outcome is a tie. Whatever your baccarat betting strategy is, you have to be brave to bet on a tie, but as with any statistically unlikely outcome, it does pay well when it happens. If you bet on a tie, and it is the result, your payout will be a generous 8-to-1.

Is there any skill in baccarat?

As with any game, some swear they have a baccarat winning strategy to give them an advantage, but honestly, baccarat is pretty much a game of chance. No real skill is involved, so you can’t really learn how to play better or hone skills that will allow you to win more often, although you can learn how best to place your bets.

What is the highest winning hand in baccarat?

Nine is the highest winning hand in baccarat, and whoever is closest to (but lower than) nine wins. If you go over nine, you’ll add your cards’ values together and drop the first digit to get your hand’s value.

Various baccarat strategies

While there is no real gameplay strategy in baccarat, you will find plenty of people giving advice on baccarat basic strategy when it comes to placing bets. Some common pieces of advice include:

• Avoid tie bets
• Go with the banker
• Use good money management, 
• Use betting systems such as the Martingale system, the Fibonacci system or one sided betting system
• Practice baccarat for free in demo mode to get a feel for the betting options (you can play baccarat games for free here at Resorts Casino)

Baccarat strategy summary

In short, baccarat is a game of chance, and no real playing strategies will guarantee (or even greatly improve) your chances of a win. There are, however, various baccarat game strategy rules that you can use when deciding when and how to bet. 

Betting strategies can be developed for any casino game, including games of chance, so when you hear players talking about their online baccarat strategy, they are often referring to advanced baccarat strategy betting options such as the golden eagle baccarat strategy or the baccarat pattern strategy.

If you’d like to practice your online baccarat strategy, you can sign up today and play baccarat here at Resorts Casino.

FAQs:

What is the difference between baccarat and mini baccarat?

There are a few variations of baccarat, all with very slightly different rules. In mini baccarat, there is a limit of seven players and only one dealer. It offers much lower stakes than bigger baccarat tables, often as low as $1 per hand at online casinos. Play is much faster and tends to appeal to newer and less experienced players. The bet types available and scoring rules are the same.

What is the safest bet in baccarat?

Statistically, the safest bet in baccarat is the banker bet, as the banker has a slightly higher chance of winning than the player. To reflect this, however, the odds on the banker are always somewhat less favorable, so it’s not always best to bet on the banker. The chances of either the banker or player winning are close to 50/50, but you’ll win slightly more on a successful player bet.