7 Tips to Win when Playing Baccarat

Baccarat is an easy-to-understand card game. However, it would help if you kept the following tips in mind to bolster your strategy and extend your betting advantage to guarantee more wins.

1. Forget About Patterns

Newbies who are only getting their first feel of the game often have no idea about this playing strategy. Most people are obsessed with the notion that keeping track of the patterns would help them win a baccarat game. Most baccarat tables follow games closely and will most likely notice the outcome in a particular game, whether it’s a win for the bank, player, or a tie. While hot and cold winning streaks could paint a different picture, the probabilities in a baccarat game are similar to those of a coin toss. Each outcome of the game is unique, and while you may strive to read the patterns to determine an outcome, coming up with a clear-cut winning strategy is almost impossible. Have fun while playing, and forget about the sequences. This way, you don’t have to follow every hand movement, and you get to enjoy the game better.

2. Be Smart With Your Bet

Whenever you sit at a baccarat table to play, there’s always one question that rings in your head: what will my bet be? The banker or player? Normally, the house places a 5% tax on any bet on the banker, which would easily put off a new baccarat player. If you give it a thought, the banker bet is statistically a safer bet despite the commission that goes to the house for every win. With a lower house edge, the payouts make this bet worthwhile in the long term. With time, the banker bet is set to win 50.68% against 49.32% on the player bet. While the difference may seem insignificant, the fractions add up to significant profits over time.

3. Forget About The Tie Bet

Anyone who has been playing baccarat will tell you that the tie bet is the worst bet a player can place. The possible payout of this bet is undeniably appealing. However, you’ll need all the luck to pull the bet off since you only have a 9% chance of winning. The returns are bumper if you manage to pull off this bet, which makes it an appealing bet. Unless you are from another planet and can accurately tell when this bet will give, then betting your money on this bet is not worth the effort and fortunes.

4. Remember to Keep It Brief

In a baccarat game, most players experience a quick yet short run of wins that is often interrupted by a brief drop that can easily turn into huge losses. Games like blackjack can grant players impressive upturns, but baccarat proves to be more of a sprint than a marathon. A great way to practice is playing baccarat online. The secret to making a killing in baccarat is gaining momentum and maintaining it for as long as possible. In this game, don’t let greed take over – walk away early just before your fortune turns for the worse. Otherwise, playing on would make a dent in your pocket. It pays to keep your sessions brief, especially if you fancy juggling between the player and banker bets. A good rule of thumb is playing for about 15 minutes and then wrapping things up before things go south. If you are the superstitious type, switch tables. The rule is to keep it short and sweet.

5. Follow Your Gut Feeling

Playing baccarat over a long time gives the impression that you have come up with the winning formula that will guarantee you consistent wins over time. Such a formula can easily become limited. In some cases, uncertainty can work to your advantage, and making bets based on pure instinct makes betting more enjoyable. While you may have strategies like supposed streaks and keeping scorecards under your sleeve, sometimes gambling requires that you follow your intuition if you are not sure of the best to make. Statistically, doing this doesn’t ruin your chances of winning, so have some fun while at it!

You’ve probably heard of beginner’s luck or even experienced a rookie enter a casino without a clue on how to play and winning big. In such cases, these people certainly enjoy themselves and may go on to secure more big wins. Overthinking kills the fun in baccarat, so always remember that fun is part of the game.

6. Beware of the Competition

The 5% commission is a standard whenever a player bets on the banker in a baccarat game and is non-negotiable. However, for some land-based casinos, it is not uncommon to find tables that are willing to accept a smaller percentage of the winnings on banker bets. A 1% commission may seem insignificant but can make a positive difference and maintain your bankroll. The commission is a rule at every casino, and a player can’t, therefore, barter with the dealer. Whether you are having a good time in one of those casinos on the Las Vegas Strip or winding down on the weekend with friends in Atlantic City, you may come across baccarat tables competing with other casinos by offering a lower commission rate. Some casinos will have a no-commission offer, but the banker bet exclusively wins on 6 pays half. In that case, the offer may be blinding to the eye.

7. Set Your Keen Eye on Each table

While most baccarat tables collect a 5% commission on banker bets, this may not be the standard for all casinos. In some casinos, Baccarat tables may be stamped with 10% or even 25% commission on the banker bet wins. Be careful with the rules and all the minimums outlined on each table of your preferred casino. If you decide to make the tie bet, be sure to look out for the table’s payout for this bet. Most casinos offer 8:1 or 9:1 odds for this bet, but some crafty casinos can slash the odds to 6:1 or even lower. Take note of these odds even if you don’t go for this bet – if they have unfairly adjusted the odds on the tie bet, it could be possible that they have also corrupted other aspects of the game.

Feature Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay