How to Play Baccarat

Baccarat is a simple game that offers players a great bit of excitement. Learning how to play online baccarat is very easy. You'll just need an understanding of the rules and odds, along with a basic baccarat strategy.

Baccarat Basics

The rules of baccarat are very simple. Usually, the player and the banker are dealt two cards each and in some cases, a third card can be drawn. There are only three possible bets, although some online baccarat versions also offer the opportunity to place side bets. You may wager that the player hand will come closer to a total value of nine or that the banker's hand will, or that the two hands will tie.

Baccarat Odds

Before you can develop a good baccarat strategy, you need to understand the house advantage and the odds of each bet. A win with the tie bet is the least likely and has a high casino edge of 14.36%. The banker bet typically has the best odds with a house advantage of 1.04%. The play bet is also favorable with an edge of 1.24%, although the house advantage may vary slightly depending on the casino.

Baccarat Strategy

Based on the odds and the house edge, the banker bet is obviously the best baccarat strategy, but a 5% commission fee is typically charged when this bet wins. Compare the expected return of the player and the banker bets to decide which is more favorable in the end. The tie bet offers the highest payout of eight to one but is a very risky bet that should be placed with care.

Now that you're familiar with the basics of baccarat, a short session of free online baccarat should be all you need to start winning.