One of the main reasons why I and so many other like-minded people enjoy playing Baccarat is because it’s so easy to learn. Blackjack is often considered a popular classic for beginners, but I would suggest starting with Baccarat, which is even easier.
If you consider yourself a complete rookie and want to quickly bring yourself up to speed with some of the basics, you’ve come to the right place.
Although there are no proven strategies that will guarantee you win each time you play, there are some things you can do to ensure you lose fewer hands, hold on to your bankroll for longer periods, and boost your average session time.
With that in mind, let’s look at several popular baccarat strategies you might want to consider when you next play one of the world’s most popular card variants at a land-based or legally permitted online baccarat website.
What is Baccarat?
Baccarat is a simple card game that can be likened to blackjack, so if you’re at all familiar with this traditional favourite, it shouldn’t take you too long to master the basics of Baccarat. I already knew how to play Baccarat, so it literally only took me a few hands at most to get to grips with it when playing for the first time.
Instead of trying to reach as close to 21 points with the cards that are dealt, in Baccarat, the aim is to try to reach 9 points (without exceeding it). You basically have three betting options in most standard baccarat versions.
Before a round starts, you can bet on the Player (aka Punto) or Banker (aka Banco) winning that round or for it to end in a tie, where the Player and Banker both end up with the same points value.
Today, you can play Baccarat on hundreds of fully licensed and regulated websites either in the real money mode or free-play mode, so one great strategy to begin with is to practice playing in the free-play mode just until you have familiarized yourself with the rules, which shouldn’t take long.
If you would rather start playing using real money, perhaps place low stakes to begin with.
Most sites have at least 5 to 10 or more computer-generated and live dealer online baccarat variants that let you play from as little as $/€/£0.10, $/€/£0.20, $/€/£0.50, or $/€/£1.00 per hand/round, depending on which version you are playing and the betting limits for that table.
I always play on sites that have been recommended to me by the experts because I know the Baccarat they have available on those sites will be from award-winning software providers, meaning they will have high or above-average RTP% (Return to Player) payout rates.
The best selection of baccarat sites presented by AskGamblers on sites such as Bet365, Mr Frank and HighBet, to mention just three of the thousands of featured sites, is constantly updated by their dedicated team of researchers.
Their featured sites are free to join, cater to gamers in most countries where it’s legal to play on sites like this, and will be fully licensed and regulated by one or more of the industry’s most notable gaming commissions/top-tier licensing authorities.
You can play their baccarat games using any decent Wi-Fi/internet-connected desktop computer or mobile device, provided you are of legal age in your country. Where I live, it’s 18, but I do know that some of my friends must be slightly older where they live in North America (19 or 21).
Most rounds last only a few seconds, and this fast-paced action is what makes the game so appealing for most people who play, myself included. In most versions, a winning bet you place on the banker’s hand pays around 0.95:1.
A winning participant bet pays 1:1. A Tie pays 8:1, and Banker Pair/Player Pair pays 11:1.
Which Strategies Are Worth Trying in Baccarat?
In my years of playing and reading up on how I can improve my gameplay, I’ve found three effective strategies. They include the following:
- 1-3-2-4 (positive progression betting strategy, increasing the wager in order 1-3-2-4)
- Paroli (similar to the Martingale strategy, but the opposite)
- One-Sided (stick to one type of bet, and don’t mix it up, either the Player or Banker betting options)
To learn these strategies in as little time as possible and discover your potential as a baccarat master, I also suggest going to YouTube and watching a few videos showing some of these baccarat strategies in action.
Final Thoughts
I can also recommend several other, often overlooked, strategies, which mainly revolve around gambling responsibly. In other words, set a reasonable budget before you start playing.
Always take the time to read the rules before playing any baccarat variant. Never play while tired or intoxicated. Don’t chase your losses. Never play on unlicensed or unregulated sites, and always check your stake before hitting the play button.
If you want to take things to the next level, then you may also want to consider using several other strategies some iGamers use, such as The James Bond Strategy, the 3-2 system, the 1-3-2-6 system, and the Baccarat Fibonacci system.
I would also suggest taking a few minutes to learn some of the baccarat phrases and terms, especially if you are going to be playing at a land-based baccarat venue.