Baccarat Player and Banker Bets
When it comes to the game of Baccarat, there are two factions to choose from. The first is the Player, the second is the Banker. Like Blackjack the objective is to hold a higher value hand than you opponent. Unlike Blackjack, there is no way to go Bust in Baccarat. In this case, the highest value hand reaches 9 points, while the lowest value hand is zero points.
Odds and payouts based on your prediction are certainly one thing to consider, however, we’ll go into more detail regarding those characteristics of the game in our Baccarat odds and payouts resource. For now, we’ll be focusing exclusively on Baccarat betting and betting strategy.
As a participant you are able to place wagers on the player just as easily as you are on the banker. Both have a high probability of paying out, though the Banker bet is higher. As a result, casinos will often charge a small commission on winning bets that predict the Banker to win a given coup.
Baccarat Tie Bets
There is a third foundational bet in Baccarat, the Tie bet, which participants can wager on in any given coup. This bet is considered a longshot among Baccarat players as it has rather bleak odds which go way in the favor of the house. However, on the upside, the payout for this bet is far beyond the payout of Player or Banker bets.
Baccarat Side Bets
Although it depends on the casino itself as to what kind if side bets you will be able to take advantage of, you’d better be familiar with the main side bets you might be allowed to place.
Baccarat Pairs Bets
Lucky Pairs is a unique Baccarat bet that can’t be placed in all Baccarat games and, in those where it is made available, you can seldom play that version of the game for free. The bet offers a significantly increase payout for the player, but comes at the cost of a higher house edge. This wager is geared towards more aggressive betting and should be avoided by players just in it for some casual fun at the Baccarat tables.
In short, a lucky pair is considered to emerge when either the first two cards in the Player’s hand or the first two cards in the Dealer’s hand are a pair.
Baccarat Dragon Bonus Bet
The Dragon Bonus is perhaps the most commonly utilized side bet in Baccarat. The wager uses a sliding scale in regard to payouts and the larger the spread of the win when the bet is made, the larger the payout to the player. In addition to the player being able to make a win prediction on a coup, the Dragon Bonus offers an additional avenue by which to earn a substantial payout. To qualify the bet, a participant has to wager this bet on the player or banker’s side. To receive a payout, the predicted winner must win and win by at least 4 points.
Advanced Baccarat Betting strategy
There are several theories as to the best betting strategy in Casino Baccarat and it would be a huge undertaking to detail them all here, much less learn them all. So, we’ll outline two of the most prevalent and you can use them to up your own game or develop you own unique betting system to use at the tables.
Basic Baccarat Betting Strategy
As the name implies, anyone looking to utilize this strategy does not have to have a sizable bankroll to get started. Keep this in mind as you may need to be ready to play for a long duration and think long and hard about when you’ll be up enough to cash out and step away from the tables. Know when to cut yourself off so you can enjoy your spoils or, at the very least, minimize your losses. To begin, you’ll utilize a basic Baccarat betting strategy that requires the participant place a 12 unit wager.
At first, you have to utilize a Basic Baccarat Strategy. For instance, placing a 12 unit wager that two outcomes will not turn into three after losing the second in a series of four bets. In this strategy you get up (in the money) and you get out.
In the case that you lose, you end up doubling your investment with a total of 24 units, banking on the prediction two will not turn into three. The process is repeated until the participant breaks even. Then a break from the table is advised.
High-Roller Baccarat Betting
As this strategy’s name implies, you will need a sizable bankroll to capitalize on this strategy at the tables.
The basic strategy outlined above is designed to keep you in a position of minimal loss, when you’re up you step away or at least betting with only profits so that your bankroll remains unaffected. In the case of a high-roller’s approach, you’re in a sense throwing caution to the wind by betting on longshots, rare occurrences, and making big wagers to recoup any losses you encounter.
In short, high-roller betting hinges on longer runs and bigger bets, such as runs of six, rather than two, and betting $1,000 a coup instead of $10. Some high-rollers will ride the pony, a phrase describing the tendency for these players to chase a series of events that are recurring. Say, for instance, the bank has gone on a six-coup winning streak. A high-roller riding the pony might press their bet to make another win on seven. If they’re successful, the bet may be pressed to eight, and so on.
In the event of a loss, they will bet one unit more than the last amount. In this scenario you wouldn’t bet on a long run coming through at the end of a shoe. The strategy seems like a pretty good one, but if you look at the probability on a long enough timeline, the house always comes out on top. Your best chance of success with this strategy is to employ it consistently and bank on the long runs, abandoning the strategy towards the end of a shoe. Essentially, in this strategy your objective is to capitalize on streaks and make up for losses by betting against the streak. Just keep in mind that with this strategy you can wipe out your bankroll in a single hand. So, play like a high-roller with caution.
Some tips to remember when utilizing the high-roller strategy:
- Bet against runs that exceed eight coups.
- After a loss, double the previous wager plus one unit and bet against the run once more.
- Have enough of a bank roll to get you through at least eight consecutive losses.
- Avoid betting against runs if they only begin after the middle of a shoe.
- Even high-roller tables have limits, which you need to be aware of as you play.
- Regarding the above note, if after your first wager of $100 is successfully carried through a streak of seven wins, your bankroll will reach $12,700, which exceeds the table limit of $10,000 found on most online casino high-roller tables.
Halving Baccarat Betting Strategy
Like the high-roller betting strategy, this approach focuses on how to play the streaks so commonly found in Baccarat. Long runs happen, most definitely, but it’s your task to decide when to bet and when to step back before the streaks end. In this case, you can utilize a halving of your winnings approach to ensure you remain in the money as long as possible.
Let’s start the streak at three in this example and say you feel a long run coming. With a fourth Player outcome being the result of the next coup, a bet on the Player results in a win and you are then playing with what is essentially the casino’s money. At this point, let it ride.
In our example, the streak reaches seven in a row. At this point you take half your winnings and play with the other half, following the trend. Your bet should remain the same until the tenth successful outcome in the streak. After that, half your bet again and leave the remaining 50% of your wagers to follow the trend.
Some tips to remember when utilizing the halving strategy:
- Understand that this strategy is all about letting it ride
- Before the tenth coup is played, you collect your payout and leave half on the tenth hit coming.
- Do not implement the strategy when the shoe is low.
- Set betting limits for yourself and stick to them.
- You are banking on the assumption four will make five, if it’s a successful prediction, let it ride to nine. If successful, set aside half and start the game over.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of Baccarat betting strategy, but you can use it to great effect. Whether you’re into a basic and consistent strategy or are chasing big money with risky plays, you can use these strategies or develop your own to use at the tables. Don’t forget to check out How To Play Section, Rules, and Odds resources for more information on the game. When you are ready to play for real, choose from any of our top online casinos featuring Baccarat games.
