Baccarat Tutorial

Baccarat is played around a custom-prepared table, usually with up to fourteen players around the table. Players need to decide whether they want to bet on the player (punto), the banker (banco) or for a tie. The idea is to bet which side will achieve the nearest to a nine point total. Once players place their bets on one of the three options, they do not need to make any other decisions. All they do is watch as the game is played out between the punto and the banco and then claim their winnings if relevant.

Depending on the casino, players may be allowed to take turns dealing the cards although – if this is the case - even the player-dealer is required to make a bet. It is not compulsory to act as dealer and players can pass on their turn if they don’t want to. As long as the punto wins, leadership remains in place, but passes over to the next player when the banco wins.

All cards in baccarat have a face value, except 10, Jack, Queen and King which count as zero. The ace is valued at one. If the dealt cards total more than ten, the ten digit is dropped so that 16, for example, becomes six – in other words, there is no such thing as a bust hand in baccarat.

The game is played as follows:

Both the banker and the player each draw two cards.

Both will automatically stand if they are dealt an eight or nine.

The player will stand if his total is six or seven.

The banker will hit on a total of five (or less), if the player stands.

If the player has a total of five (or less), he hits and is given a third card by the banker.

The banker will draw a third card according to the following table:

Banker’s total = 0, 1, 2	Banker draws third card.
Banker’s total = 3	Banker must draw if the player’s third card is anything BUT eight. (ie. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
Banker’s total = 4	Banker must draw if player’s third card is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Banker’s total = 5	Banker must draw if player’s third card is 4, 5, 6, 7.
Banker’s total = 6	Banker must draw if player’s third card is 6 or 7.
Banker’s total = 7	Banker stands.

When all the cards are dealt, the player with the cards closest to nine is the winner.

Baccarat is a game of chance and therefore no optimal strategy exists for players. However, the following tips apply to baccarat bettors:

Avoid betting on a tie. This is the bet with the highest house edge (reaching up to 15%) at some casinos and should be avoided for obvious reasons.

The house edge on the game of baccarat increases with the number of decks used. For that reason, it is best to look out for baccarat at casinos that use fewer decks.

The banker hand is usually the player’s safest bet as it wins more often in the long run.

The casino usually takes 5% commission on the banker hand, although even with this commission it still remains the better of the three options. Look out for casinos that take less than the 5% commission and play with fewer decks for the best advantages.

Quit while ahead. The best games of baccarat are played in short bursts so if you are lucky, count your winnings and move away. You can always come back another time.

Pattern-spotting and card counting simply do not work in baccarat, and obviously not at online casinos. Don’t waste your time trying these dud strategies.

Don’t buy into systems that claim to work, such as the Martingdale System. This will only confuse you in the long run.

Baccarat tournaments are usually exciting events played at online and offline casinos. They generally comprise of a buy-in rate where players compete for the pooled prize after paying an entry fee. Players compete in a number of rounds in a qualification structure; so that the winners on one table go on to compete with other winners until the best remain for the final round.

Players usually select one of two accepted strategies when playing in a baccarat tournament. They either play for very little chips and then go for the high bets towards the end of the tournament, or they take a strong lead in the game very early on and then conserve their chips by playing at minimum bets unless another player pushes ahead. Both strategies can work, although luck is the final deciding factor in a tournament. Therefore a certain strategy might work well during one tournament and fail miserably the next.