Baccarat is one of the most popular casino card games, loved for its simplicity and great odds for players. You can further tilt the odds in your favor when you play online baccarat.
There are two hands in Baccarat – the player and the banker. You can’t control either hand, even if you bet on the outcome. Players and bankers are dealt two cards each in each round. A winning hand gets as close to a 9 as possible. The value of a face card and a 10 is zero. One point is awarded for an Ace. Pip values are assigned to all other cards. If the total points of a hand are a two-digit number, the left digit is dropped. So a hand totaling 15 points would count as just 5 points.
- Player win – the player’s hand is closer to 9 points
- Banker win – the banker’s hand is closer to 9 points
- Tie – both hands have equal value
Baccarat gameplay flows quickly. Once bets are placed, cards are drawn automatically according to fixed drawing rules. Learning these rules is key to predicting results.
Learn proper baccarat strategy
While baccarat outcomes ultimately rely on chance, there is some basic strategy worth learning. Proper moves increase your odds of winning in the long run. The most important strategic decision is choosing when to bet on the banker’s hand. Although the banker has a slight house edge, it wins slightly more often than the player hand. The banker bet also allows you to recover from losses faster. It is therefore the best bet in most cases.
- Bet banker by default – use this bet for most rounds
- Bet player only when you’re on a long winning streak to change things up
- Keep lower units on player bets to mitigate losses
- Increase player bet size slowly as you win to maximize returns
While tempting, avoid the tie bet. It offers a huge payout of 8:1 but has a high house edge and wins rarely. Only bet ties sparingly for fun when you’re firmly ahead. Following proper strategy takes discipline but works. Always keep the banker bet as your stable base while mixing in a few player bets as those win streaks arise. toponlinecasinos.co.za , click here to learn more.
Take advantage of side bets
While the main player/banker/tie bets have defined odds, many online baccarat games also offer side bets that vary the gameplay. Side bets make the game more exciting by providing bigger wins.
- Perfect Pair – bet that the first two cards dealt will be a matched pair
- Either Pair – bet that the first two cards dealt will be any pair
- Big/Small – bet that the total points of a hand will be over or under a set threshold
Mix in side bets sparingly to spice up your gameplay. Just don’t make them your primary wagers. Side bets generally have worse house edges, so they won’t drive long-term wins. Enjoy them lightly for short-term thrills when on a winning streak.