Baccarat is classed as a card comparing game since there are two different hands whose values are compared. Like other casino games, there are multiple baccarat variants. In the standard version of the game, you don’t get to make any decisions. In some versions, such as baccarat banque and chemin de fer, gameplay is considerably different because you actually get to make choices and can influence the outcome of the round. In this article, we’ll focus on the standard version of baccarat. We’ll look at the rules of the game, how you go about winning and how online games differ from live ones.
Baccarat Rules
The rules of baccarat online follow the same approach as a brick and mortar casino. Online baccarat is played on a table with 12-14 players. Although each player can bet on what is marked on the table from 1-15, the number 13 is skipped due to superstitious reasons. The table has three boxes in front of each player, where all bets go. One box is for bets on the player, one box for the banker, and one box for the tie option. This game is played with six, eight or nine decks of cards, and all depends on the casino. All cards are re-shuffled with each new hand. There is also a Mini-Baccarat table which is half the size of a typical table, so there is only room for seven players.
As the rules of the game are pre-determined, there are not that many decisions a player can make. All that can be done is to choose who to place a bet on. Interestingly, the banker does not refer to the house but is just one of the parties to bet on the marked table. And as a matter of fact, the rules of baccarat are very straightforward. Cards from two through nine have the same value. The ten, jack, queen and king cards have zero value, and an ace is worth one. Anyone playing can place a wager on either the banker or the player or the tie option. However, placing a bet on both the banker and the player is not allowed.
Once all bets are placed, two cards are dealt for both the banker and the player. The cards are then revealed, and the scores are announced. Depending on the score’s outcome, one additional card might be drawn, either for the banker, the player or both hands. There can never be more than three cards per hand, and what is excellent is that the rules set for the cards’ drawing process are standardised in all online casinos that offer this game. When the hand is complete, and the winning outcome is declared, losing bets are collected, while all winning bets are paid according to the odds.
How to Play Baccarat
So how do you go about playing baccarat? This is a game that’s entirely based on luck and all you have to do is place a bet. The game pits two hands, player and banker, against each other and whoever gets the closest to 9 wins. A standard deck of cards is used and the way cards are valued is as follows:
- Aces: One point
- Number Cards 1-9: Worth face value
- 10 and Royals: Worth nothing
The highest possible value a hand can have in baccarat games is 9. Having said that, it’s possible for a hand to contain cards that add up to 10 or more; in this case, you simply subtract 10 to get the actual total. For example, if the player’s hand has 8 and 8, this would give you 16. To get the actual total, you subtract 10, giving the hand an official value of 6.
Once all bets are placed, two cards are dealt to form the player’s hand and two cards are dealt to form the banker’s hand. Then, both hands are dealt with one at a time, the player’s first.
If the player’s two cards are together worth 0-5, a third card is added. If the player’s hand is worth 6 or more, the player stands (doesn’t receive a third card) and the hand stays as it is.
The way the banker’s hand is dealt with depends on what happens to the player’s hand. If the player stood, the banker’s hand is dealt a third card if the hand is worth 0-5, but if the hand is worth 6 or more, no third card is dealt.
If the player’s hand received a third card, the banker’s hand follows a somewhat more complicated set of rules:
- If the banker’s hand is worth 2 or less, a third card is dealt.
- If the banker’s hand is worth 3, a third card is dealt unless the player’s third card was 8.
- If the banker’s hand is worth 4, a third card is dealt if the player’s third card was 2-7.
- If the banker’s hand is worth 5, a third card is dealt if the player’s third card was 4-7.
- If the banker’s hand is worth 6, a third card is dealt if the player’s third card was 6-7.
- If the banker’s hand is worth 7, the banker stands.
Once both the player’s hand and the banker’s hand have acted, the game should result in a player win, a banker win or a tie.
How To Win At Baccarat
Winning at baccarat is straightforward. Simply bet on the player’s hand to win, the banker’s hand to win or a tie – if the outcome you bet on is the one that happens, you win. If you bet on the player’s hand and win, you receive a 1:1 payout on your bet. Should you bet on the banker’s hand and win your bet’s paid out at 19:20 (because the banker’s hand is more likely to win, a 5% commission is deducted). Finally if you bet on a tie and the game results in a tie, your bet’s paid at 8:1. A game is much less likely to result in a tie, hence the larger payout for the tie bet.
There’s no telling which hand will win, or if the game result in a tie, until the game starts taking place. Therefore, once you place your bet there’s nothing you can do to influence the outcome of the game. It’s entirely down to luck what the eventual outcome is.
For your best chance at making money when playing baccarat online, you should stick with betting on the banker’s hand. Approximately 45.8% of games result in a banker win, while 44.6% result in a player win and the remaining 9.6% result in a tie. Even though banker win bets have a 5% commission, betting on the banker’s hand works out at more profitable in the long-run than betting on either of the other two hands.
What Is Live Baccarat?
There are two types of baccarat games available to play at online casinos: online ones and live dealer baccarat. Online games are completely computer animated and are designed to make it look like you’re playing baccarat in a gaming venue of some kind. Live dealer games go a step further: they’re actual, real-life games sometimes at a live dealer casino that you can take part in no matter where you are. Opt in and you get to watch a live broadcast of the game as it’s played (the game takes place in a TV studio or casino and is filmed in real time).
If you’re new to baccarat, you should stick with online games first. With these games, you have the opportunity to play for free in demo mode and get used to how baccarat works without having to spend any money. Free play is a great resource for beginners and is available at most online casinos. Simply set up an account and you can play most (if not all) of the casino’s games for free.
When you’re more familiar with how baccarat works and you want to try your luck, start playing online games with real money. Then, if you want a more thrilling and interactive experience, take part in live baccarat games. Live baccarat games are well worth playing because they’re much more immersive and sociable than online games, though the minimum bet sizes tend to be higher. On the whole, though, live games are recommended, especially if you want the feeling of taking part in a real-life game, while staying in and enjoying your home comforts.
Live dealer baccarat offers another dimension to playing baccarat online.The typical set up when playing baccarat the table usually has three casino staff members who monitor the game, two dealers and a person called the callman. While the cards are dealt with by the dealer holding the shoe with the cards, the cards are only turned face up by the callman. The shoe is passed around among the players for each new round of the game. The two dealers sit on either side of the callman and are responsible for announcing the value of the cards and whether another card needs to be dealt. The other dealers at the table are in charge of collecting losing wagers and paying out the winning bets accordingly.
While all this is good to know, live baccarat offers something additionally. Starting from the tables, players can choose from standard or VIP live tables. Depending on the chosen online casino, there is even an option for multi-camera studio installation that delivers a dynamic and immersive online gaming experience for all players. The constantly changing camera views and close-ups, make the overall game visually pleasing and enhances the online gambling experience. Also, live baccarat is usually equipped with additional features that players would not find when playing in a real casino, like different types of tables, keeping tabs on trends, side bets, and much more.
Baccarat Casino for UK Players
As one might appreciate, there are plenty of baccarat UK online casinos, who are ready to offer a great experience to anyone interested. Here is a sneak peek into two of the many online casinos available in the UK, who offer baccarat games; All British Casino and Leo Vegas.
All British Casino offers Baccarat Squeeze, Baccarat Control Squeeze as well as Baccarat A and B. Their sole focus is to provide the UK public with the best possible online gaming experience. They pride themselves on being open 24/7 and have some attractive casino bonus schemes available for UK players, including a generous welcome bonus for new players to their online casino.
LeoVegas has seven different type of Baccarat games – No Commission Baccarat, Baccarat Controlled Squeeze, Live baccarat Squeeze, Live Speed Baccarat, Live Baccarat Collection, Live Dragon Tiger and Salon Prive Collection. LeoVegas has enlisted the top software providers in the industry, with Evolution Gaming, arguably the best provider of baccarat and live roulette games, have many live tables on LeoVegas’s casino. Players can find all great features that they use on the desktop version, on the LeoVegas app. So, you can play baccarat while you’re even on the go. The only requirement is dedicating some free time for this joyful experience.