Baccarat is an exhilarating casino game, full of intrigue and suspense! It is very simple to learn and play. In this article, we are going to showcase the rules of Baccarat and how to play it online.

1. What is Baccarat?

Baccarat is a card game played at casinos. In this game, the "player" and the "banker" will compare their hands against each other, with three possible outcomes of Win, Lose and Tie. The winning odds are in favor of the bank, with a house edge of around 1 percent.

There are 3 popular variants of Baccarat:

  • Punto banco (North American): each player's moves are forced by the cards the player is dealt.
  • Baccarat chemin de fer (chemmy): both players can make choices.
  • Baccarat banque (deux tableaux): both players can make choices.

Baccarat

2. Where to play Baccarat online

There are a lot of baccarat online services on the internet, but Bitcasino.io is reviewed as the most reliable address in terms of security and promotions and payouts.

Bitcasino is also the first casino ever to introduce Bitcoins for live dealer games. The site has over 3000+ casino games to choose from and is believed to be one of the most authentic Bitcoin gambling and gaming websites.

Below are the various perks to gain for joining Bitcasino.io:

  • Loyalty Club - Earn up to 10% cashback in real money rewards.
  • The Android app - Over 2,600 games in the palm of your hand.
  • Casino Boost - Enjoy additional profits on top of your winnings.
  • Tournaments - Get to the top in thrilling tournaments with massive prizes.
  • Promotions - All day, every day, win bigger on slots, table games and more.
  • VIP club - Exclusive experiences for the most loyal players.

3. Step-by-step guide to play Baccarat for beginners

Steps 1

A Baccarat player can bet on either their hand (Player's hand) or the Banker's hand. All bets need to be placed on either side before the cards are dealt.

Step 2

Two cards are dealt to both the Player and the Banker in the first round. The player gets the first and third cards while the banker gets the second and fourth cards.

Step 3

Announce the total points of both sets of cards. Tens and face cards are zero points, with all other cards getting their face value. Aces worth 1 point. If the total result of a hand is more than 10, the second digit becomes the hand's value. For example, a hand of 6 and 8 totals 14, which results in a four-point hand.

To win in Baccarat, you must bet on the hand with a total closer to 9.

Step 4

A natural win is declared when either the Player or the Banker gets 8 or 9 points in the first two cards dealt. When this happens, all placed bets would be cashed out.

Step 5

If a natural win does not happen, the dealer will determine whether or not the player would get a third card by checking the point totals. The Player's hand is always completed first. Below is a list of all possible outcomes:

  • With a total of 8 or 9, the player gets a natural win (unless the bank also has the same score).
  • The Player stands on totals of 6 or 7 and cannot draw any additional cards.
  • On any other total from 0-5, the player gets to draw a third card. However, if the bank has 8 or 9, it ends in a natural Bank win with no further draws.

Step 6

The rules also govern whether or not the Banker would draw a third card (or more). If the Player stands pat by drawing no new cards, the Banker draws with a hand total of 5 or below. They stay pat and do not draw with a hand total of 6 or 7.

In the case the player draws a third card, whether the bank draws or not depends on the hand value of the player:

  • If the Player's third card is 2 or 3, the Banker draws when he has a 0-4, and stays with a 5-7.
  • If the Player's third card is 4 or 5, the Banker draws when he has a 0-5, and stays with a 6-7.
  • If the Player's third card is 6 or 7, the Banker draws when he has a 0-6, and stays with a 7.
  • If the Player's third card is 8, the Banker draws when he has a 0-2, and stays with a 3-7.
  • If the Player's third card is 9, 10, face-card or Ace, the Banker draws when he has a 0-3, and stays with a 4-7.

Step 7

Calculate the winning hand once all cards are dealt. The one with a total closer to 9 is the winner. If a tie happens, neither hand wins or loses. You can also bet on a tie, of course.

4. What is the best Baccarat strategy?

Overall, betting with the Banker is the simplest and safest strategy in Baccarat. "The house always win" becomes a popular saying for a reason. In this section, we are going to explain why this is the case using simple mathematics:

Firstly, the house edge for betting on the Banker is 1.06 percent. This means the return to player (RTP) or payout percentage for Banker bets is a staggering 98.94 percent. If you have made a hundred $1 bets on the Bank hand, you will get $98.94 back on average. While you lose a small percentage on commissions when betting on the banker, it is still better than losing.

On the other hand, the Player hand wager only has an RTP of 98.76 percent. A bet on a tie is even worse, with a relatively low RTP of 85.64 percent. While the Tie bet might have the biggest payout of 8 for 1, it has by far the worst odds of winning. This means you could theoretically lose $14.36  if you were to make a hundred wagers of $1. Always avoid Tie bets.

Lastly, you need to set Win/Loss limits, and stick to them. Because all baccarat bets come with a house advantage, you’re bound to lose in the long run. For this reason, you should stop immediately when you reach your win limit, so you can lock in your profits. The same should be true for losses – set a loss limit and stick to it.

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