Baccarat is a game of chance, and gamblers can win big by betting on a winning hand with a higher score. That's why it's so popular amongst VIPs because it provides some of the highest possibilities of earning high payouts among any casino game with a simple concept.
Starting Baccarat
Like most live casinos, you start playing baccarat by sitting down at a table and buy chips. A typical baccarat game uses an 8-card deck and has different values. The following are the different point values of cards in baccarat.
- Aces are worth 1 point.
- All face cards, including the jack, queen, and king, are worth 0 points.
- All numbered cards, including 2 to 9, are worth whatever their face value is.
Then you can place your wager on one of the two betting options, the player or banker. The total points of each hand in baccarat only use the second digit of the total number. For instance, if you have a total of 14, you only count the 4.
A winning hand in baccarat is the one with the higher score. When you place a bet on the player, you get an even payout, meaning if you bet $100 on the player's hand, you win the same amount. However, when you wager on the banker, you get $95 in winnings in Baccarat if you bet $100 because all bets on the banker in baccarat require you to pay a 5 per cent commission.
The House Edge in Baccarat
All casinos feature a mathematical advantage for the house. This concept is called the house edge, and it's the estimated amount that casinos expect to win from each bet of their patrons. For instance, if the house edge of the casino game is 1 per cent, they earn $1 every time you place a $100 wager.
Baccarat boasts some of the lowest house edge rates among other casino games, giving gamblers the advantage and the chance to win big. The following are the house edge for all the major bets in baccarat:
- Placing a wager on the banker features a 1.06 per cent house edge.
- Betting on the player features a 1.24 per cent house edge.
- Putting a bet on a tie features a 14.36 per cent house edge.
The best strategy to win consistently for most casino games is to place a bet with the lowest edge. That's why in baccarat, most experienced players recommend placing a wager on the banker's hand.
Variations of Baccarat
The following are the differences between the three most popular variants of baccarat:
- Punto Banco – This version is the traditional high roller variant of the game; it typically uses 6 to 8 decks.
- Mini-Baccarat – This is a smaller-scale version of the game. It features lower minimum bets, a smaller table, and accommodates fewer players.
- Chemin de Fer – An older variation of the game, and it only uses six decks.
Baccarat used to be exclusive to high-rollers, but because of its popularization, there are now numerous online variations that allow you to enjoy the game no matter what your budget is. Now that you know everything about baccarat try your luck at the table and gamble responsibly.
