How to Play Online Baccarat

Pure class. High society’s little time-waster. There’s a reason Bond could always be found at the Baccarat table with a dry martini in hand. No other game has such a highbrow reputation as Baccarat, and yet it remains so easy to play. Are you feeling fancy?

Even if you don’t consider yourself so fancy, don’t run away just yet. Because I’m guessing you do consider yourself a fine purveyor of bigger paydays made with fewer decisions, right?

Either way. I may not be the classiest bloke out there. Maybe I was way back when. But I do know a thing or two about online Baccarat. And today, I’m your very own personal online Baccarat guide. I’ll show you how to play Baccarat for real money. And who knows? Maybe we’ll both pick up some swagger along the way.

1. How Baccarat Works

In online Baccarat, there are two participants: the Player and the Banker. The point of the game is to see who gets the closest to a sum of 9. You make a bet on who you think will win: the Player, and Banker, or a Tie.

This is how the game is played:

• Decide on who you want to bet on: Player, Banker, or Tie
• Place your chips on your choice, inside the marked circles: $1, $5, $25, $100, or $500 (500 is max)
• Two cards are dealt to both the Player and the Banker. You can see both of them face up.
• A third card may be drawn in some situations, and the outcome is automatically decided. You win if the person you bet on is the closest to 9

And these are the values of the cards:

⦁ 2 to 9: Their numerical value
⦁ 10, J, Q, K: worth 0
⦁ Aces: 1

Now, in the event the cards add up to a double digit number, like say 13 (9 and 4), the sum is determined by dropping the first digit. So in fact 13 is a sum of 3.

A “natural” means that either the Banker or the Player got an 8 or 9 from their very first hand. That person wins right away. If a “natural” doesn’t happen, a third card may be drawn depending on the other totals.

So who should you bet on in online Baccarat?

2. Player Win Percentage

The house edge for a bet on the player is only 1.24%, and pays even 1:1. You can win a player bet 44.62% of the time, with a return to player (RTP) of 98.76%. That’s not a bad start.

But it may not be the best bet in Baccarat for real money. Take a seat and I’ll explain.

3. Banker Win Percentage

Any good online Baccarat guide will tell you that betting on the Banker is the best choice. That’s because it’s true. But wait – there’s more.

While the player’s house edge is already really favourable, the banker’s is even better at 1.06%.

You have a 45.8% chance of winning your bet, with an average RTP of 98.94%. That’s even 5% higher than your average pokie. Aka that’s damned good.

4. Should you Play the Tie?

If you’ve ever played Baccarat for real money, I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage: never bet on a tie. While the payout is the biggest of the three at 8:1, the odds aren’t great. For a Tie to occur, there’s a slim 9.53% chance, with a 14.36% house edge.

Considering the low house edge and high RTP in both the Banker and Player bets, a bet on the Tie doesn’t make much sense. Unless you know something I don’t? I’m all ears and beers.

So I won’t try to pave new paths here. I’ll preach it like the rest: don’t bet on a tie. Be good to your mother.

5. Baccarat Strategies

There are two key things to remember when playing online Baccarat for real money:

1. Set aside a bankroll just for Baccarat. If you’re playing for an hour, a good rule of thumb is to set aside enough funds for about 5 bets if you’re going for an aggressive strategy, and 10 bets for something more conservative. Keep those bets at around 2.5% of your bankroll.
2. Bet on the Banker, baby. You could be a rogue and bet on a Tie. You could go half way and bet on the Player. But when the maths speaks for itself, why not just bet on the best odds? Banker all the way.

Boom! Baccarat. Bond. Brilliance. Brains. Paydays. Come back to my online Baccarat guide if you have any more questions. I’m usually around. Just give me a Hoy! Or a Hey Joe! Otherwise, fire up that engine in your belly and deposit and play now, Player.