In the past, the game of Baccarat was usually limited to the elite and the rich. But today, with the advent of online gambling platforms, Baccarat has become available to all types of players across the globe, from newbies to Baccarat veterans and high rollers.
In order to play Baccarat effectively, it’s important for players to understand the basics, gameplay rules and other things about the game. As such, this article covers everything one needs to get started with Baccarat online.
Hand values in Baccarat
Baccarat is a casino card game that is played using a standard 52-cards deck. As you’d be knowing, a traditional card deck has 13 different types of cards in total – nine numbered cards, three picture cards and an Ace. And remembering the values these cards carry in Baccarat is pretty easy, though it may seem difficult at the first glance.
In Baccarat, all cards between 2 and 9 carry the value that’s printed on them. That way, the number 3 card is counted as 3, the number 7 card is counted as 7, and so on. Speaking about the picture cards (King, Queen and Jack), they are valued at 10 in all Baccarat games. Finally, the Ace card is counted as 1.
Note that unlike online Blackjack games, you don’t go bust if your final hand value exceeds the highest total (9) in Baccarat. Instead, the values of both the Baccarat hands are added and the first digit is dropped from the resulting sum. For example, the total value of a 7 and 8 card hand is 15, but excluding the first digit will make it just 5. Interestingly, this flexibility in rules has led to some of the biggest Baccarat runs in Baccarat history.
A look at the Baccarat bets rules
When playing Baccarat, players have the option to choose from three different betting options – the player hand, the banker hand, and the tie. Below we offer a detailed overview of these online Baccarat types:
The player
With this betting option, you wager that the player hand will be closer to 9 than the banker. If you win, you’ll get a 1:1 payout on your initial bet size. Note that this Baccarat bet type also comes with a specific rule – if the total value of the player hand is below 5, then an extra card is dealt to improve it. Speaking about the house edge, it’s 1.24% at most casinos.
The banker
As you’d guess, this Baccarat bet type lets you wager that the banker hand will be closer to the highest total than the player. The banker bet comes with a house edge of just 1.06%, so it’s a pretty exciting wager to make when playing Baccarat at the UK online casino. Remember that as this Baccarat bet offers a low house edge, you need to pay a 5% commission on every winning banker wager.
Tie
This is a bet that the final value of both the player hand and the banker hand will be the same. While the chances of the tie bet winning are quite slim, it comes with a lucrative payout of 8:1. As for the house advantage, it’s well over 14% for this Baccarat wager.
Gameplay round of Baccarat
Below is the step-by-step guide to a typical gameplay round in Baccarat:
- The game of Baccarat starts with the players placing wagers on Player, Banker or Tie.
- Depending on the gameplay rules, players can also choose to place some optional side bets.
- After this, a set of two cards is dealt to the Player and the Banker hand each.
- Then the values of both the cards are revealed.
- Any winning wagers are paid as per the paytable of the game.
Baccarat house advantage
As with Roulette games and a few other casino classics, the game of Baccarat comes with a decent RTP rate. But it’s important to remember that players need to pay a 5% commission on a winning banker bet.
The reason why casinos charge the extra fee is that the banker hand has slightly higher chances of winning. While the banker hand wins 45.87% of the Baccarat hands, the winning rate for the Player hand stands slightly less at 44.63%.
Summary
Featuring straightforward rules and simple gameplay, Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to play online. While many Baccarat veterans do use playing strategies to improve their winning chances, you don’t need any of that to get started with the game. If you still want to use some kind of Baccarat betting system as a beginner, then we suggest you check out our Baccarat rules and tips guide. Play responsibly and have an entertaining Baccarat experience!