Baccarat Winning Hands
This is a commission charged on the winning Banker bet, and it is usually set at 5%. If you bet $10 on Banker and that hand won, you would make a profit of $9.50 instead of $10. The margins are wafer-thin, but most baccarat strategies would always suggest you bet on Banker, even though you must pay the commission. It’s just the most logical of bets. Familiarize Yourself With Baccarat Odds. Screenshot from the live web-cam dealer at MyBookie.ag. The probability of the player winning 8 times in a row is 0.493163^8 = 1 in 286. Also keep in mind you could win a hand late in the series and still come out behind because of the commission. For example if you started with a bet of $1 and you won on the 7th hand you would win $60.80 ($64.95%), which would not cover the $63 in previous loses. In baccarat, the house edge differs depending on the outcome; for a tie it is 14.36%, for the player’s hand it is 1.24% and for the banker’s hand it is 1.06%. As mentioned above, casinos and game providers are aware of this and so add on commission to any winning banker’s bet.
Is There A Winning Baccarat Strategy? Cloudbet reviews the best Baccarat strategies and games so you can put them to the test in Cloudbet's live bitcoin casino.
- Answering your baccarat questions
Baccarat, or Punto Banco, is one of the fastest and most simple casino games you can play. However despite its simplicity, you can swiftly end up bust. This article will help you understand the nuances of Baccarat by explaining some of the strategies you could use to maintaining your bankroll through strategic bets. If you’re lucky they could even help you turn a profit. But is there a winning Baccarat strategy?
The most effective long term strategy in any game is one that reduces the house edge, allowing you to manage your bankroll more effectively. Most casinos will use eight decks of cards for Baccarat in order to minimise the odds of winning. The number of decks in play alters the probabilities slightly so for simplicity, all the house edges in this article assume that eight decks are in play.
Despite what you might think, Baccarat, like all casino games is based on luck rather than skill, these strategies can help to structure your play instead of betting blind. But they won’t guarantee a return. If it did, no one would share that kind of information. If you're not sure of the basics of how to play, read our article on how to play Baccarat. But if you want try different methods of playing, give these strategies a go in the Cloudbet live casino.
What is the best baccarat system?
Money management is critical for long term success in Baccarat. Excluding the tie bet, there isn’t much difference in the payout amounts of Banker and Player bets. They payout at evens, with a small commission taken for Banker bets. These staking strategies are all progressive systems of betting. They're popular because any losses can be covered by an eventual win. However, as with any betting system, losses can quickly mount up and they rely on having enough bankroll to continue the sequence. You can use any staking strategy you wish, but these are two of the most popular:
1-3-2-4 system
The 1-3-2-4 system is a positive progression system. You always start betting one unit, if you lose, keep betting one unit. Only once you win do you bet three units. A win from that means you bet two units, a loss means going back to one unit. If you win four in a row, you’d start the sequence again but have made ten units profit. This strategy was devised to maximise returns and minimise losses in games where the main bets are around evens. Though it keeps losses to a minimum in terms of units, a continued losing run would negate any total profits gained.
Martingale system
The Martingale system is a negative progression strategy. After each loss, you’re required to double your stake. It relies on eventually winning to cover your losses and make a profit. The Martingale system sounds logical, and indeed once you win, you'll win enough to cover your previous losses. And because you're required to double your stake with every loss, the total wagered could quickly escalate to the table maximum.
What's the best strategy for baccarat?
Now you’re familiar with staking strategies that can easily be applied to Baccarat, let’s take a look at the three types of bets on the table. Many strategies will tell you to pay attention to streaks, however remember you’re playing a game of chance. Short-term streaks on player or banker bets may happen but in the long run they’ll even out with each other. Casinos will either display previous winning hands or provide you with the means to record it yourself. Remember that just because a run of hands has occurred, it doesn’t make the opposite hand more likely to appear. The player's hand will win 44.62% of the time. The banker's hand will win 45.85% of the time. Let's take a closer look at the bets you can make.
Betting on Tied Hand
This has the highest odds but the lowest probability. Betting on the tie might seem appealing from the odds, usually 8:1, and unsurprisingly the house edge is the highest, 14.36%. But it rarely occurs. The probability for a tie in baccarat is 9.53%
Betting on Player’s Hand
Though the House Edge for player bets is 1.24% which is a substantial improvement on the tie, it’s still not the best bet to make when playing Baccarat. Though if you bet on the player’s hand and it wins, you’ll double your stake. For some players, this is a preferred outcome as you’ll win more per hand.
Betting on Banker’ Hand
In Baccarat, the house edge for banker bets is 1.06%. It’s the bet that seasoned Baccarat players always begin on and pay attention to. Casinos know this so it’s why, generally speaking, you pay 5% commission on winning banker bets. It might seem off-putting but in the long run, you’ll keep more of your bankroll. And then, for what we're looking for this would be one of the better long terms strategies for playing Baccarat.
How to win Baccarat
Like all casino games, Baccarat can seem simple at first but successful players know how to turn the odds in their favour. You don't need to count cards, you only need to know what decisions you can make to be on the winning side of the bet. And don't rely on going on a hot streak to win at Baccarat. It's incredibly rare to win more than one hand in a row, let alone more than five. So keep a handle on your bankroll. If you were to go all in on your first hand, you won't be able to handle any variance if you lose. You'll have no money to keep playing. So that begs the question, how do you win at Baccarat? Is it possible to do so consistently? Your best bet, would be to start with betting on the banker. Whether you choose to always bet on the Banker or alternate between Banker and player is your decision. But the smart money stays on the Banker.
So now you should understand different ways of playing the game, it’s time to put it into practice. Play live dealer Baccarat in Cloudbet's bitcoin casino or play for free to experiment with how you want to play. And remember that new customers receive a 100% deposit welcome bonus up to 5 BTC/BCH. What are you waiting for?
Types of Baccarat
Alongside standard Baccarat, Cloudbet are proud to bring you three more versions of the game that are guaranteed to take your Live Casino experience to the next level.
Speed Baccarat
Do you thrive under pressure? Does the sound of a ticking clock send adrenaline rushing through your veins? If your answer is yes, then Speed Baccarat is the game for you. Evolution Gaming have combined all the best features of the hugely popular Live Casino game into a high speed format, creating a game packed full of suspense and excitement.
Rounds only last a mere 28 seconds, giving you less than half a minute to execute your strategy and place your bets in this rapid game. You’ll need to think quick and act fast. Are you up to the challenge?
Squeeze Baccarat
In contrast to Speed Baccarat, this version of the game uses a tantalisingly slow technique to increase anticipation and excitement. Cards are squeezed, or slowly revealed to the table, so that you’re kept on the edge of your seat throughout the entire game.
If your nerves can take it, head over to the Live Casino to enjoy Squeeze Baccarat today. With over 15 cameras centred on the table to catch every thrilling reveal, you’ll never miss a moment of the action in this multi-dimensional game.
Dragon Tiger
Often described as the two card version of Baccarat, this Live Casino game is an exciting alternative for fans of the popular card game. Its fast pace accompanies a simple format, where bettors have to decide whether the Dragon or Tiger card will have a higher value.
Use the in-game statistics to help you make your decision, before placing your bets and watching on as the winning outcome is revealed. Will the dragon’s fire be enough to put out the tiger’s roar? Find out today by playing one of our most-loved Live Casino games.
Answering your baccarat questions
What are the basics of playing baccarat?
There are two hands in this card game; the player’s and the banker’s. Before the cards are dealt, you are given the chance to bet on which of the three possible outcomes you think is most likely: the player winning, the banker winning, or a tie.
Once you’ve made your decision, 2 cards are dealt: those that have a value of 10, J, Q, or K are worth nothing, an ace is worth 1 and the remaining cards worth their associated number. If the 2 cards equal more than 10, the second digit becomes the value of the hand. For example, a 6 and 5 equals 11, so the value of the hand is 1.
This means that the aim of the game is to get the 2 cards to equal 9. You can read more about what happens if more cards need to be dealt to either the player or the banker in our in-depth guide to playing baccarat, but essentially - if you bet on the hand that gets the closest 9 and there is no tie, you win. It’s as simple as that.
How to get better at baccarat?
If you’re new to the game, the best way to get better is to practice. At Cloudbet we offer free play on a number of our table games, including baccarat, so that you can get all the experience you need before playing for real in our bitcoin casino.
If you feel confident with the basics, then testing out the different systems and strategies we’ve listed above might help you gain a better understanding of the game - but It’s important to remember that at the end of the day, baccarat is based on luck and not skill.
What is the exact house edge in a game of baccarat?
The house edge is the term given to the average profit the casino venue or provider makes from your bet. In baccarat, the house edge differs depending on the outcome; for a tie it is 14.36%, for the player’s hand it is 1.24% and for the banker’s hand it is 1.06%.
As mentioned above, casinos and game providers are aware of this and so add on commission to any winning banker’s bet. It’s important to keep this in mind when playing, as it means you may not always come away with as much as you expect.
Where can I play the new version of baccarat online?
Our unrivalled choice of games is one of the many reasons why our users keep coming back. Head over to our bitcoin casino to explore our different versions of baccarat, available for you to play as RNG games or against Live Dealers whenever you want, and begin your baccarat experience in style with Cloudbet today.
Can you win playing baccarat?
Of course. In fact, one winner this month was awarded a mega €10,626 when playing baccarat in our Live Casino. Just because the game is based on luck, it doesn’t mean you can’t be lucky.
Baccarat strategy is one of the easiest things to learn.
All you have to do to achieve perfect strategy is bet on the banker hand every time.
You can see this by looking at house edges for the three available baccarat bets:
Banker bet = 1.06% house edge
Player bet = 1.24%
Tie bet = 14.36% (w / 8 to 1 pay outs)
Again, you’ll literally play baccarat like a pro just by wagering on the banker over and over.
This is why it amazes me when people complicate baccarat strategy. I know people complicate the game because they’ve tried offering me terrible advice.
I’ve played enough mini baccarat to have received plenty of bad advice. And here are 7 of the worst strategies that people have pushed on me.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #1:Raise Your Bet when the Banker Keeps Losing
Multiple players have told me to bet big on the banker when the banker has lost several hands in a row. The reason why is because the banker is supposedly “due for a win.”
This line of thinking is steeped in logic, but it’s still misguided. I’ll start with the chances of each baccarat outcome happening:
- Banker hand wins = 45.85%
- Player hand wins = 44.62%
- Tie = 9.53%
The banker and player have roughly equal odds of winning.
Trend bettors may not know the exact statistics on the banker’s and player’s odds. But they know that each hand has around a 50 / 50 chance of winning.
And they think that the law of averages means the banker is more likely to win after several losses.
This makes sense in theory. But it also plays into the gambler’s fallacy, where one believes that they can predict future gambling results based on past outcomes.
In this case, pattern bettors think that the banker has better odds simply because they’re on a losing streak and will eventually win.
But the reality is that the odds don’t change just because the banker loses multiple hands. Instead, they stay exactly the same no matter if the banker is winning or losing.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #2:Bet on the Player when the Banker Keeps Winning
A couple of players have offered me another version of the scenario described above. They advised to bet on the player when the banker continues winning.
As I covered above, trend bettors believe that past results can dictate future outcomes. The same thing applies in this scenario because one thinks that they player is due for a win.
We already discussed how the top baccarat bet is the banker hand. And we dispelled the myth that any hand is due for a win since the odds remain the same no matter what.
By taking the player in this situation, you’re merely lowering your chances of winning (1.24%). You need to stick with the banker bet if you want the best possible chance to win.
Of course, the whole reason for playing baccarat is to have fun.
And if switching between the player and banker bets is fun for you, then by all means keep doing it. I’ve read where this is a common practice.
You’re only giving up 0.18% in the house edge department when betting on the player over the banker.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that the player’s chances of winning are better just because their losing streak will eventually end.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #3:Play No Commission Baccarat
Given that the banker hand has a slightly better chance of beating the player hand, casinos take a 5% commission from winning banker wagers.
This bet still offers a lower house edge (1.06%) even with the 5% commission taken out. But it mostly evens the odds up and helps the casino maintain a reasonable house advantage.
If you were to eliminate the commission altogether, though, you’d suddenly have an edge over the house.
This is why no commission baccarat is seems so attractive because it offers the illusion of improved odds. In fact, I had a player once tell me that the only reason he was playing at my table isbecause the no commission tables were full.
True to the name, commission free baccarat doesn’t take a commission from banker wins. Instead, it only pays 50% on any banker win where the banker has six points.
This seems like a harmless rule caveat that won’t hurt your chances too much. But it does have an impact because the banker beats the player with a six 5.39% of a time.
Any no commission baccarat with this rule features a 1.46% house edge on banker bets.
This means that the player hand is actually the most attractive in this situation. It also means that you’re better off playing at regular baccarat tables that take out 5% commissions.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #4:Make Tie Bets when the Payoff is 9 to 1
One of the main baccarat tips is to avoid the tie bet because it has a 14.36% house edge. This makes it one of the worst wagers in all of gambling.
The tie bet normally pays 8 to 1 when you win. And this is when the house edge is 14.36%.
But some casinos offer a 9 to 1 payout on tie bets to make it more attractive.
One time I was at a baccarat table and somebody started talking about how everybody should make the tie wager because the payouts were 9 to 1. They further explained how the payouts are normally8 to 1.
While this much is true, their advice on how everybody should be betting on ties wasn’t great.
9 to 1 payouts lower the tie bet house edge from 14.36% to 4.84%. This is a significant drop, but it’s still now an attractive wager.
If big payouts are what you’re after, then you’re better off wagering 9x as much on a banker bet.
Yes, you’re risking more money to win a 1 to 1 payout. But you’re also facing a house edge that’s over 4x smaller.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #5:Use the Martingale System
One of the most famous betting systems is the Martingale. And I’ve noticed plenty of baccarat players using this strategy over the years.
I once made the mistake of asking a Martingale user next to me if the system works for him. He then started lecturing me about how I should be using it too.
Originating in 18th century France, the Martingale sees you double your bet following every loss. You make the minimum bet as long as you’re winning.
The Martingale is commonly used on even money bets like baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette, where you have almost a 50% chance of winning every time.
The idea is that you can’t lose for too many times in a row when odds are this good. As long as everything goes according to plan, you always win back losses along with a small profit.
- You bet $10 and lose.
- Your next bet is $20; you again lose.
- Your third bet is $40; you win this time.
- You’ve earned back your losses along with a $10 profit.
- Now you return back to the base bet of $10.
You may have read before that no betting system can overcome the long term house edge. And this is certainly true.
But the Martingale is the only system that theoretically works. As long as you have infinite money and no table limits, then you’d win back your money plus small profits every time.
But the problem is that casinos limit maximum bets on tables. And long losing streaks happen, meaning you eventually won’t be able to double your next bet.
Let’s look at an example using a table with a $10 minimum bet and a $2,000 max:
- You bet $10 and lose.
- You bet $20 and lose.
- You bet $40 and lose.
- You bet $80 and lose.
- You bet $160 and lose.
- You bet $320 and lose.
- You bet $640 and lose.
- You bet $1,280 and lose.
At this point, you can only wager the $2,000 table maximum. Even if you win the ninth bet, you’ll have lost $560 overall.
Blackjack Winning Hands
The odds of losing 8 straight banker bets are very low. But it can happen.
And when you suffer through a lengthy losing streak, then all of your profits from previous Martingale successes are wiped out. I don’t suggest using this strategy, especially when you can’tabsorb the losses.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #6:Count Cards to Gain an Advantage
A baccarat player sitting next to me once started discussing the viability of baccarat card counting. He theorized that players can gain an advantage over the house since baccarat is also dealtfrom a shoe.
The player wasn’t exactly giving me advice. But he did seem rather gung ho to start learning in the near future.
The truth is that they’re indeed right about baccarat giving you an edge over the house. However, the problem is that this edge is so small that it’s not even worth pursuing.
I’m talking an hourly profit worth pennies – and this is only if you keep an accurate count and spread your bets when necessary.
Noted gambling authors from Ed Thorp to James Grosjean have admonished baccarat card counting as a pointless pursuit.
Here are a few problems with counting in baccarat:
What Is The Best Strategy For Baccarat
- Baccarat doesn’t have any cards that give the player or banker a huge advantage.
- Most blackjack players count in games with lower house edges than baccarat.
- Baccarat games are normally dealt from an 8 deck shoe, meaning you need a lot of deck penetration to win.
Maybe you’re interested in learning baccarat counting for fun so that you can gain a small edge or break even. But I suggest sitting back and enjoying the game instead because it already hasa low house edge.
Worst Piece of Baccarat Advice #7:Bet More when the Pit Boss is Around for More Comps
One more piece of bad baccarat advice that I’ve been given is to bet more when pit bosses are around. I’ve heard the same thing from fellow blackjack and roulette players.
The logic is that the pit boss will see you betting more and shower you with comps afterward.
This advice can occasionally work, making it semi reasonable. But it usually doesn’t work and leaves you stranded with bigger bets that you’d like.
- You’re betting $25 at a mini baccarat table.
- You see the pit boss making rounds and closing in on your table.
- You increase your bets to $150 to make the pit boss think you’re a big player.
- They stick around for five hands.
- You’ve now bet $750 over the course of five rounds.
- This is $625 more than you’d normally wager over five hands.
Again, keep in mind that the pit boss probably won’t be fooled. This is especially the case if they make a surprise trip by your table and see that you’re only wagering $25 per hand.
Even if the pit boss is prepared to rate you as a $150 per hand player, the dealer may tell on you.
In the end, you take far more risk by increasing your bets just to get a few more comps than you stand to gain. This is why I suggest that you avoid betting more than you’re comfortable with.