How to Play Baccarat for Real Money
Lila Thorn | January 1, 2021 | Updated on: December 12th, 2023
Learning how to play baccarat with our step-by-step guide is fun and easy. There are very few differences between the baccarat card game and blackjack for those who are familiar with the game.
In this guide, we explore how to play baccarat for beginners at your favorite online gambling site. We’ll also show you how you can increase your chances of winning when you play baccarat with our strategy.
Best Baccarat Casinos
How to Play Baccarat Online
Once you have learned how to play baccarat, using our guide, test out your skills and what you have learned about the casino game baccarat and how to play. Fortunately for players, we have found some of the best online casinos with the best baccarat online casino games.
The casinos have reviewed regulated and safe for players. Furthermore, they have great bonuses and promotions and a wide variety of banking options to choose from. Sign up with any of the casinos and start playing baccarat.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of baccarat, read up on live baccarat. Here you’ll be able to play against a live dealer alongside other players.
Card Values
- Ace – 1
- Numbered Cards – face value
- Face Cards – 0
Learning to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is played with between six and eight decks of cards to ensure that the draws are fair. These are not returned to the deck, so you can’t predict the next card if you’re counting.
With that in mind, follow these steps to start learning how to play baccarat:
- To start, you need to place your chips on the boxes for the player, banker win, or tie bet.
- Then, you’ll get two cards face-up in the spot marked “player,” and the banker will receive theirs in the box.
- After that, the dealer will call out the hand totals, determining the rest of the game.
- If you or the banker have eight or nine, the hand ends; but if your hands are equal, the tie bet wins.
- If there’s no natural or tie, then you’ll look at the hand totals for your next move:
- If you have 6 or 7, you’ll stand
- But you’ll take a third card if your total is between 0 and 5
How to Win Baccarat
Online baccarat is one of the casino games that is considered to be easy to play. The game’s objective and win are to wager who you think will win between you and the banker. The winner has to have a hand that is equal to the sum of nine.
How to Play Baccarat Bets
It’s important to have a solid understanding of the baccarat strategy that will help you place bets. This happens before the banker deals out the cards. The player has different betting options to choose from, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with them.
The bets are for either the banker’s hand or your hand as the player. However, keep in mind that the player’s hand has better payouts most of the time. As a result, choose your bet wisely.
Baccarat Card Game Values
The card values for playing online baccarat are straightforward. The 10, J, Q, K have the value of 10, the ace card has a value of 1, and the cards from 2 to 9 keep their face value.
However, if the face cards are dealt with a point total of more than 10, then the 10 digits will be dropped. For example, if the banker has two cards with a value of 18, then the ten is dropped, they are left with the card value of 8.
How to Play Baccarat- Adding Additional Cards
When playing baccarat, the banker and the player receive two cards. When either the player or the banker has a hand value of 8 or 9, they can’t be dealt another card. A player has to stand if they have a hand value of 6 or 7. However, if the hand value is lower than 5, a player can be dealt another card.
The rules for the banker are dependent on your card value as a player. Below are some options for the banker you need to remember when learning how to play baccarat:
- If the banker’s two-card hand total is 7, 8, and 9, they will stand.
- The banker will hit when he has a two-card hand value of 0, 1, 2, and 3. However, there is an exception when the banker has to hit against a player’s hand value of 8.
- When a player has a third card that is 6 to 7, and the banker is 6, he will be dealt another card.
- When the banker has 0 to 5, and the player has a third card that is 4 or 5, the banker will draw a third card.
Betting in Baccarat
When it’s time to place your bets, you should know the odds and the house edge. Since baccarat has an advantage of 1.01%-1.24%, your payouts will be slightly lower. At standard baccarat tables, the house edge works out to the following:
- Banker Win – 1.06%
- Player’s Bet – 1.24%
- Tie Bet (neither hand wins) – 9.53%
However, know that there is no guarantee of winning with a strategy when you play the game. Still, you can combine your baccarat skills and strategies to improve your odds and beat the banker.