HOW TO PLAY BACCARAT ONLINE
To play the game properly, you must first know what you’re aiming for. The goal is to get as closer to 9 points as possible, but not necessarily with the player pair. In fact, you can opt to either bet on the player or on the bank. Keep reading to learn more about this fun and exciting card game!
Know the cards’ value. In baccarat, cards from 2 to 9 keep their stated value. Aces are always worth 1 point, while 10s and face cards count as 0 points.
Calculate your points. To find out how much a hand is worth, simply add the numbers keeping in mind their aforementioned value. But here’s the catch. Once you reach double digits, only the rightmost one is kept. For example, if the cards add up to 10, that hand is worth 0 points. The dealer can add up to 3 cards on the table for each side, according to certain predefined rules.
Place your bet. As we mentioned above, you can opt to bet on the banker hand, on the player hand, or even on a tie. These aren’t actually assigned to anyone in particular, it’s only a matter of terminology. Betting on the first two pays 1:1, while going for a riskier tie bet can usually reward you 8:1 (although this varies from game to game).
Let the dealer run the game. Placing your bets on the table is all you have to do. From that point on, the dealer/system will conduct the game, drawing cards and comparing results as necessary. Should you win, you will receive your chips and a new round can start.
BACCARAT STRATEGIES
Betting on the Banker
The fact that it’s dealt last makes the banker’s hand a bit more likely to win. However, this also causes operators to charge a small, usually 5%, commission. If you’re aiming for a slow, steady, and safe gameplay, stick to the banker and only change to the player side if you lose twice in a row.
The Baccarat Attack Strategy by Greg Fletcher
This particular strategy became really popular among baccarat players, especially the more experienced ones. Basically, what you have to do is keep an eye on opportunities and only increase your wager in certain key moments, defined by Fletcher as “winning streaks”. Let us take a more in-depth look at the betting types involved in this strategy:
- Begin your gambling session with a neutral Trigger Bet. Fletcher suggests setting the trigger bet by doubling the amount of your base bet. Observe the game’s development, and decide on a direction out of two:
- Attack Mode: If you win your trigger bet, start adding to your next wager an amount that is less than the last round’s winnings. Keep doing this after each round you won. If you lose an attack bet, go back to the trigger one.
- Retrenchment Betting Mode: If you lost your trigger bet, you’ll have to follow a more complex set of rules to get back on track. After each Retrenchment Betting Mode round lost, you increase your bet one level. Should you win after a series of Retrenchment losses, keep decreasing the one level following each won round, until you reach the Trigger Bet. At this point, you can restart the cycle. However, keep in mind that if you win the first Retrenchment bet after a trigger, you can skip directly to playing another trigger bet.
The best part about Fletcher’s “Attack, Retrench and Win” strategy is the fact that it can adapt from game to game and, as the author himself claims, has a 93.75% win rate. You can always try it out for yourself to see the results!
BACCARAT TIPS
Read the game’s terms. Even if the rules of playing baccarat are so simple, you still have to keep in mind that software providers have a lot of room to experiment with. This means that features and betting rules may vary from game to game, so it’s always a good idea to read everything before playing a new game.
Avoid betting on ties. As mentioned earlier, this can bring you quite a lot of money. It does sound tempting, but keep in mind that the chances for a tie to happen are incredibly small and you might end up losing all your chips in an attempt to win big.
Vary the bets. People believe - and they are not entirely correct in doing so - that the hand that won the previous has a high chance of winning the next one too. However, this cannot be predicted, as both the banker and the player sides have the same chances, regardless of the outcomes of preceding hands.
LIVE DEALER BACCARAT ONLINE CASINOS
Since baccarat is getting more and more popular among online casino enthusiasts, it comes as no surprise that you can enjoy it in live dealer variants as well. And why should you play live baccarat? The answer for that is quite simple: you get to add a whole social dimension to your gambling session and get a taste of the atmosphere of exclusivist tables in land-based casinos, all from the comfort of your own house! Among the software providers that provide live baccarat, you’ll find Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Ezugi, Pragmatic Play, and many others!
WHAT IS BACCARAT AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Simply put, baccarat is a card-based casino table game. The player’s goal is to predict which of the two hands might end up with a number of points as close to 9 as possible. The popular game has its roots in Italy but has really started to gain fans among the gambling community in 19th century France. At first, baccarat was marketed for a small category of players, of high class, which reflected in the expensive buy-in sums. Today, given the worldwide popularity of online gambling websites, the appreciation for this game has spread among all types of players. That being said, you can now easily wager as little as 10 cents.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where Does the Name Baccarat come from?
The word baccarat comes from French but is an adaptation of the Italian term for zero - baccara. It is a reference to the value of the face cards, which count as 0 points in this game.
What Is a Natural Win?
A natural win can occur when either hand has a total value of 8 or 9. The former is more commonly known as le petit (the small one), while the latter is often encountered under the name la grande (the big one).
Which is the Most Popular Baccarat Variant?
You might encounter this term a lot, as it is the most popular game version among both land-based and online casinos. It is so popular, in fact, that most punters simply call it baccarat.
Is Baccarat Fair?
Whether you’re playing online casino baccarat by yourself, or in live dealer lobbies, you can rest assured that the game will always rely on randomness. Even if the system/dealer is running the game without any involvement on your side, you can always see every move, since highly esteemed operators value transparency.
Where Can I Play Online Baccarat for Free?
Right here, on CasinoFreak! Just head over to our Free Baccarat Games section and take your pick from over 20 games from popular software providers such as Betsoft, Habanero, Bgaming, and Microgaming. The games vary in design and side bets, so take your time and check them out!
