Baccarat variations - Learn how to play and lingo

• There are more than 10 common baccarat variations to play.
• The basic bets are the same across all variants with only minor differences in game rules and side bets.
• No Commission Baccarat, Baccarat Squeeze, Live Dragon Tiger, and Mini-Baccarat are among the most popular variations of baccarat.
• Live baccarat is the standard version of the game offered by online casinos.
• Live Dragon Tiger has the easiest baccarat rules. The variant is highly recommended for players who prefer a fast-paced game.
• The banker bet pays even money (1:1) in No Commission Baccarat since no commission is deducted from wins on the banker's bet.

You've certainly heard about baccarat. The game can be found at any land-based casino, and it's also offered in RNG and live dealer formats at all online gambling sites.

Baccarat is unarguably the easiest table game to play. The game features three main wagers - player, banker, and tie. All you have to do at the beginning of a round is to place a bet on one of the hands and the dealer will do the rest. The objective is for you to get the closest to 9 without exceeding the value.

While playing baccarat online at Betfair, you will notice that we have several variants of the game. The most popular are Live Baccarat, Speed Baccarat, No Commission Baccarat, First Person Baccarat, and Lightning baccarat. In our guide, we have looked into each of these variations of baccarat in detail. So read on to discover what makes each variant unique and the best strategies to employ when playing your favourite version.

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Baccarat Squeeze is an immersive variation of baccarat that employs the traditional card squeezing ritual. The main difference between this thrilling baccarat variation and the standard version is how the cards are dealt.

When performing the squeeze, the dealer bends the edges of a face-down card to partly show what is underneath without revealing its value. The ritual starts with the short edge and then the long edge before the card is gradually revealed to you.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

Baccarat Squeeze uses 8 decks of 52 playing cards. A round of the game starts with all players placing their wagers. You can bet on the player, banker, a tie, or one of six side bets. The side wagers are player or banker pair, either pair, perfect pair, player bonus, and banker bonus.

Next, the dealer draws two cards for each hand and places them on the table face-down. The hand with the lowest total bets is revealed first. The squeeze is then applied to the hand with the highest bet totals. Depending on the outcome, a third card can be drawn for both the player's and banker's hands.

Odds & Payouts

Betting on the banker is the best bet you can place when playing this variation as it wins 45.8% of the time. The player bet has a slightly lower probability at 44.6%, while tie wagers only give you a 9.6% chance of winning. The banker's hand has a house edge of 1.06%, compared to 1.24% on the player's hand and 14.36% on the tie wager.

Due to the marginal advantage on the banker's hand, the casino takes a 5% commission on all winnings from the bet.

Each wager in the game pays as follows:

• Player: 1:1
• Banker: 0:95:1
• Tie: 8:1

As the name suggests, baccarat control squeeze is a spin on the original baccarat squeeze variant. The game follows the same rules, only that the card folding routine is performed by you as a player. All players are allowed to squeeze their cards when playing the game online.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

The basic baccarat rules are followed. You can either back the player's or banker's hand to win, or wager on a tie. The game also has two side bets - banker's pair and player's pair. A pair bet is a prediction that the player or banker's hand will get two identical cards after the initial draw.

After you have placed your bet, the dealer draws two face-down cards for each hand, and you’re now allowed to squeeze the cards. If you're playing at an online casino, you use fingers or a mouse to pull back the edges when revealing the cards. You can also opt not to take any action. In this case, the cards will be automatically revealed when the timer runs out.

Odds & Payouts

The banker's bet is more favoured compared to the player's in baccarat control squeeze. The odds of winning are 45.8% compared to 44.6% on the player's hand. The odds of a round ending in a tie is 9.6%, and most veteran punters tend to avoid this bet because of the low probability.

When it comes to payouts, wagers on the player position pay even money whilst the banker's bet pays 95% of the stake or 0:95:1. Tie bets pay 8:1 and the payout for winning on the player or banker pair is 11:1.

Also known as commission-free baccarat, no commission baccarat is a popular variant originating from Asia.

As the name suggests, the casino or house does not collect the 5% commission from winnings on the banker's bet. This means that the banker's bet pays 1:1 if it wins. The other thing that makes this variant different is the Super 6 side bet.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

Commission-free baccarat uses six or eight decks of cards and the same layout as the standard variant. The basic wagers are the same too, meaning that you can bet on the player, banker, or a tie.

Most casinos also allow you to place the Super 6 side bet when playing this variant of baccarat. The wager is a prediction that the banker will win with a point total of six. The bet loses in the event of any other outcome.

To get started, the dealer deals two face-up cards to both the player and banker. The hand with total points of 9 or closest to it wins.

Odds & Payouts

When playing this type of baccarat, the odds that you’ll win on the player bet is 44.62%. The probability of the banker winning with a point total of 6 is 5.38%, compared to 40.47% at any other time. The odds of your tie bet winning is 9.51%.

The game payouts are as follows.

• Player wins: 2 to1
• Banker wins: 1 to 1 unless the hand wins with a value other than six. The payout is reduced to 1 to 2 if the hand wins at six points. 
• Tie wins: 8 to 1
• Super 6: 12 to 1

If you’ve played baccarat at a land-based casino then you’re familiar with Live Baccarat. It is a type of online baccarat variation that plays the same as the standard game found at brick and mortar casinos.

Live baccarat is presented by a human dealer, making it more interactive compared to RNG baccarat. You can also chat with the dealer and other players, and both versions are available to play at Betfair Live Casino.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

Live dealer baccarat is played with eight decks, which contain 52 regular cards each. Before every deal, you are required to predict the winning hand. As usual, the main wagers are banker, player, and tie.

You can also predict that the player or banker will get a pair. Other side bets in the game are the player bonus and banker bonus. Placing this wager means you’re backing the player or banker to win with a margin of at least four points.

Odds & Payouts

Again, the odds and payouts in live baccarat are the same as if you’re playing traditional baccarat. This means that you will get a payout of 1:1 if the player bet wins and 0:95:1 if the banker triumphs.

The payout for a tie is 8:1, whilst a winning player or banker pair rewards you with a 11:1 payout. If the hand you back wins with a margin of 4 points, a side bet on the player or banker bonus pays even money. Moreover, the payout increases as the winning margin increases.

You've certainly come across Live Dragon Tiger tables when playing at online casinos. The game is presented by a real human dealer and is a twist of baccarat live. It’s fast-paced but easier to play and bet on, and therefore suitable for both novice and advanced players.

How to Play - Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

Live Dragon Tiger uses eight decks of playing cards just like other types of online baccarat variations. The game features three main wagers namely the dragon, tiger, and tie. The tie is the most rewarding of the three bets, and the best to place if you're looking for higher returns.

The biggest difference in Live Dragon Tiger is the dealer draws only two cards from the shoe and places them face-up on the dragon and tiger boxes. No additional cards are drawn in this game. The hand with the highest points wins the round.

Odds and Payout

We'll start by saying that Live Dragon Tiger does not have a house edge, unlike other online baccarat variations. Both the dragon and tiger wagers pay even money, and the payout for winning on a tie bet is 11:1. To top it off, you also get half of your wager back if your tie bet wins.

You can also predict that the cards in the tie will be of the same suit. This wager pays 50:1 if your prediction is correct. The house also refunds half of your stake.

3-Card baccarat is a baccarat variation that was widely played at the smaller casinos of Macau and Vietnam. Thanks to the internet, this variant is now gaining popularity among online baccarat players across the world.

Let's take a look at how the game differs from other types of baccarat variations.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

Three-card baccarat uses just one deck of 52 playing cards. The available bets in a round of the game are player, banker, and tie. Each game round starts with you betting on either the player or banker/dealer’s hands. Three cards are then drawn for each of the two hands. The hand with the most number of face cards - King, Queen, or jack - wins the round.  If both hands don't have face cards, the hand with the higher points wins.

Another interesting thing about this baccarat variation is that both the player and dealer must have equal points and the same number of face cards for the round to end in a tie.

In addition to the three main bets, 3-card baccarat gives you three side betting options namely dealer total, three faces, and two or less faces.

Odds and Payout

If you bet on the player or banker and it wins, you will receive a payout equal to your initial wager minus a 3% or 5% commission. Tie bets pay 20 to 1, but the wager has a house edge of 20.80%. Moreover, the odds of a tie outcome is 3.77% so you’re better off sticking with the player and banker bets.

The dealer's total side bet, which is a prediction of the dealer winning with a specified number of points, pays 8:1. The reward for correctly predicting that the dealer will get three face cards is 16:1. However, it is best to avoid this wager due to its high house edge of 83%.

Also known as Punto 2000, Super 6 Baccarat is another commission-free type baccarat available to play in both land-based and online casinos. While playing Super 6/Punto 2000 the payout structure differs slightly from traditional baccarat, and the tables are smaller compared to the standard version. Live Super 6 baccarat features the Super 6 insurance bet hence its name.

How to Play - Rules, Bet Types and Strategy

Prior to each deal, the dealer will allow you to predict the outcome of the round by betting on the player, banker, or a tie. Punto 2000 also has a special wager known as Super 6, which is a prediction that the banker will win with a six-point total.

After you've placed your wager, the dealer pulls four cards from the shoe and places them on the player and banker positions facing down. Additional cards may be dealt after comparing the values of the hands.

Odds and Payouts

The house does not deduct the 5% commission from winning banker bets in Super 6/Punto 2000 baccarat. This means you'll receive a 1:1 payout if the banker beats the player. However, your payout is reduced to 50% if the banker wins with 6 points. On the other hand, if you win with 6 points, you can insure your banker wager by placing the Super 6 side bet, which pays 12x the bet (12:1).

A winning player bet rewards you with a 1:1 payout, whilst tie wagers pay 8x (8:1).

The difference between this version and other baccarat variations like standard and Grand Baccarat is that it’s played on smaller tables with seven seats. The tables also have lower minimum stake limits, with the stake size starting at £1.00 at online casinos and £5.00 at land-based gambling houses.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

Mini baccarat follows traditional baccarat rules with the difference that the variant does not have side bets. The betting options are player, banker, and tie. When playing, the dealer will allow you to place your bets before drawing the two cards for the player and banker positions. As usual, the player's hand is revealed first.

A third card is drawn for the player if the value of the hand is 0 to 5. Next, the dealer reveals the banker's card and compares the values of both hands. The side closest to 9 wins the bet.

Odds and Payout

The player’s bet is the most favourable wager in this baccarat variation. The odds of the player beating the banker is 45.86%, compared to 44.62% in favour of the banker. Tie bets win 9.52% of the time.

Banker and player bets pay even money, whilst tie wagers pay 8:1.

EZ Baccarat has the lowest house edge among all types of online baccarat variations. Moreover, the casino does not charge a 5% commission on winning bankers' wagers.

How to Play -  Rules, Bet Types, and Strategy

EZ baccarat follows the same dealing rules as traditional baccarat. You can wager on the banker's hand, player's hand, a tie, but as well as the dragon 7 and panda 8 side bets.

When you're playing this baccarat variation, you’ll realise that it has a special rule that’s applied when you win on a 3-card 7. A three-card 7 is a combination of three cards with a total value of 7. You push when you win with this combination, meaning that you only get your wager back.

Odds and Payout

The banker's bet is again the most lucrative wager you can place in EZ baccarat as it has a house edge of 1.02%. Both banker and player bets pay 1:1 except when you win with a 3-card-seven. The latter results in a push, and you only get your wager back.

The Dragon 7 side bet delivers a 40:1 payout when the banker's position wins with a three-card-seven. A winning Panda 8 bet pays 25:1. If you place this wager, you’re predicting that the player will win with a three-card-eight.

• The best baccarat strategy is betting on the banker and player since the odds of winning on either hand are higher.
• Side bets pay the highest across all baccarat variations but the odds of winning on side wagers are lower.
• Live Dragon Tiger is one of the fastest types of online baccarat variations.
• You don't require a huge balance to enjoy mini-baccarat. The game allows you to bet as little as £1.00
• Baccarat Control Squeeze is the perfect baccarat variation to play if you want to take control of your game.
• EZ baccarat is the ideal version of baccarat if you're looking for the best baccarat odds.

We're sure that you found our baccarat variations guide informative and helpful. For more guides and tips, we recommend that you read our baccarat game guides such as how to play baccarat and strategy. We also have detailed guides on how to play slots and table games like roulette, blackjack, and craps. Be sure to check them out too.

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