As soon as beginners encounter Baccarat, they wonder how to play Baccarat. And not in vain, considering that the rules of this game can really seem complicated and confusing at first glance. Below you will find answers to these questions, as well as a list of modern online casinos where you can play Baccarat online or with live dealers. Our experts have studied these gambling platforms to keep you calm and fully immerse yourself in the casino atmosphere.
Baccarat is blackjack’s main rival, gradually conquering the eGambling industry. And though it still has a lot to catch up so far, the gap is getting smaller. At Asian venues, baccarat is already ahead of blackjack. As well, it’s perfect for casinos, as one coup lasts less than a minute. It’s available both as a game on Canadian online casinos and at tables with real dealers and comes in several variations. Follow this guide to find out how to play baccarat like a skilled punter.
Beginning to explore baccarat? Here are some step-by-step instructions that explain how to start with minimal risks:
In most table games, the dealer represents the house, but that’s not how baccarat works. Instead, punters are free to bet on the dealer’s side.
With this quick guide, you’ll have no problem figuring out how to play mini-baccarat on the pro level. So, your objective is to guess who will collect a bigger card combination. The one who scores closer to nine wins. The gambler chooses between three outcomes:
Cards have different values. Cards from 10 to King bring zero points; cards from 2 to 9 bring from two to nine points respectively, and Ace brings you one point. The overall card value can’t be a two-digit number. If it is, 10 points are subtracted for every 10 extra points you get. Thus, a pair of six and eight only gives four points (6+8=14, 14-10=4).
How the gambler gets cards:
If the initial hand brings: | The gambler: |
From 0 to 5 | Always gets a card |
6, 7 | Never gets a card |
8, 9 | Wins |
How the dealer gets cards:
If the initial hand brings: | The dealer gets a third card if the gambler’s extra card is: | The dealer doesn’t get a 3rd card if the gambler’s extra card is: |
From 0 to 2 | Any card | |
3 | 1-2-… — 10 | 8 |
4 | from 2 to 7 | 0-1, 8-9 |
5 | from 4 to 7 | 0-3, 8-9 |
6 | 6,7 | 1-5, 8-9 |
7 | Cards aren’t dealt | |
8-9 | The game ends |
If the initial hand brings eight or nine (a natural win), then the winner’s announced immediately.
Overall, if you know how to play casino games, baccarat shouldn’t be much of a challenge for you.
Can you guarantee a win in baccarat? No. Can you be a pro baccarat player? Certainly! Just make sure to keep a few things in mind.
Baccarat’s most outstanding feature is that your victory may not depend on your score. Punters that know how to play baccarat online would advise placing stakes on the dealer. This newbie strategy is quite efficient.
A typical baccarat deck comprises from six to eight decks shuffled into one. You’ll never see the dealer drawing the cards before you.
Figure out how many points both sides got after drawing the initial hand. By this moment, there may already be a winner.
If the overall score of the initial hand is eight or nine, it’s called natural. So if you get it, you automatically beat the dealer.
If the score of your initial hand ranges from zero to five, you draw one more card. If it ranges from six to nine, you stand, that is, get no extra cards.
That’s where things get a little more complicated:
When playing live dealer baccarat, an online casino calculates everything for you. But nobody says you can’t do calculations on your own. Just memorize the card value (1 point for Ace, 2-9 for numbered cards, and 0 for every card from 10 to King). Then, if the score is more significant than 9, subtract 10 points.
