House Edge
Before being able to formulate a decent baccarat strategy, you will first need a firm grasp of the odds in play. This is represented by the house edge on the various betting options available. The house edge is a percentage that denotes the average losses to expect per bet. The fact that there are only three main bet types available makes this a lot more simple when compared to other casino games like craps for example.
Betting on the banker means taking on a house edge of 1.06%. This means that for every €100 wagered on the Banker, you can expect to lose €1.06. It is important to understand that this is based on an overall average across all rounds in all games. Some players will win more than the average and others less, but the average remains. This is also accounting for bets that apply the perfect practice and strategy.
As mentioned, betting on the banker involves a house edge of 1.06%. The player is ever so slightly less favorable with a house edge of 1.24%. Lastly, tie bets come with a 14.4% house edge. You can already see from these percentages that betting on the banker includes statistically less risk. This is where a lot of the strategy comes from in baccarat.
Strategies On How to Win Baccarat
With an understanding of how the house edge works in baccarat, you can begin to make stronger betting decisions. It also opens up a lot of potentials to apply different strategies. We will be looking at some of the most common strategies used by baccarat players. None of these strategies will guarantee success but instead applies logic to how you carry your betting decisions. Having a plan will let you spend less time focusing on how to place your bets, giving you more freedom to keep your attention fixed on each round. It is however still important to keep your balance in mind throughout your playtime.
Betting on the Banker
Betting on the banker is often cited as the answer to how to consistently win at baccarat. Looking at the different house edges, it is clear to see that the banker has a slightly higher likelihood of winning in each round. Based on this very simple principle, it is often recommended to keep your bets to the banker and ignore the other bet types available. There isn’t much more to this baccarat strategy; it is simple and easy to understand making it especially ideal for newer players.
Before going for this option, however, it's good to know the payouts and what to expect. If you bet on the Player and this hand wins, you’ll be paid 1:1. This means you’ll get your bet back, plus you’ll get the amount of the bet in winnings — meaning you’ll double your money. If you bet on the Banker, and this hand wins, you’ll also get a 1:1 return. But, you’ll have to pay a 5% commission to the casino for this bet. The third option is a tie, and this happens when both the Player and the Banker have the same number of points. You can actually also bet on a tie. If you’ve chosen to bet on this result, your payout is 8:1.
Following The Streak
Many players view baccarat as a coin flip. Most rounds end in either the player or the banker winning with ties being a lot rarer. With so few possible outcomes it is very common to see win streaks happen, particularly for the banker. That is why it is often seen as a viable strategy to roll with the streaks. All you need to do is start by betting on the banker and keep doing so until the player wins. When this happens, place a last bet on the banker and if the streak continues for the player, you swap over to betting on that streak. This round acts as a fresh point for a streak to start. You can then keep applying this strategy, changing your bet depending on which side is riding the win streak. Just remember that win streaks are purely coincidental and the banker winning one round does not increase its chances of winning another.
Never Bet on a Tie
Again, we will be referring back to the house edge on this one. The banker and player bets have relatively low house edges even when compared to other casino games. The same can’t be said for the tie bet. A house edge of 14.4% is vastly more than the other two hovering around the 1% mark. Most baccarat players therefore just pretend this bet doesn’t even exist. Even the higher payout offered in tie bets (8 to 1) isn’t enough to tempt people to try and make this bet work. This bet is best avoided and trying to work it into some kind of strategy will usually just end up in further losses.
Avoid Mini-Baccarat
This piece of advice is more of a recommendation than an actual baccarat strategy and particularly pertains to newer players. While the lower minimum bet amounts might seem appealing, the fast nature of this format means you are playing way more rounds per session. More decisions mean more potential to lose over an extended period. Also, the fast pace often leaves little time for decision-making. If you are a newer player you could easily miss a lot of the nuances of baccarat, as well as have more issues with effectively managing your bankroll. If this happens to sound like something you might be interested in, we recommend you apply the betting on the banker or following the streak strategies.
Experiment With a Progressive Betting Strategy
The difference between Punto Banco Baccarat and most other card games is that it’s almost impossible to use a real strategy to increase your chances of winning per game round. The only strategy you can use, which will work long term, is a progressive strategy. This may be possible for bets on either the Player or the Banker, but not for tie bets.
In this case, the strategies would be the same ones you’d use when you play roulette with outside bets since your chances of winning are almost 50%. However, remember that even if you’re using a Martingale strategy, you can still lose because you might run out of money, which will prevent you from following the strategy, or you might hit the betting limit on the table. So, there’s no sure way of winning with a baccarat strategy, but you can experiment with some approaches to increase your chances of winning.
How to Win Baccarat With Promotional Offers
Online casinos love showering their players in all sorts of promotional offers and campaigns. Not all promotions are of great value though and even less are geared towards baccarat players. That doesn’t mean there isn’t great potential out there, you just need to know what to look for. Cash bonus rewards are always great, as they let you play on any games without restriction or reduced wagering progression. They do usually require higher deposit amounts, however. It is often the case that bonuses have wagering requirements that are particularly steep for table games like baccarat. You will need to read the fine print to make sure you are getting good value out of the promotion. This will help prevent disappointment and allow you to squeeze as much value out of the casino as possible.
VIP and loyalty programs are particularly great for table game players, as these tend to reward any gameplay activity. If you plan on sticking with an online casino for a while, we can’t recommend enough taking the time to look through the different programs available. This acts as a great substitute for traditional offers and can give you more freedom in choosing rewards.
Last Piece of Advice
When looking at how to play baccarat and win it is important not to forget the fundamentals that can be applied to any gambling game. Managing your budget and bankroll is an important first step before committing to any gambling activity. You should also really take advantage of the free-play demo mode available in most virtual games. There is no reason to have to risk your funds on trying out a new game or rule-set when there is a demo mode available. Also, remember that stubbornness can often lead to a downward spiral of losses. Trying to chase losses and win streaks can often just lead to further losses. This is especially so with Mini-Baccarat, due to its fast-paced nature. Knowing when to call it quits is especially important for a game like baccarat that is often compared to a coin flip.
