Play to Win at Baccarat

Baccarat has one of the lowest house edges of any casino table game. This little fact can mean big money for players with a solid strategy. The number one mistake players make when hitting a baccarat table is not understanding the game and its odds. That said, let’s summarize the baccarat rules before moving on to more advanced information.

Baccarat Basics

There are three different types of baccarat: baccarat chemin de fer, baccarat banque, and punto banco (commonly referred to as “North American baccarat”). Obviously the latter of the three is the one you are most likely to encounter in an American casino and thus it is the game we will cover in this article. That said, it is important to note a key difference between punto banco and the other two types; punto banco is the only baccarat game that does not give players any hand decisions which means that much of your strategy with this game is going to be focused on betting.

You have three betting options; Banker, Player, and Tie. Many beginners assume that Player is the actual player and that Banker is the house, but in truth these designations are purely to distinguish between hands. Actual players may bet on either hand or on a tie.

Baccarat Strategies

Both the Banker and the Player hands have similar house edge, so you have a roughly 50% chance of betting on the winning hand by going with either of these bets, plus a Tie hand results in the return of your bet. Because the Banker does have a slightly smaller advantage due to more consideration on the dealer’s part when playing this hand, it is always going to be the better bet and thus the best strategy is to bet the Banker every time.

There are some other factors that affect betting on the Banker. For one, some casinos charge a small percentage commission on Banker bets which unfortunately exceeds its lower house edge and ultimately then makes the Player hand the better bet. Also, more decks increase the house advantage for the Banker hand, making an eight deck shoe advantage smaller and a six deck shoe advantage your best bet.

Some strategies will advise you to bet the Tie because the payback on these is 9 to 1, but it is important to remember that the Tie bet has a house edge of nearly 16%. When this is compared to the house edge on Banker at a mere 1% and the house edge on Player at 1.25%, it is easy to see the disadvantages of this bet.

Many other players espouse the benefits of counting cards in hopes of finding patterns. In fact, many casinos will even allow players to bring index cards or notebooks to the table and track the cards played. This is because card counting poses no real threat in baccarat, especially when the shoe is comprised of six or more decks (as it almost always is). With constant shuffling and deck changes and only four to six cards dealt per hand, the odds of finding a consistent pattern are highly unlikely.

More strategies are available for the chemin de fer and baccarat banque style games because these forms of baccarat allow the players to make choices with each hand, but in punto banco your three betting options make possible strategies very straightforward.

Baccarat Tips

First and foremost know how the game is played. The information provided above is rudimentary at best and despite the simplicity of the game there is much more to be learned about it. For example, even when you are playing punto banco and don’t have the ability to make card choices it is good to understand why the dealer is standing or drawing for each hand and why each hand wins.

Furthermore, it is important to be able to score the cards yourself. While dealers are nearly impeccable at their jobs they are still human, and you don’t want to lose money when you didn’t lose a bet.

Remember again that the Banker is always the safest bet, but always ask the casino if they charge a commission on this bet and if so how much it is. This additional cost may neutralize the advantage of the bet, making it just as lucrative to play the Player hand.

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