Your Baccarat Casino Guide: Understanding Rules and Strategy

Learning the Ropes

Online baccarat is played in the same manner as the game that you can enjoy at a land-based casino. Prior to the cards being dealt. The player bets on the player, banker, or a tie. Then the player and banker are dealt two cards. The point of baccarat is to get as close to 9 as possible.

In doing so, it’s important for online casino players to know how cards are ranked. All 10s and picture cards are worth zero, all cards from 2 to 9 are worth their numerical value, and aces are worth one.

Whether or not the player or banker draws a third card is determined by the total of their first two cards. If their total is 5 or less, they must draw a third card and stand. The rules are a bit more complex for whether or not the bank draws a third card.

The banker’s rules for drawing are:

• When the banker has total of 0, 1, 2, they draw a third card
• When the banker has two cards totaling 3, they draw unless the player has a third card worth 8.
• When the banker’s cards total 4, they draw again unless the player’s third card is 0, 1, 8, or 9
• When the banker is holding cards that total 5, they draw unless the player’s third card is 0, 1, 2, 3, 8, or 9.
• When the banker has a 6, they draw if the player’s third card is 4, 5, 6, or 7.
• Banker always stands on 7.

Bets, Winning Hands, and Payouts

Although the banker’s rules for drawing when playing real money online baccarat may seem confusing, the fact is when you play at an Internet-based casino they are all programed into the software, as are those governing the player’s action. Thus, each hand will play out accordingly and the only thing that the player has to be concerned about is the outcome of each hand.

Payout odds for online baccarat real cash bets are:

• Player 1-1
• Banker 9.5-1
• Tie 8-1 or 9-1 (depending on the casino)

Please note, although the tie bet pays well, it's not a recommended bet due to the fact that it is so hard to hit.

The winning hand in baccarat is comprised of the sum of either two or three cards and is the hand that comes to closest to nine without going over. As an example, if you’re dealt a 5 and 4, you have 9, which is best hand possible. If you’re dealt a hand that totals eight and the dealer’s hand is worth seven, the player wins, if the banker has nine in that case, the player’s hand loses, and if you and the dealer both have eight, the result is a tie.

Remember, with online baccarat you can wager on one of three results, which means if you bet on the dealer and the dealer wins, you get paid. What you bet on is the most important decision you make when playing baccarat. Making this decision is an essential part of any real money online baccarat strategy.

House Edge & Strategies

In order to understand the best way to use real money baccarat online strategy, you need to know the house edge for each bet. This will allow you to make smart wagers each and every hand.

The house edge for each wager is:

• Banker wins has a house edge of 1.06% and pays 9.5-1
• Player wins has a house edge of 1.24% and pays 1-1
• A draw offers a house edge of 14.36% and pays 8-1 or 9-1

The best bet according to real cash online baccarat strategy is the banker, as you have the best chance of hitting it due to the fact that it has the lowest house edge. Although it does pay a bit less than the player bet, as a commission is paid on all banker wins, it is still the best bet you can make.  The player bet is a little harder to hit, but it does offer a higher payout. The tie bet looks very inviting, as the payout is huge at 8-1 or 9-1, but the house edge is also massive coming in at 14.36%.

Payouts in Perspective:

• $1.00 bet on Banker offers a return of $1.95
• $1.00 bet on Players offers a return of $2.00
• $1.00 bet in a tie offers a return of either $9.00 or $10.00

Baccarat Best Plays

Here are some online baccarat strategies and tips that you can use to get the most out of your time at the baccarat table. Employ these when working with your bankroll.

Make Low House Edge Bets

Betting on the player’s hand or banker’s hand when playing real money baccarat online offers you the best chances of winning. These are the two bets that you should make consistently. The tie wager looks inviting, but it's a sucker’s bet.

When to Bet the Tie

Many experts say never bet on the tie when you’re playing online baccarat for real cash. But we feel that the tie can be a smart bet when you’re ahead by 10% or more. Make the tie bet occasionally and only make it a second time in a row if you win the first time. Otherwise, go back to wagering on either the banker or player. Always wager the minimum on the tie.

Picking the Tying Number

Some online baccarat casinos will offer a side bet in the tying number. In other words, if there's a tie, they give you the opportunity to wager on what the exact number will be. This is worse than they tie bet. Only play this bet if you’re 30% ahead, make the minimum bet possible, and only bet it once.

Try to Define Trends

One of the best online baccarat real money techniques you can employ involves spotting trends. There are times when you’ll hit a hot streak, if this starts to happen, increase your bets. When your winning streak dissolves and you go back to alternating wins and losses, bet the minimum. The same is true of a losing streak; only wager the minimum on a losing streak. Don’t try to make up for losses by double or tripling your bets.  

Stay Connected to the Game

It’s important that you stay connected to each hand that is dealt. With online baccarat, which is software driven, it’s very easy to lose touch with the game and to play on automatic. Doing so may result in big losses or missing the opportunity to make the most of a winning streak. If you find yourself getting disconnected from the game, either slow down, playing fewer hands per minute, or end the session.

Get to Grips with Bankroll Management

The best playing strategy that you can employ with real cash online baccarat is sound bankroll management. Making good decisions regarding your bankroll will allow you to play for longer periods of time, give you the chance to preserve your winnings, and help you cut your losses.

Here are five solid bankroll management techniques:

• Play at stakes that fit your budget
• With $100 as your bank, it’s better to make 100 bets at $1.00 than 20 bets at $5.00
• Increase bets or make riskier wagers when you’re ahead by at least 10%
• Only keep making increased or riskier bets when you’ve won; go back to your minimum wager when you lose
• Set time, loss, and winning limits for each session and once you reach one of them, quit

Using the above techniques will help to ensure that you'll be able to play again. Finally, never wager with money that you need for rent, food, or bills. Set a certain amount aside per month for gambling and adhere to strict limits. During each betting session, carefully track and record how much you win or lose. Manage your bankroll carefully for best results.

Enjoy Your Time at the Table

If you're looking to make a big score by playing real money online baccarat, we suggest that you keep everything in perspective. First, the best baccarat bets basically pay even odds, which means to make a lot of cash, you’ll need to have a hefty bankroll of at least a few thousand dollars.

Playing baccarat at $1.00 or $2.00 per bet can be rewarding to a degree. But the best reason to play online baccarat is to do so for fun and entertainment. Play a balanced game, make minimal bets unless you’re ahead, and limit your playing time and losses. That’s the best real money online baccarat strategy that you can employ. You’ll find fantastic online baccarat gaming rooms to join on our casino pages. Have a great time at the table!