Baccarat Strategy – How to Win Big at Baccarat

Baccarat

Baccarat is one of the most glamorous of casino games. It’s played by high rollers in special pits, blocked off from the masses and crowded with millionaires. The minimum bet is $20, but you can play for days – Akio Kashiwagi famously accepted a challenge to play until he lost $12 million. The game is so prestigious that many players consider it an honor to be asked to sit at a baccarat table.

The rules of baccarat are simple: whoever has a hand that is closest to nine wins the round. Players can wager on either the Player, Banker or Tie. Unlike blackjack, players do not touch the cards – the game is played with chips which are exchanged for cash at the table.

In the past, players kept track of baccarat results and trends using bead plates and paper score sheets. Today, many casinos have electronic displays which show the same information in real-time. These systems eliminate the need for human error and can provide a full suite of trend information at the touch of a button.

A winning player’s hand pays out at 1:1, while a winning banker’s hand is paid out 9:1. However, winning banker bettors must pay a 5% commission which reduces the payout odds to 19:20. A winning tie bet, on the other hand, pays out 8:1.

Often, neither the Banker nor the Player will have a natural win. If the Banker’s hand is a 7, they will stand, while a 0-4 score requires them to draw. The same is true for the Player’s hand – it will stand on a 6, but will require a third card on a 0-5.

When no one has a natural, the bets to the Banker and the Player are returned (no one loses), while the bets to the Tie are paid. The game also ends in a Tie if the Banker and Player have equal points.

A baccarat strategy is important to understand if you want to make the most of your time at the game. The game is fast, and it can be easy to lose track of your totals if you don’t have a score sheet on hand. Score sheets are available at most live baccarat tables, and some even have electronic display systems that can keep track of the results instantly. It’s important to know the odds of each bet, and our expert baccarat casino commendations offer both free practice games and real money play.