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Baccarat – Play to Win!

Baccarat Strategies for Big Wins

We give you the low down on baccarat and the strategies to use to help you get the big money wins!

The game of baccarat is as old as the hills. A game called Tarrochi, which was played in medieval times, is said to be the original version of the game that we know today. Tarrochi morphed into the Italian game ‘baccara’ and then the game travelled to France where it became ‘Baccarat Chemin De Fer’.

The French kept the game alive during the long years of gambling prohibition in France by playing it in their homes and in the back rooms of bars. The French also introduced the game to the British who called the game ‘Chemmy Baccarat’. Sailors then took the game overseas, and in South America a new incarnation of the game was born – Punto Banco. Eventually, baccarat reached the shores of the United States where it was embraced by the casinos in Las Vegas and renamed Mini-Baccarat.

A Game of Luck

Online casinos have breathed new life into baccarat and the game now attracts a new generation of players that enjoy the excitement of this fast-paced game. The potential to win a lot of money is as tempting as it is thrilling.

Baccarat is usually played with 8 decks of cards, which are housed in a shoe. The numbered cards from 1 to 9 retain their face value, but the 10 and the face cards are given a value of 0. In baccarat, regardless of the number of players at the table, there are only two hands dealt: the Player hand and the Banker hand. Here is how it works:

• All players at the table can bet on either the Player hand, the Banker hand, or a Tie.
• The dealer deals two cards to the Player hand and two cards to the Banker hand.
• The game’s rules determine whether a third card is drawn for either hand (see below).
• Players win or lose based on the hand they bet on and the final totals of the Player and Banker hands.

Even if there are multiple players at the table, they all make their bets on these two hands rather than each having their own individual hands.

For the Player:

• If the player’s total for the first two cards is 0-5, the player draws a third card.
• If the player’s total is 6 or 7, the player stands (does not draw a third card).
• If the player’s total is 8 or 9, it is a “natural” and both the player and banker stand.

For the Banker:

The banker’s decision to draw a third card depends on the player’s third card and the banker’s total:

• If the banker’s total is 0-2, the banker always draws a third card.
• If the banker’s total is 3, the banker draws unless the player’s third card is an 8.
• If the banker’s total is 4, the banker draws if the player’s third card is 2-7.
• If the banker’s total is 5, the banker draws if the player’s third card is 4-7.
• If the banker’s total is 6, the banker draws if the player’s third card is 6 or 7.
• If the banker’s total is 7, the banker stands.
• If the banker’s total is 8 or 9, it is a “natural” and both the player and banker stand.

The rules are quite detailed, but they ensure the game is straightforward once understood. The possibility of drawing a third card depends on the specific totals and the predefined rules for both the player and banker.

Prior to the deal, the player can place one of three bets. They can bet on the player to win or they can bet on the banker to win or they can bet on tie. Betting on the player to win gives the best return. The same rules apply whether you’re playing an RNG game or a live casino game. If you’re a newbie to live casino, check out https://livecasinoonline.ca/games/baccarat for some great live baccarat tips and tricks.

Baccarat Strategies for Risk takers

Being a luck-based game means that it is hard to employ an effective strategy to improve your chances of winning. Plenty of people may claim to have a fool-proof baccarat strategy, but in reality there is no such thing. With so many decks of cards in play, it is almost impossible to keep track of the cards in the way that card counters do when playing blackjack. So card counting is not an option here – and, of course, we wouldn’t condone it even if it was!

Obviously, we also have to rule out bluffing or trying to read the other players in the way you would if you were playing poker. So what’s left? Well, the Martingale Strategy is probably the only strategy that might actually help you stay on top of your losses.

The Martingale Strategy is usually employed when playing roulette, but if you’re playing baccarat at a table with high limits, the Martingale can be quite effective. The Martingale Strategy works thusly: Every time you lose a hand you need to double your bet on the next hand. This should mean that when you eventually win a hand you will also win back all your losses as well as making a small profit.

This only works if you bet on the player to win. This also only works if you have a big enough bank roll to keep placing bigger and bigger bets while also suffering bigger and bigger losses. In order to truly take this game for all it’s worth, you need to be brave enough to take big risks. But most importantly, you simply need to have luck on your side.

Note from the editors: we’ve had a rebuttal to this article from one of our regular contributors! Please check out Michael Wiesenberg’s response: “Martingale – How to Lose a Lot With a Betting System” here.