When scouting through online casino sites, you see that they offer thousands of online casino games, variants in different categories. So, deciding on which game to try out that would give the best payouts is not an easy task. Moreover, you don’t know the rules for those games, so you’re kind of stuck. In order to provide you with some useful insight, we will share with you some tips on why and how to play baccarat.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of casino-inspired movies or not, you must have watched at least James Bond. If you’re an old-timer, you must have watched GoldenEye at least, and maybe an older movie from the series, like Diamonds Are Forever. If that’s so, you have probably noticed that our all-time favourite superspy has a favourite casino game. Yes, it is baccarat, or Chemin de Fler or Punto Banco, however you prefer calling it.
But you must have noticed something else. You must have noticed the massive bets, the luxurious outfits and the lavish lifestyle of the people sitting with Bond on the baccarat table. This is because people who prefer baccarat over any other casino game are people with sophisticated taste, and of course, players who are not on a budget. In the past, baccarat was played by aristocrats, people with massive fortunes.
That’s right. Baccarat is one of the most expensive games to join at a casino (such as 888 Casino), land-based or online. Sure, there are low-stakes tables you could join, but in general, to play baccarat you need to own some serious cash and be comfortable risking losing it.
Nevertheless, regardless of whether you would join a low or a high-stakes baccarat table, you need to know the rules and discover why this magnificent game draws players’ attention that much.
Baccarat Rules and Gameplay
For those of you who don’t know this, “baccarat” means “zero” in Italian. And its name has a meaning related to the rules of play.
The first thing you need to know about baccarat is that it is played with the standard 52-deck playing cards. The weird thing is, though, the fact that all those cards that in plenty of different card games are worth a lot, in baccarat, they are worth zero. Yes, Royals or the Kings, Queens, Jacks and Tens are worth zero in baccarat. Even the Ace, which is considered as the best card in many other card games, in baccarat is worth 1.
The rest of the numbers, 2 through 9, have their pip value, and your main goal in baccarat is to obtain a hand that is closest to 9. The thing is, you are dealt with your cards, and of course, you will get a total that’s far bigger than 9. So, the rules are, whichever your score is, you subtract 10 from it, and you get your hand’s result. For instance, if you have a total of 17, you subtract 10 and your hand results in 7.
Now, before you’re even dealt with your cards, you need to place your bets. You need to decide which hand will win, the Banker’s, the Player’s (yours) or whether it will be a Tie. These are the three main bets, even though you can place side bets such as Pairs, Small/Big, Dragon Bonus, Super 6 or Progressive side bets, but when you become more confident with the game.
Then, you are dealt with 2 cards. Considering that 12 to 14 players can join the table, you need to wait for everyone to get their cards and place their bets. The dealer will then compare the totals. If your hand is worth 5 or less, you get another card. If the banker gets 7 through 9, they don’t get another card. The results are then calculated, and the dealer announces the winning bets.
Useful Tips
As you can see, the gameplay is pretty straightforward. The rules are not that complex, and you basically just place your bet and hope for the best.
So you must be wondering, is there anything else you can do actually, that could affect the outcome of the game? Well, in terms of gameplay, no. But, in terms of bets and payouts, definitely. The thing is, you need to consider the house edge. The Tie bet has the largest house edge because, naturally, it pays best. For approximately 14.36% house edge, you get paid 8 to 1. It is followed by the Player bet with a house edge 1.24% and the Banker with a house edge 1.06%. Both pay 1 to 1 or even money.
Regardless of whether you join new online bingo sites or casino sites that offer baccarat, the house edge will be approximately the same, and the bets will give those payouts. But, is there anything else you need to know?
In fact, pro baccarat players have shared some awesome tips with us. They actually recommend that you avoid the Tie bet until you master the game. They suggest placing the Banker bet at first, explaining that it is the safest and wins 50% of the time. In fact, they say you should wager on the Banker bet while it is on a streak, and when it loses, to take a break. Don’t even think on placing side bets until you are confident that you’ve become proficient in the game.
If you are into other games, then don’t forget to read our useful guides on how to play online blackjack and learn valuable lessons on how to play online roulette by checking out our respective articles.
