Baccarat has gained its popularity after James Bond was shown playing it in some movies. Since that baccarat has been thought to be a very elegant game. What is more, it attracts a lot of high-rollers – they like the high limits of this game.
There are countless articles about the rules for playing this game, but few provide some tips on playing it. I’ve collected several tips that may help you increase your chances of winning.
Baccarat Strategy
Baccarat is actually that type of game where strategies don’t work and the only thing left is to guess. The only predictable thing is that the banker hand wins a bit more often. So if you’re placing bets on the banker hand and keep winning – that’s super. However, rememer that this will not last forever. Besides, casinos collect a 5% commission on these bets, so in case you win, be ready to pay it off.
Baccarat is a game of luck and good money management. The advice here is not to place large bets and not to increase wagers when losing. If you want to vary the amount of your bets, increase them when you win and bring them down when you lose. And, as in any other card game, setting limits on losses and sticking to them help escape going bankrupt.
However, there are still some general pieces of advice on playing baccarat.
Tips on Playing Baccarat
Keep Track of Your Wins
In many brick-and-mortar casinos, you’ll be provided with a scorecard to help you keep track of the wins on particular hands. Gamblers mark on what hand they’ve placed a bet and put marks next to where they won. This is also reasonable for playing online baccarat. Through several games, you will notice some patterns developing. Learn to develop a strategy in accordance with the results on your scorecard and change it if necessary.
Never Use Martingale System
We’ve already touched upon this system in one of our previous articles, when we were talking about roulette strategies. Those who are not acquainted with the Martingale system are strongly recommended reading the following lines attentively. This system implies that a wager should be doubled each time a player loses. For example, if you lose a dollar, then you should bet two. After losing two dollars bet four, and so on until you win. After you win, get back to a minimum wager. This strategy works well for games where the difference between maximal and minimal wagers is significant, however it is absolutely ineffective in baccarat.
Gamblers who follow the Martingale system very often lose huge sums in a matter of few minutes, especially when gambling with low table limits. It is better to avoid using Martingale in baccarat, if you do not want to lose all your money.
The “Tie” Bet May Be Not Your Decision
Although the house edges for both the player and the banker hands are low, 1.24% and 1.06% for every 100 units bet accordingly, which is definitely a good thing, the house edge for the tie is not so attractive – it’s 14.4%. This number means that for every 100 units you wager you’ll lose 14.4 units. So this bet is more of a waste of money and effort for a gambler. There’s actually one rule saying that ties do not even count and you should treat them as if they’re invisible. They are no more than a pause in the action. In case the banker hand has won several times before the tie occurs, keep wagering on the banker hand.
Mini-Baccarat Is a Tricky Thing
In the traditional version of baccarat, the average number of decisions played in an hour is 40. But mini-baccarat is a super-fast game because in this version from 150 to 200 decisions are made. Although the bets there are generally lower than in the traditional version which may seem as a big advantage, there’s a negative aspect that outweighs the benefits: up to 200 decisions are made in this game, and even if house edges are low, your pockets may quickly get empty if you’re down on your luck.
For mini-baccarat the optimal strategy is the following. Keep wagering on the banker hand until it starts losing. Then wait for the player hand to start losing and get back to wagering on the banker hand. Theoretically, this can help you reduce your losses in half.
The Number of Card Decks Matters
There are various baccarat games that offer different numbers of card decks. The house edge depends on the number of decks in the shoe, so knowing the number of decks is crucial for the win. The rule is that the fewer decks in the shoe, the bigger your chances of winning.
A Tip from HotPotBonus
We wouldn’t be us if we didn’t mention this point. Set yourself a limit for the money you can spend during a session and have a break if you lose it all. Take a walk or a nap – let yourself have some rest before you resume playing.
In case you win a considerable sum, but want to keep playing, the best advice for you will be to split the sum that you won in half and play with that half. If you lose it, stop playing and get a break.
Yes, baccarat may not be so popular with gamblers, but it may be just as thrilling as craps or blackjack. Although the rules of this game may seem weird at first, these tips should help you sort them out and learn to place correct bets.