Baccarat Strategy and Tips
Baccarat is one of the world’s oldest table games, and in the centuries since it was created, players have attempted to create strategies to master it. In this part of our series on how to play baccarat, we are going to take a detailed look at some of the most popular and effective baccarat strategies and find out whether or not they are worth trying.
Tips When Playing Baccarat
If you are going to make the most out of your baccarat experience, then you will want to make sure you are armed with the best tactics and tips before playing. The following tips are the most useful:
Make sure you understand the rules
Before you play any baccarat variation, make sure you understand the rules. You should make sure you check the third-card rules, any side-bet options, and commission structures.
Keep your sessions brief
Like all online casino games, the longer you play baccarat, the more likely you are that the house edge will catch up. Keeping your sessions brief can help you get in and get out and keep any potential winnings. Of course, doing this also ensures you practise responsible gambling.
Manage your bankroll
Another essential responsible gambling skill is being able to manage your bankroll. Doing this ensures you will always have a good time when betting and means you will never end up chasing losses or losing money you can not afford to.
Play for Free
One of the best ways to improve your baccarat skills is to play for free. Doing this will allow you to get used to the rules and practise before you play for real money.
Try different strategies
There are many different strategies you can try when playing baccarat online. Testing out different ones will give you a better idea of how to play the game and is going to help you manage your losses more effectively. Of course, it is important to remember that no strategy is ever guaranteed to secure a win, and you should make sure you are gambling responsibly when using them.
Top Casino Sites to Play Baccarat
With so many top online casinos now offering online baccarat games, knowing where to play can be tricky. We have spent hours researching the best online casinos to play baccarat, and the following are what we found.
Lord Ping
£50 First Deposit
Match Bonus
Genting Casino
All New Players
Get a 100% Bonus
Up to £50
Grosvenor Casino
New Players
Deposit £20
Play with £50
Best Baccarat Betting Strategy
The following strategies are the most popular to use when playing baccarat. Of course, the effectiveness of these strategies will vary, with different players getting different results when using them.
Martingale System
The Martingale System is an incredibly popular betting strategy that is used in other games like roulette and blackjack. When you use this system, you increase your bet every time you lose, with the aim of recouping all of your losses and winning one unit when you do finally win. When you score a win, you revert back to your starting bet.
Paroli System
The Paroli System is also known as the Reverse Martingale. In this system, players double their bet every time they win. When you lose, you revert to your original betting size.
1-3-2-6 System
The 1-3-2-6 system is a strategy where you place your bets in a sequence of four. The numbers listed highlight how many units you place on each bet. For example, if your unit is £10, then on the first bet, you place this; on the second, you place £30, then £20, and then £60. When you finish the sequence or hit a loss you go back to the start of the sequence.
Fibonacci System
This is based on the famous Fibonacci Sequence and is popular when betting on other games like blackjack and roulette. The Fibonacci Sequence starts at one and then adds the previous two numbers in the sequence - 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21, and so on. When applied to betting, you move up one number in the sequence when you win and back down two numbers if you lose.
Labouchere System
The Labouchere System is a more complex betting strategy. For this, you create a sequence of your own. For example, 1,3,5. Your first bet is then the first and last number of this sequence added together, so in this case - £6. If you win, you repeat the bet, whereas if you lose, you add the number to the end of the sequence, so it would be 1,3,5,6. If you lose, you do the same again; if you win, you cross off the first and last number and start again.
Card Counting in Baccarat
Popular Baccarat Side Bets
Side bets in baccarat are bets that are placed on anything other than the traditional three bets - dealer’s hand, player’s hand, or tie. Not every baccarat game will have side-bets, with some different baccarat versions being defined by theirs. In most cases, side bets are placed before the round begins, with many of them offering generous payouts. Here are the most popular baccarat side bets that you are likely to find at a casino site.
Lucky Bonus/ Super 6
A Lucky Bonus, or Super 6, side bet is when you bet on the banker winning the round with a value of six. This pays 18:1 and is available in Super 6 baccarat.
Perfect Pair
This is a bet on either the dealer or the bank having an identical pair of rank and suit in their first two cards. This typically pays 25:1.
Bellagio Match
This is a bet on either player getting a hand that is made up of three of a kind. The payout is 75:1 if it is the player and 68:1 for the banker.
Royal Match
This is a bet on the player or dealer being dealt a King and Queen in their opening hand. The payout is 30:1 on different suits and 75:1 on matching suits.
3-Card Six
This is a side bet that either hand will make up six with three cards. The payout for one hand doing so is 8:1, and 100:1 if both hands have it.
