5 Tips for Playing Baccarat

Baccarat is a game that is enjoyed by both casual and avid casino gamers around the world. And it’s a fairly famous game, making an appearance on the big screen in Bond films. It’s a huge favourite in the high-stakes Monte Carlo games, the mini tables in Las Vegas and the famous Cotai Strip in Macau. Whether you have played baccarat before or want to get started with this game, an online casino offers almost the same exciting experience and gameplay as a traditional land casino. 

Before you sit down to play this game at the baccarat table at your local casino or in front of your computer to play online, it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can about the game and check out these tips for success to help you win more and lose less. 

How is Baccarat Played?

Baccarat is one of the best games for beginners that you will find at Play Casino online. You can play casino games like baccarat from the comfort of your own home with PlayLive Casino, along with several other games on offer including favourites like blackjack and slots. PlayLive Casino is the largest online casino in South Africa offering an awesome experience for anybody looking to get started or get a different casino experience. 

In general, there are no or very little skills needed to get started with playing baccarat, especially if you are playing mini-baccarat, since the dealer will be in control of the cards. The main aim of this game is to get as close to a total value of nine based on both the player’s and dealer’s card. Face cards, aces and tens have a value of zero, and number cards are taken at face value. Ten will be deducted from the total if the value of the first two cards drawn is more than nine. Nine is the highest hand that you can have in the game, known as a ‘natural’, while a ten and an eight is the second highest card that you can get. Unlike blackjack, it is impossible to go ‘bust’ in this game. 

If you want to start playing baccarat, keeping the following tips in mind can help you succeed. 

Avoid Looking for Patterns:

This is a baccarat strategy that can often be overlooked by people who are learning how to play for the first time. This is because there are several claims out there that say you need to look out for patterns and keep track of them in order to win. However, despite winning and losing streaks, the odds in baccarat are similar to tossing a coin and is coming up heads or tails. Treat each result as a separate event, since there is no way of determining what the outcome might be. Avoiding keeping track of every hand will ultimately make playing baccarat much more enjoyable for anybody. 

Make Smart Bets:

As soon as you sit down at the baccarat table, you’ll need to make a bet. There are three bets to choose from, which are:

• Banker bet: The banker or dealer has a house edge of 1.06% and, with this bet, the player pays a 5% commission to the dealer for each winning bet. 
• Player bet: The player essentially has the same odds as the banker of 1.06% due to the commission paid to the dealer. 
• Tie bet: The tie bet has a house edge of over 14%. Despite the fact that placing this bet means high payouts for the winner if a winning hand is drawn, the odds of winning are very low and this bet is not usually recommended. 

Despite the commission, statistically, banker bets are the safest choice to make if you want to increase your chance of winning at this game. 

Avoid Tie Bets:

Anyone who is experienced at playing baccarat will tell you that making the tie bet is pretty much the worst mistake that you can make when playing this game. Although it may have a tempting payout if you manage to win, the chances of winning are very slim. So, unless you’ve got a lot of money to bet and you’re willing to lose it, it’s best to stay away from this bet and go for steadier gains over time with saver banker or player bets instead. 

Keep Sessions Short:

Since most players will experience a short streak of winning followed by a drop in their luck, and this can quickly turn into a big loss if you are not careful, it’s a good idea to keep your playing sessions short in baccarat. The trick to regularly winning is to catch upswings and ride them for as long as possible, which involves knowing when it’s best to dip out. Dip out early before things take a turn for the worse in order to make sure that you keep hold of your winnings, especially if your strategy involves switching between making player and banker bets. In general, baccarat players who tend to win more often will usually keep their playing sessions no longer than 10-15 minutes at a time. 

Choose Your Casino Wisely:

When it comes to betting on the banker in baccarat, 5% is usually the standard commission take. However, there might be casinos available both on the land and online where you can find baccarat tables that will ask for you to pay a lower percentage of the winnings on banker bets. While a 1% or 2% commission might not sound that much lower compared to 5%, playing at a lower-commission table can definitely make a difference to your winnings in the long term if you’re able to find and play at one. Of course, this is not the only factor to consider if you are choosing a casino to play baccarat at, especially if you want to play online. Since it’s harder to find tables with a lower commission percentage than 5% online, some of the most important things to look out for include security, licensing, reliability, and good customer service. 

Whether you have been playing baccarat for a while and want to get better at it, or have decided to give this game a try, keep these tips in mind for an enjoyable, profitable game.