Baccarat Tips

There are three different versions of the exciting card game known as baccarat. Baccarat began in Italy where its name in Italian literally means ‘zero.’ From Italy, baccarat travelled to France to become ‘chemin de fer’ and then later, baccarat as we know it today. From modern day baccarat, the variation ‘baccarat en banque’ was born.

The rules of European baccarat are almost identical to those used in American casinos today. The main difference is the ability of the player to draw or stand on a total of five. The banker is also the dealer in European baccarat, meaning one person is responsible for both functions.

How baccarat en banque differs from European baccarat is in the number of hands available. The bank plays one hand whereas the player has two. Players have the option of betting on either one of two hands but cannot bet on the banker’s hand. The rest of the game runs on American baccarat rules.

The banking rule is also what makes chemin de fer unique from both baccarat and baccarat en banque. The shoe is passed from player to player, creating a rotating bank with no one person taking on the banker’s role permanently. Chemin de fer also permits a player to draw or stand on a total of 5.

When playing baccarat it is important to utilize a basic strategy, which we will discuss below. However first you need to know what you’re up against. The house’s edge on the player winning a game of baccarat is 1.23% whereas the edge on the banker winning is 1.06%. For ties the house edge is 14.05%.

Therefore in order to beat the house, a successful baccarat player needs a strategy. Most strategies are based on methods that seek to predict the next cards that will come into play based on the identity of the previous cards already played. Although these strategies cannot directly influence the state of play, they may at times be able to influence betting.

Card counting is the term commonly applied to the practice of following the course of play to determine which cards are due to surface next. Borrowed from the game of blackjack, card counting has quickly become a baccarat player’s best strategy for making educated bets. Baccarat lounges in most casinos today provide scorecards for baccarat fans to track the cards in a game.

Another popular baccarat strategy is learning which cards are favourable to the player and those that are more favourable for the banker. It is commonly understood that high cards will favor the banker while low cards will favor the player. In card counting many baccarat players keep track of this and place their bets based on the patterns and sequences of the cards. When there are more low cards they will bet on the player and when a greater number of high cards are in play, their bets will be placed on the banker.

Now that you understand the basics of baccarat, it is worthwhile to memorize a few useful tips.

When starting out in baccarat it is useful to study the course of play to develop a feeling for the game. This can be done by keeping a record of wins attributed to both banker’s and player’s hands.

You should also set yourself a limit by establishing a threshold of what you can afford to lose and what you can’t. Bet small amounts to begin with until you find your lucky streak.

Look for trends and patterns in the game while you keep score of the winning hands. This will assist you with card counting and could turn the play in your favor if you’re able to make simple predictions on the outcome of the game. Spotting the trends is the difference between the successful baccarat player and the other players at the table.

Follow the trends when you bet for the next round. For instance, if the banker won the last round, bet on the banker and see if the trend runs in your favor. Of course you are often in control of changing trends based on your bets. Perhaps the last four wins were the banker’s hand each time. The fifth round could see the banker win again, or maybe it’s time for the player’s luck to come in? There is no way to know for certain which makes gambling in baccarat simply that – a gamble.

Betting on a ‘streaky shoe’ can be highly entertaining. A streaky shoe, meaning the wins being alternated in quick succession between player and banker, makes for an unpredictable baccarat game. The rule here is to bet in threes. For instance, play a bet for $15 on the banker. Let’s say that you win. Place a second bet of $15 on the banker. You win another $15. For your third bet place $30 on the banker. If you win you’ve tripled your money. If you don’t you still have your original $15 and can try a new betting strategy.

If you are playing in a game that features a choppy shoe, the following strategy is advisable. Bet on the winner of the last hand being unable to win three hands consecutively. For example, if the banker has won the last hand, place a bet on the player’s hand. If the banker in fact wins again, place another bet on the banker. Bet on the banker for the third time with your maximum bet.

The most important thing to remember when playing baccarat is that strategy is only one part of the game. No strategy will help you win consistently at baccarat as too much of the game relies on the draw of the card, which is based purely on circumstance at the end of the day.