Baccarat is a traditional casino game that has been immortalized in film by one of its most famous fans, James Bond. Luckily, today you don’t need to get dressed up in a suit to enjoy the game, because at an online casino, you won’t even need to leave home to play! However, it’s still a great old-school card game that combines all the usual casino thrills with a relatively simple objective. At the start of a round, the dealer hands out two cards to the banker, and two to the player. Each of these cards is dealt face down, so their values are not shown. Once that’s complete, you can bet on whether the banker’s or the player’s hand will be closer to nine. Alternatively, you might prefer to bet on the hand being a tie. 

One of the reasons baccarat is so popular in real-world and online casinos is that it’s an easy game to learn. It also has a very low house edge and can move very quickly or at a slower pace, depending on the preference of the bettor. Although baccarat is a game that’s based largely on luck, and you won’t need to master any complex rules, there are several strategies that you can try out. If you’ve already been looking into ways of improving your game and you’ve heard about the baccarat two-sided strategy, then read on to find out more. 

Before diving into the two-sided method itself, we need to go over the bets, because this strategy is not about how you play the game, it’s about how you place your wagers. In baccarat, the three types of bets are those placed on the banker, the player, or a tie. The idea is to simply predict what the outcome of each round will be, and that’s why the bets have to be placed before the dealer places any cards. If you’re new to the game, it’s worth remembering that when we talk about the player and the banker, we are not referring to people. Rather, these names are assigned to the two hands that are dealt by the dealer. 

So, how can understanding the bets in baccarat give you better results, and what do you need to know before you visit the casino and test out the baccarat two-sided strategy?

Understanding the two-sided strategy

The baccarat two-sided strategy is considered to be an especially secure way of betting at the casino and managing to keep control of your bankroll. Using this system, you will manage your money by using a tactic known as hedging. This can give you a feeling of control, even though you are wagering on a game that is not based on skill. Instead, the outcomes hinge on which cards are turned over and where the bets have been placed. 

In the two-sided strategy you place dual bets, meaning you bet on the banker and the tie or the player and the tie. The idea behind placing several wagers instead of just one is not new in casino gambling or sports betting. Hedging is a tried and tested way of trying to limit your exposure to the risk of losing. It always involves placing at least two wagers, the first will predict one outcome to the round and the second will predict another. In other words, the second bet is the opposite of the first. 

However, in baccarat, this is slightly more complex, because there are always three outcomes, and it would not be economical to bet on them all. Therefore, unlike some hedged bets, there is no guarantee of a win. Despite this, many bettors like to hedge their wagers because they feel it takes away an element of risk and makes their initial outlay safer. It is worth remembering, though, that the reward will not be as large if they do win, because they’ve also had to pay for the second bet. Nevertheless, it’s a popular way to bet for many players, as hedging appears to provide some sort of insurance. In other words, should one of the wagers fail, there is another, opposing wager to fall back on. 

Although you might not have considered hedging your bets on the baccarat table before, the concept is not that difficult. The two-sided strategy is a way of trying to protect your profit by the end of a round and avoid losing the entire amount you’ve wagered. This happens because you have spread your bankroll over a range of possible results. 

Principles and strategies 

In a standard game of baccarat, players will choose the size of chip they wish to use to place a wager before any cards are drawn. They will then choose whether to bet on the success of the player or the banker or predict that the outcome of the turn will be a tie. Next, the cards are dealt and finally, they are turned to reveal their values. Both cards are added together to reach a maximum value of nine. The hand that is closest to this number is the winner and bets that are placed on this hand are successful. 

When a hand has a value that goes over nine, the score is reset to zero and then increased to nine from that point. When the total value of two cards in a hand adds up to five or less than that, a third card is dealt to the hand. The value of this additional card is added to that of the other cards and used to reach a final result. 

By choosing two-sided bets, the player can align him or herself with two sides of the table. There tends to be a low house advantage in baccarat, which is one aspect of the game that draws both new and experienced players to the table. However, with this form of betting strategy, there is more to consider than the house advantage. That’s because the game is based on luck and the hand that holds the winning value will change constantly throughout a baccarat session. Sometimes, the banker will have the advantage and may even score a run of two or three wins. At other times, the player’s hand will be out in front, and people who have bet on that side to be the winner will be rewarded. 

Therefore, to a certain extent, the baccarat two-sided strategy relies on you as a player holding your nerve through these different phases of the game. There will be times when your bets break even, moments when the cards seem to be on your side, and periods when the opposite is true. The aim of this strategy will always be to make a profit. Failing that, if you can break even and make your bankroll go further, at least you’ve extended your gaming session! 

There are two well-known strategies in baccarat that the two-sided system is based on. The first is siding with the banker. Players can opt for this strategy because the banker has a slightly higher chance of winning, according to the odds. However, the payouts at most casinos are lower for winning bets placed on the banker. This strategy is very straightforward — you just bet on the banker to win with every wager you place. Despite the minimal statistical advantage that the banker has over the player, there is no way to predict that this hand will be consistently successful. Therefore, like any other system, including the two-sided strategy, it’s a case of sticking with it across multiple rounds. 

The second system that is likely to have inspired the two-sided strategy is siding with the player. It works in the same way as siding with the banker, but as the name suggests, you place bets on the player space instead. Although the player has a marginally lower chance of winning than the banker, this bet pays out at a higher rate and that’s why this strategy is favored by some bettors. Of course, there is a high probability that the player hand will not win consistently, so again, it’s down to staying focused and changing bet values to keep within a budget. 

These one-sided systems are based on the idea that you will gain an advantage or have more chance of breaking even over time if you stay loyal to one hand. However, the two-sided strategy takes this to the next level by asking you to place two bets and use the potential of hedging to boost your chances. 

Pros and cons of using the two-sided strategy

Although there is no guarantee of winning with any strategy, as baccarat is a game of chance, people use a more structured approach for several reasons. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of playing baccarat in this way: 

Pros

Strategies add something to the play and baccarat is a pretty straightforward game, so using a scheme can build tension and make things more exciting. Moreover, it can do this in a manageable way. Many players find their emotions can take over when things are going very well or when the cards are not on their side. Known as tilt, these emotional decisions can lead to losses. A system can ensure you are on track, inspire you to bet calmly and allow you to keep a clear mind. 

Just like playing with no strategy, playing to a plan comes with a level of risk. However, there is also a chance that it works out and you could be in for a win. That’s because strategies provide a systematic method of placing bets. As a result, your judgments tend to be more considered. Moreover, strategies have either evolved or been carefully designed by an expert card player who has studied the statistics and probabilities before publishing the details of their system. They weighed the elements of risk associated with the game along with the rewards and applied their findings to each type of bet. Using a strategy enables anyone to take advantage of this in-depth analysis, and maybe tip the odds in their favor. As you’d expect, this is a possibility that serves to motivate many players. 

The idea of casino gaming is to entertain and provide enjoyment. The two-sided strategy can heighten this feeling and make baccarat more fun because you are testing out a new way of betting. Moreover, although it’s all about luck, using an established strategy provides a sense of confidence and helps you focus on the game. 

A system of placing bets can also be useful when it comes to managing your bankroll and structuring your wagers. If you’re working with a strategy, you’re less likely to place a large bet or overspend. That, in turn, can help you avoid big losses and have more time at the tables. 

Cons 

No bets, however, strategically they are placed, have a better or worse chance of being successful in baccarat. By their nature, games of luck have unpredictable outcomes. 

Strategies can start to feel constricting if you are used to a more flexible way of playing. You have the backing of guidelines and a structure, but little adaptability. If that’s not your betting style, the two-sided strategy could become a grind. Your bankroll could be worn down if you trust in the strategy to work eventually. If you are at the end of your budget, it is important to recognize that the system won’t ensure profits and you need to walk away for a while. 

A matter of choice

No strategy can be relied on to improve the house edge in a game that’s based on chance, like baccarat. Choosing to use the two-sided system or not will boil down to your personal preference and the playing style you tend to use. Adding a strategy can build excitement and make the game more entertaining, and as long as you remember to manage your bankroll well, that’s always a good thing.