Baccarat is one of the most widespread and popular card games you can find in almost any casino, online or otherwise. Though simple, the game's fast pace and action attract players from all over the world.
Although this game is largely based on luck and random chance, you should definitely play it with a plan. Don't get us wrong – it's theoretically impossible to get an advantage over the casino. However, knowing which bets to play and how to play them can increase your long-term returns and help you perform better. These baccarat strategies are what we'll be discussing today.
We'll go through some of the most useful and universal tips for baccarat. We endeavour to provide solely real, actionable advice that even complete beginners can use straight away. That also means we'll stay away from myths and misconceptions about baccarat, such as card counting (which can't be done in an online environment.)
Baccarat Tips & Tricks
Here's a quick rundown of every tip featured in our guide. Make sure to scroll down to read more details about each piece of advice, such as why it's helpful.
- Practice as much as you can
- Only play in reputable casinos
- Take advantage of casino bonuses
- Bet on the Banker
- Never bet on Tie
- Avoid side bets
- Manage your bankroll
1. Practice as Much as You Can
Playing the game often will allow you to become more familiar with the rules and intricacies of baccarat itself.
Since baccarat does not allow you to have too many options for this game, unlike those other table games, there are only a few strategies that you can employ. Being knowledgeable about how the game is being played will allow you to make better bets.
Remember – practice makes perfect. This piece of advice can be applied to pretty much every facet of life, and card games are no different
2. Only Play in Reputable Casinos
Only choose online casinos that are safe and trusted by players, licensing bodies, and reviewers like us. This seems like an obvious piece of advice since signing up at sites which are not trusted might put your money in danger. However, there's a bit more nuance to picking a casino if your sole intent is to play baccarat.
For instance, picking the right operator will allow you to collect bonuses you can actually use for baccarat games, live or otherwise. Moreover, better casinos offer more varieties of baccarat, which can always be an interesting mixup.
Make sure to check out our own review section for top Baccarat Online Casinos to assess some of the best casinos out there that we have fully tested and reviewed. The list was made specifically in regards to how well the site performs for players seeking to play baccarat.
3. Take Advantage of Casino Bonuses
A lot of casino sites offer sign up bonuses once you choose to register on their account. You should learn to take advantage of all the bonuses available and make sure it benefits you and your bankroll.
Bear in mind that a lot of online casinos have different bonuses depending on the game you want to play, so always be sure to check that before hand. Usually you can find this in their “Bonus” or “Promotions” section. You could also be asked to use a certain bonus code in order to redeem the bonus, which will also be stated on the same page.
Importantly, pay attention to the terms and conditions of any bonus you're interested in. Unfortunately, many casinos restrict the use of bonus funds for table games such as baccarat. Try to find one that doesn't – especially if you want to play live dealer baccarat.
Though a bonus can't truly overcome the house advantage, it can certainly help you level the playing field by giving you more money to bet with.
4. Bet on the Banker
Out of the three main bets in baccarat, Banker is the best one by a slim margin. In short, the third card rule in baccarat means that the Banker is slightly more likely to win than the Player.
To counter this, casinos have implemented a 5% commission on all Banker bets – you probably know it all too well. However, this wager is still better than the Player counterpart.
Don't believe us? We'll prove it quite easily. The Banker bet in baccarat offers 98.84% RTP, which equates to a 1.06% house advantage. The Player, on the other hand, offers 98.76% RTP, or a 1.24% house edge.
Admittedly, it's not a huge difference, so betting on Player will not hamper you too much. However, gambling strategies are all about optimizing your betting to the smallest fraction of a percentage.
Also, note that the No Commission versions of baccarat remove the 5% commission. Though this seems enticing, this reduces the RTP of Banker bets to 98.54% while all other wagers remain the same. In other words, we don't recommend playing No Commission Baccarat.
5. Never Bet on Tie
Baccarat only has a selection of 3 bets, as you probably know. Even though this is a smaller number compared to other table games, you still get to have options.
And out of all these options, betting on a Tie is undoubtedly the worst choice you can make as a player.
Remember the house advantage percentages we talked about in our previous tip? Well, the Tie bet comes with 85.64% RTP which is a whopping house edge of 14.36%!
You don't need to be a math genius to figure out how massively worse Tie is than Banker or Player. Stay away if you don't like losing, because placing a Tie bet means you lost before the cards are even drawn.
6. Avoid Side Bets
Speaking of house edges and perfect bets, most side bets available on baccarat tables are not great. They can be fun, but almost all of them come with a hefty house edge.
Take the popular Pairs side bets you'll find at most modern tables. Player/Banker Pair, Either Pair, and Perfect Pairs offer 89.64%, 86.29%, and 91.95%, respectively. They're a bit better than the Tie, but still far from good enough to deserve your hard-earned money.
Of course, there are a lot of other side bets these days, and this tip does not necessarily apply to all of them. For instance, the Player Bonus wager we've seen in a few games offers 97.35% RTP, which is reasonable but not impressive.
The easiest way to tell is to just check the wager's RTP in the in-game help menu. Licensed providers are required to tell you the true RTP. If it's lower than for the Banker bet, it's not an ideal choice.
7. Manage Your Money
You should take good care of your money whether you are losing or winning. If you are winning, chances are you will get tempted to play with the money you have won again and you might end up losing it. You may also end up spending more than you're comfortable with, which is a huge mistake while gambling.
There are lots of ways you can easily manage your spending while playing baccarat. For example, you should divide your budget into equal parts or units based on the number of games you want to play. This will allow you easily keep track of how much you've won, how much you've lost, and how much you spend per round.
We also recommend setting hard limits on your spending. That's true for all gambling, of course, but it's important enough to warrant repeating.
Conclusion
That wraps up our list of top tips for baccarat players. All of them are simple enough that you can start using them right away.
If you should walk away from this article with one lesson, it's that you should rely on statistics and planning instead of hoodoo. No, there is no real way to beat baccarat. If there were, every player would be a millionaire, and the casinos would be out of business.
Good luck, and happy betting!
If you feel ready to try out some online Baccarat games then visit our section that features top online Baccarat casinos for you to try out for free or with real money. Or perhaps you fancy a game of live dealer Baccarat?
