Getting Closer to Baccarat: How the Game Really Works

Baccarat is one of those games you simply associate with casinos. Since the majority of gambling industry moved to the web, baccarat followed suit. It's one of the games that was easy to adjust for online gambling. You will not find even a single online casino that doesn't have baccarat in its game catalogue. With the possibility to play online, the game itself was changed a bit, so today we have more variations of the game compared to the old days. Yet, in essence it has remained the same.  

The best part about baccarat being available online is that you can play either the digital version, or the one available with a live dealer. If you're new to the game, but have heard of it, and want to try it out for the first time, in this article we're going to try and explain the intricacies of baccarat in the simplest terms possible. While you're reading what we have to say, you can also jump a few steps ahead and try out baccarat on Stake, but not before we share a few winning strategies with you.  

The Simple Suit of Baccarat

What made baccarat so popular in the first place is the fact that the game is simple. There are no complicated rules tied to it. Every casino has it, and has had it for centuries now, and it still gets more popular as time goes on. Why? Because it's simple. The best part is it is easy to learn, and not so hard to master. In no time you could find yourself playing the game and having winning hands.  

What makes it so simple is that baccarat only has three available bets. You can bet on yourself (player), the dealer, and on a tie. While the cards are going to be dealt to you, it is possible not to wager on yourself but to favour the banker instead. The game is played in a way where you're given a choice to pick between the banker and the player. These are the two 'players' on the table where you're not one, but pick the name of the hand you want to wager on.  

Regardless of the hand you pick, both players are given two cards each. The goal of baccarat is to get as close to 9 as possible. The winner is the one who gets closer to that number. While many people tend to compare baccarat and blackjack, the two games differ a lot, and the main difference is in the way the cards are counted. All cards from 2 to 9 are counted as their ace value. Cards ranging from 10, J, Q, to K are all counted as 0. Ace is counted as 1. If the number you get has two digits the one that counts for the purpose of the baccarat outcome is the second digit. For example, if you have 9 and 5, it equals 14, and thus your score is 4.  

While our example would generally be seen as a weak hand, baccarat allows you to draw a third card too. If you play as a player, and your score is 5 after two cards you are allowed to draw a third one. If it is over 5 the layer needs to stand. If you're the banker, when a player stands on two cards when the total is 0-5, then the banker draws a third card. The rules in baccarat are fixed, and there's not too much in the hands of the player as it is with blackjack. Everything is in the hands of the dealer.  

The bottom line is, the winning hand is the one closer to 9. There's nothing more to it. In essence there's no hidden moves, or too complicated strategies, but just a fight between two hands. Yet, you shouldn't go and play the game at Stake.com blindly. First, you need to hear about strategies that can be applied to increase your baccarat chances of a win.  

Also, while we're at it, and before we move onto the baccarat strategies, there is a small matter of a tie. You can sit at the table and wager on a tie. This is a wager that has an 8:1 payout, and it lies on the chance that both the banker and the player are going to have the same score when all cards are drawn. Of course, while the tie outcome pays out well, it also comes with a higher house edge compared to betting on the banker and the player. As far as the game of baccarat goes, it is the option that comes with most risk. To alleviate the risk, read about the following baccarat strategies.  

Martingale

Gambling theorists claim that you can apply Martingale to any casino game. While we can't confirm that, it can be applied on baccarat. It is, after all, one of the most popular casino strategies available. It is known all over the world, and it works for all players who can follow one simple rule. The rule is: double your bet after each losing round. The idea that Martingale follows is that from the moment your losing streak ends with your increased wager you will offset all the losses and win some too. Beware that this strategy only works if you religiously follow it, and if you have a bankroll that can take you through losing slumps.  

Side With the Banker  

You know how they say that the house always wins. Well, in baccarat, the player and the banker are almost identical, and none represents the house per se. Yet, the banker has better chances of winning by the smallest of margins. The player has an 1:1 reward ratio, while the banker's is set at 0.95:1. The Side With the Banker strategy is thus quite simple. When playing in the long run always make the same wager and stick to the banker. With enough bets, the statistics will start working in your favour.  

The Pair Bets Focus

With this strategy the risk is a bit higher, but when it works it pays well. The Pair Bets have a payout ratio of 11:1. To bet via this strategy you need to wager on both player and the banker to have pair Bets to win. Every time you win you'll get 11x of your initial wager. In theory you could lose for ten rounds and still be positive after the 11th when you hit. Considering that you can't wager on both at the same time, stick to one, or alternate between them at will.  

Fibonacci 

Every casino game, and we know you know about poker and blackjack, can be defeated via mathematics and numbers. Fibonacci was first used as a strategy for roulette players. With a couple of minor modifications you can also apply it to baccarat. It is focused on the banker, and you need to follow a numerical sequence in every round to get the max value from this approach. First, you need to set a minimum bet value. After each win, you need to change the wager based on the numerical sequence. When you lose a round you get back to the start and go through the moves all over again. If this is your first contact with Fibonacci the sequence is the following: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89-144-233-377-610-987.  

The James Bond Strategy  

Whenever there's a talk about casinos and how to win when playing your favorite game, a story or two about the famous 007 arise. James Bond loves baccarat and loves his martini. If you're in the same boat, playing on his strategy merits might be a way to go. In essence you will need to start the game with a $20 wager. Place $14 on the banker, $5 on the player, and $1 on a tie. Depending on the budget you have on hand, you can increase this wager tenfold. Yet, due to the high risk associated with the James Bond lifestyle this strategy needs to be taken into account with a dose of reservation as it could drain your bankroll rather quickly if things do not go your way.  

Chinese Baccarat Strategy 

With this one, we're entering a different realm of paying baccarat. Chinese baccarat strategy is crucial for many Asian players. They love to gamble through superstitions, patterns, and rituals. You will often see Far East players avoiding unlucky numbers, betting on streaks, and attempting to control the luck through different practices. While the odds in baccarat cannot be changed, by applying Chinese baccarat strategy you could at least try to increase the enjoyment levels and put some confidence into the way you play the game. While there's no science per se behind this strategy, the players who find rituals comforting could use it to boost their confidence which can result in creating some results at a casino.  

Oscar’s Grind Strategy 

When you gamble, you will lose. No one can win forever. Oscar Grind knows this best. That's why he's devised a strategy that helps players recover their losses by gradually getting back what's lost. In essence, we're talking about a low risk betting strategy. It is based on the principle that the player needs to keep the same amount of the bet after each loss. After each win, you can add one unit to the wager. When you start wagering with $10, you need to place $10 bets as long as you lose. The moment when you win a bet, you need to increase your bet to $20. By doing this, you can steadily win, but you need to play patiently, and with a bankroll designed to fit this type of gambling approach.  

Labouchere 

With Labouchere we're back to sequencing. The player is the one in charge of creating the named sequence. To determine the bet sizes you can use the most basic of sequences: 1-2-3. Your wager will be the sum of the first and the last number. A number is removed from the sequence after each win and not before that. When you lose a round, the number is added to the end of the sequence. So, if you start with a $7 wager, your numbers would be 1+6, and the sequence would then go in order of 1-2-3-4-5-6. Like many other systems on this list, this one is rather flexible, but if you want it to work, you ought to take good care of your numbers.  

The Reverse Martingale

There are players who love to take a different approach, a reversed one. The Reverse Martingale is a variance of the original Martingale, just with an approach from the other side. Unlike with the original, here you double your bet after each win, and decrease it after each loss. Reverse Martingale doesn't want you to offset the losses, instead, it bets in the winning rounds, and maximizes wins when the player is on a good streak.  

Mix it Up 

Baccarat is a game that's fun, exciting, and most importantly doesn't favour the house. That's why so many people enjoy it. That's the secret. Never allow for this game to become a no fun casino experience. The best way to make the best out of each session of playing baccarat is to use every strategy available to you. For each round apply a different one. Do not sweat it, just go with the flow. Don't tell anyone you heard it here, but sometimes the best strategy is not to have one. What's important is to win when gambling, and if you can do this even without a strategy then that's the way to go. If unsure which one to use, use all of them.  

Bottom Line

You need to try baccarat. It is fun, easy to learn, and available on every online casino. You can play digital versions, or those with a live dealer. Either way, the chances to win are equal for both the player and the house. With more than a few versions available, we're sure anyone can find a kind of baccarat to love.

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