Baccarat is one of the most popular card games, both online and in land-based casinos — and it’s easy to see why the table game has become a darling of casual and seasoned players alike. With the right baccarat strategy, you can help grow your bankroll, raise your winning odds, and take your gameplay to the next level.
As far as the best odds go, baccarat is among the top four casino games, alongside blackjack, Jacks or better (the 9/6 variant), and craps. In a lot of ways, you could say it resembles blackjack, but it is much simpler and more exciting. It’s a rookie-friendly game too. Although it’s partly a game of chance, baccarat has a few nifty tips, strategies, and hacks you can use to dramatically improve your odds of winning. That’s why we put together this Baccarat strategy guide. However, that’s not all because we are also sharing some information about other table games as well. Make sure to check our article on how to play Blackjack like a pro?
History
Baccarat initially appeared in Italy back in the 1400’s. Felix Falguiere created the game and called it “baccara”, which means zero in Italian. The reasoning for this name was because all the tens and face cards in the game were worth zero.
Nevertheless, it is believed that the Italian game of baccara was created based on an old Etruscan myth. In fact, the legend told a tale of a virgin who had to roll a nine-sided dice as her fate was bound to that roll. If she rolled an 8 or a 9, she would get the opportunity to become a priestess. In the same way, if she rolled a 6 or a 7, she wouldn’t be allowed to take part in any religious events. However, rolling less than a 6 would banish her to the sea to drown.
However, the original game of baccarat was a bit different to the modern one. Four different dealers dealt the cards and each player had a chance to be the banker. Furthermore, the players could place bets against the other players and against the house. In today’s version, there is one dealer and almost all bets are placed against the house. Keep in mind that the house is also the banker. The most popular version at the moment is Baccarat Online.
Baccarat Strategy
Betting with the Banker
Betting with the Banker is not only the simplest but also the safest baccarat strategy. And it all boils down to pure math. First of all, the theoretical house edge for betting on the Banker, as mentioned earlier, is 1.06 percent. By the same token, the return to player (RTP) or payout percentage for Banker bets is a staggering 98.94 percent.
If we assume that you made a hundred $1 bets on the Bank hand, then you will get $98.94 back. It’s worth keeping in mind that this metric is theoretical and it only tells you whether a specific bet is better or worse than another. The RTP of a bet on the Bank hand of 98.94 percent suggests that it’s slightly better than a Player hand wager, which has an RTP of 98.76 percent. Similarly, a bet on a tie is worse than either because of its relatively low RTP of 85.64 percent. The reason betting on the Banker is always a good idea goes beyond the house edge and RTP, though.
Example
Assuming that the casino is using eight standard 52-card decks; Tie bets pay at 8:1; Banker bets pay evens minus 5 percent commission; and that there’s a 1:1 payoff for Player bets, then the math says:
● Player hand loses 45.87 percent, wins 44.63 percent, and ties 9.51 percent.
● Bank Hand, on the other, loses 44.65 percent, wins 45.87 percent, and ties 9.51 percent.
If we remove all hands that tie from the equation, then the Bank hand loses 49.32 percent of the hands, while it wins 50.68 percent. On the flip side, 50.68 percent of Player hands lose, while 49.32 percent win. Against this mathematical background, it’s clear that Bank hand bets are more likely to win than lose, while Player hands lose more frequently than win. To correct for this, there’s a 5 percent commission on all winning Banker bets.
Even when you include the 5 percent charge and ignore hands that tie, the Banker hand’s house advantage is still a very favorable 1.17 percent. In other words, every $100 worth of Banker bets will result in a theoretical loss of $1.17, while similar Player hand wagers will result in a loss of $1.36.
Progression Systems
This is one of the most basic gambling systems in the world. Regardless of which game you are playing, you have definitely heard of progression. That’s why we can’t talk about a baccarat strategy without mentioning progression betting. There are two ways in which this can be applied to your gameplay and we will explain both. The first one is known as positive progression.
Using a Positive Progression System means that you increase your bet every time you win and reduce it after a loss. Positive progressions are considered to be less damaging to your bankroll than negative progression betting systems. They are supposed to help you maximize your winnings if you go on a lucky winning streak and keep your losses to a minimum if you end up having consecutive losses. In theory, they do make sense and it is possible to win more money if you get a series of winning outcomes and soften the blow to your wallet in case of several consecutive losses.
Negative Progression Systems are just the opposite of positive progression systems and can actually be harmful to your bankroll. In essence, they postulate that you should increase your wager after every loss and reduce it after a winning bet. At first glance, they seem logical and it’s easy to see why some gamblers will be tempted to try them. The theory behind them is that when you increase your bet, eventually your win will be big enough to cover your losses. Unless you’re very experienced and know exactly what you’re doing, such systems can be a recipe for disaster.
1-3-2-4 System
This system is known as a positive progression system. You begin by betting one unit, even if you lose, you still bet just one unit. When you win, you bet three units on the next hand. If you win that one as well, bet two units on the next one. However, if you lose, you go back to betting one unit.
Winning baccarat 4 times in a row means that you made 10 units profit, and that you can restart the sequence. This baccarat strategy was devised to maximize winnings and lower losses. Although, a long losing run would severely reduce your total profit amount.
Martingale system
Contrary to the one above, this system is known as a negative progression system. Its a standard and simple staking strategy. Each time you lose, you need to double your stake. This baccarat strategy is very logical and whenever you win, you will always cover the previous losses. However, a long losing run might raise your stakes to an amount that’s unbearable for your bankroll.
Coinbet24 Bitcoin Sportsbook & Online Casino
Simply knowing one baccarat strategy or several of them is not enough. However, now that you know and understand the basics, it’s time to test your knowledge. Check the Coinbet24 Bitcoin Casino to find some of the best baccarat games and variations. To make things better, all of them can be played with Bitcoin and other crypto coins.
Additionally, visit the Baccarat Strategy section on the Coinbet24 blog to learn more about the game of baccarat and the best ways to beat he house edge.
