Baccarat Rules and Strategies

• The banker is the most favourable bet according to baccarat rules. The wager has a house edge of 1.06%
• Most baccarat variations use 8 decks of 52 regular cards.
• 3-Card baccarat uses 1 deck of cards.
• The dragon bet is a high-risk side bet found in EZ baccarat.
• Egalite bets predict the exact value of a tie outcome.
• You can use simple baccarat strategies to enhance your chances of how to win in baccarat.
• Positive progressive betting systems dictate that you increase your stake size after every win.
• The easiest baccarat strategy for beginners is the flat progressive betting system.

Baccarat is one of the best options if you’re searching for a game with a low house edge and high RTP. The game uses an oval or bean-shaped table with numbered sections for the players. The main bets in baccarat are player, banker, and tie. The objective of the game is to guess which hand will have a value closest to 9 points without running over.

When you’re playing baccarat at Betfair Casino, you’ll notice that we have over 20 different versions of the game. The variety of baccarat games in our lobby include the standard variation or Punto Banco, which you play with 8 decks of cards. We also have other variants such the Baccarat en Banque.

Read our guide to learn about these different types of baccarat and how to play them. We’ll explain each variant in detail and outline the baccarat rules governing them. We will also share some strategies that you can use to enhance your odds when playing the game.

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8 Deck Baccarat is the most common type of baccarat offered by online and physical casinos. The version is also known as Punto Banco or Macao-style baccarat and it uses 8 decks of 52 playing cards. Examples of games in this category include Live Speed Baccarat NC and Live Baccarat.  

A round of Baccarat 8 Deck starts with the placing of bets. You can wager on the player, banker, or a tie. The version also offers you several side betting options such as player bonus, banker bonus, player pair, banker pair, either pair, and perfect pairs.

After everyone has placed their bets, the dealer will draw two cards for each hand and place them on the table. The aim of the game is to predict which hand will get a total value closest to 9 without going bust. If the value of a hand exceeds nine, you drop the first digit to get the total points. A value of 8 or nine is a natural win. The rules also allow the dealer to draw third cards for the player and banker hands, depending on the outcome of the initial draw.

Here’s what you’re expected to do after the first draw:  

• 8 or 9: Natural win
• 6 or 7: Stand
• 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5: Hit and draw a third card

House Edge, Odds, and Payouts

The probability of winning on the banker’s bet when you’re playing 8 Deck Baccarat is approximately 45.86% and the margin on this wager is 1.06%. The player bet has a house edge of 1.24%, and the odds of you winning this bet is 44.62%. Tie bets have the highest margin and the lowest probability of winning at 14.36% and 9.52%, respectively.

When it comes to payouts, the player bet pays even or 1:1 when you win. The banker bet pays even money minus a 5% commission (0:95:1), and the tie pays you at the ratio of 8:1.

As the name suggests, 6 Deck Baccarat is a variant of baccarat that uses six decks of 52 regular playing cards. Compared to Baccarat 8 Deck, this version gives you a slightly better chance of winning the tie bet, although the difference is very small - 0.01%.

Baccarat 6 Deck follows the standard rules of baccarat and the same table layout as 8 Deck Baccarat. The goal is to predict which hand will achieve a value closest to 9. The available betting options include player, banker, and tie. You can also place a variety of side wagers including bonus side bets, pairs, big, and small. Making a Small bet means you’re predicting that the round will end after the initial draw. A Big bet wins when third cards are drawn for the player and banker.

An example of a baccarat game played with six decks is Chemin de Fer.

House Edge, Odds, and Payouts

Baccarat 6 Deck offers the same payouts as standard 8 Deck Baccarat. This means that you’ll receive a payout of 1:1 for a winning player bet, 0:95:1 for winning banker bets, and 8:1 for a winning tie wager.

Now let’s look at the margin and odds of these three main wagers:

Player

• House edge: 1.24%
• Odds: 44.63%

Banker

• House edge: 1.06%
• Odds: 45.87%

Tie

• House edge: 14.44%
• Odds: 9.51%

Baccarat 1 Deck is a unique type of baccarat that's played using a single 52-card deck. An example of 1 Deck Baccarat is 3-Card Baccarat.

When you're playing this version, the dealer will allow you to make your predictions before drawing the three cards for each hand. The table layout is slightly different from other variants, whilst the main wagers are the same. Moreover, the side betting options include three faces, two or less faces, and the dealer's total.

Let's look at 1 Deck Baccarat rules:

• A round is won by the hand with the most number of face cards.
• If both player and banker don't have face cards, the hand with the value closest to 9 wins automatically.
• The player and banker must have equal points and the same number of face cards for you to win a tie bet.

House Edge, Odds, and Payouts

1 Deck Baccarat pays 1:1 when you win on the player or banker bet. However, a commission of 3% to 5% is deducted from your winnings in each case according to the baccarat rules governing this variant. The tie bet pays at the rate of 20:1, but it's best to avoid this wager due to its high house edge and low odds. The margin on the tie is 20.80%, and the probability of winning the bet is a paltry 3.77%. 

Traditionally, baccarat is played with 1 to 8 decks of 52 cards, but some online casinos have variants where you can play with an unlimited number of decks.

The basic baccarat rules are followed when you're playing Infinite Deck Baccarat. This means you’re able to bet on the player, banker, or a tie outcome prior to each deal.

After everyone has placed their bet, the dealer draws two cards for each hand and places them on the table. The player or banker wins automatically if they get a point total of 8 or 9. The dealer might draw an additional card for the player if the value of the hand is between 0 to 5. The banker draws another card if their initial hand totals 0, 1, or 2.

The most common side betting option in this game is the player and banker pair.

House Edge, Odds, and Payouts

You have a 45.8% chance of winning a banker bet when playing Infinite Deck Baccarat. The player, on the other hand, wins around 44.6% of the time. The probability of a round ending in a tie is approximately 9.5%.

When it comes to payouts, winning player and tie bets pay you 1:1 and 8:1, respectively. The banker bet pays 0:95:1 due to a 5% commission charged on your winnings.

The player and banker pair side bets pay 11:1, and your probability of winning these bets is 7.6%.

The term egalite bet refers to a side betting option that allows you to predict the value of a tie. Betting on tie value 3, for example, means you're predicting that the player and banker's hands will finish with 3 points each.

The egalite side betting option is available at Playtech-powered baccarat tables such as Live VIP Baccarat NC. The game follows the standard baccarat rules of dealing and you can make other side bets besides the egalite. Moreover, you can place as many egalite wagers as you wish.

The chips for these bets are placed on the numbered boxes next to the Tie Bet area.

House Edge, Odds, and Payouts

Egalite bets are among the most lucrative side bets in baccarat. However, the probability of predicting the value of a tie correctly is very low, hence it's best to avoid them. Below are the payout rules for baccarat egalite bet wins.

• 0 - Pays 150:1
• 1 - Pays 215:1
• 2 - Pays 220:1
• 3 - Pays 200:1
• 4 - Pays 120:1
• 5 - Pays 110:1
• 6 - Pays 45:1
• 7 - Pays 45:1
• 8 - Pays 80:1
• 9 - Pays 80:1

The Dragon Bet is an interesting side bet offered in baccarat. Your aim is to back the dealer to win a round with a combination of three cards tallying 7 points (3-card 7). The dragon wagering option is on the other hand only available in EZ Baccarat. Moreover, the house edge is 7.61% and does not charge a 5% commission if you win the banker’s bet.

Furthermore, landing a 3-card-7 will earn you a payout of 40:1. This bet is often mixed up with the Dragon Bonus Bet which predicts a natural win for the player or banker.

Finding the best baccarat strategy is crucial if you want to maximise your odds of winning. While baccarat is more of a game of luck, there are a few tried and tested betting systems that you can use to tip the odds in your favour. Baccarat strategies also help you manage your bankroll, and make informed bets once you have a plan.

Here are some of the top strategies for baccarat. 

Positive progressive baccarat strategy

Positive progressive betting systems are strategies that require you to increase your base stake whenever you win a wager. The first thing you should do when implementing these strategies is to select your base stake amount. Next, select one wager and stick with it. For example, you can choose to stick with the banker's bet. The aim of using the positive progressive strategy is to maximise your profits when you're on a winning streak.

Examples of betting systems based on positive progression include Paroli and Labouchere.

Negative Progressive Baccarat Strategy

The negative progressive strategy is the opposite of the positive progressive system. The strategy recommends that you adjust your stake size progressively after every loss. The idea is that you'll win at some point and recover your losses. The downside of using this betting system is that you can exhaust your bankroll before making any big gains. Therefore, the strategy is best if you’re a high-roller.

A good example of a progressive betting system is the Martingale.

Flat Progressive Baccarat Strategy

Unlike negative and positive progressive strategies, a flat progressive system recommends that you make the same bet repeatedly. For example, you can decide to stake £2.00 on the banker or player bet and stick with it. The flat progressive betting system is the best baccarat strategy if you’re a beginner since it's easy to use, and it allows you to cushion yourself against big losses.

Baccarat Odds Strategy

As the name suggests, this is a simple baccarat card game strategy based on the odds of the bets. The trick is to stick with the bets that have a high probability of winning and avoid those with low lower odds. For example, you can bet on the banker’s position repeatedly since it has the best odds and lowest house edge. Consequently, you should avoid the tie bet because of its high house edge and low probability.

Counting Cards Strategy

Card counting is a strategy that you can use to keep track of the shoe in order to know when the odds are in the player's or banker’s favour. The goal is to increase your bet when this happens so you will reap maximum profits.

The rules of baccarat card counting require you to begin with a count of zero when the first card is dealt. Ace, two, and three add +1 to the count, while four and five add +2. Consequently, you should minus -1 from the count whenever a seven, eight, or nine is dealt and a six decreases the count by -2. The system further dictates that you divide the count by the number of decks remaining in the shoe. This way you will get the true count. A high count indicates that the odds are in the banker’s favour.

• 8 Deck Baccarat and Baccarat 6 Deck are the variants with the simplest baccarat game rules.
• The hand with the most faces wins in Baccarat 1 Deck.
• Big and small side bets predict the number of cards dealt in a round of baccarat.
• The dragon bet pays 40:1 when the banker beats the player with a 3-card-7.
• The payout for egalite bets depends on the probability of the two hands scoring the same points.
• The Paroli and Labouchere systems are examples of positive progressive betting strategies.
• Negative progressive betting strategies can exhaust your bankroll before you recover your losses.
• When counting cards in baccarat, you should divide the count by the number of decks remaining on the shoe to determine the actual count.

We hope that you’ve learnt lots of useful tips from our baccarat rules and strategy guide. The goal of the article was to share the best tips and strategies to use when playing baccarat. If you’re searching for resources to help you learn more on how baccarat is played, we recommend that you start with this simple guide on how to play baccarat for beginners.

Besides baccarat rules and strategy guides, we have lots of informative articles that you can read. For a starter, our guide on how to play online slots walk you through the ins and outs of learning the basics of slots. Additionally, at Betfair we cover all game types on the platform, and to get started, you can read our guides about roulette, blackjack, and craps.

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