
Live baccarat stands out from other table games for its simple gameplay. This game’s goal is to determine which hand between the banker’s and player’s hand has cards with the highest total value without exceeding 9 or if they’ll tie.
Join me as I go in-depth on everything you need to know about this table game, from why it’s popular to how to play it and the rules of playing this game. I have also included some tips for winning baccarat and a couple of factors to keep in mind when selecting an online casino to play this game.
Let’s kick off this guide by discussing why many players love to play baccarat online live.
Baccarat is one of the most straightforward live table games to play. As I’ll explain more in this guide, live baccarat’s end goal is to bet which hand between the banker’s hand and the player’s hand will win or if it will be a tie. The rules in between the game are also easy to master, which makes baccarat an ideal table game, especially for beginners.
Many players also prefer live baccarat because of its fast gameplay compared to other table games, like online live roulette. Again, this table game involves the player betting on which hand between the banker’s and the player’s hand will win or if they’ll tie. Not much action or decision-making is required in between the game, making the game rounds shorter and more interesting.
If you’ve bet on casino games before, then you know how big of a role the house edge percentage plays in your odds of winning. Well, baccarat has a low house edge percentage of as low as approximately 1% (this depends on the hand you’ll bet on).
Let’s now get into how to play live baccarat online. I mentioned earlier that in baccarat, the player’s main goal is to bet which hand between the banker’s (also known as the dealer) or the player’s hand will win or if they’ll tie.
Baccarat uses cards to play, and each card has a value. Here’s a table outlining each card’s assigned value.
Card(s) | Assigned value(s) |
King, Queen, and Joker cards | 0 |
Ace card | 1 |
Cards with the numbers 1-9 | Their face value, meaning the value is the same as the number on the card |
It’s important to point out that the hand, that is, you, the player’s hand, or the dealer’s hand with cards with the highest value without exceeding 9 wins.
That being said, let’s now go through how to play live baccarat:
See? It’s that easy. Typically, a live baccarat round is supposed to end here. However, there are situations that may happen during the game round, causing it to continue.
Now, a player’s hand value may exceed 9. In that case, the digit of that value is dropped and the second one remains as the final value. For example, let’s say the player’s hand has cards that add up to 12. In this case, the 1 is dropped, and 2 remains as the final hand value.
In the event that the player’s hand value is between 0-5, the banker will deal them a third card. On the other hand, if the player’s hand value is 6 or 7, they’ll have to stand, which means they’ll not be dealt a third card, and the game round ends. The same case also applies to the banker when their hand value is between 0-5 or when their hand value is 6 or 7.
Now, when the player gets a third card, the banker also gets a third card. However, this depends on the player’s third card value. That being said, here’s a breakdown of how this works, at least from the banker’s perspective:
We’ve looked at how to play baccarat. Let’s now talk about some strategies you can use when playing this table game, shall we?
Before learning tips and tricks for successfully playing live baccarat, understand its rules and overall gameplay. As you can see, baccarat is an easy game to play.
However, you can agree that it can’t be easy if you don’t know its gameplay and rules when playing.
The saving grace is that I’ve discussed how to play this table game and the rules involved.
When playing live dealer baccarat, the banker’s or the player’s hand should be your go-to bet. Why? You may ask. The banker’s hand and the player’s hand have low house edge percentages of about 1.04% and 1.24%, respectively. And as you already know, the lower the house edge percentage, the higher your theoretical odds of winning, although there are never any guarantees.
You may wonder why the tie bet is often frowned upon. Well, the tie bet in live baccarat has a house edge percentage of about 14%, which is very high compared to the player’s or banker’s bet.
Sure, the tie bet has a higher payout, but it’s best to pass on it, especially if you’re a beginner. Instead, bet on the player’s or the banker’s hand, and if they tie, your original stake will be returned to you.
While the banker’s bet has the lowest house edge percentage out of the three betting options in this table game, there’s a critical factor that you ought to consider: the banker’s commission.
The banker’s commission is a percentage an online live casino operator withholds from a gambler’s payout if the gambler bets on the banker’s hand and wins. Typically, the banker’s commission is 5%.
However, there are some casino sites that offer no-commission live baccarat, which means there’s no commission deducted from your payout if the banker’s hand wins. The only downside with no-commission baccarat is that the payout on banker’s bets is lower. Typically, the casino operator will pay out half of the initial stake or even lower.
Perhaps you’ve heard about the common strategies for playing table games, including live baccarat. Let’s quickly take a look at a couple of them, shall we?
This strategy involves doubling your bet each time you lose. So, you start by setting a minimum bet limit for yourself when you start playing. Then, you keep doubling the minimum bet each time you lose during a game round. When you win, you return to your original minimum bet.
This strategy is the opposite of the martingale strategy—in fact, it’s known as the reverse martingale strategy. With the paroli betting system, bettors double their bet each time they win a game round. When they lose, they return to their initial stake.
If you’re a math whiz, you probably know about the famous Fibonacci sequence. If you’re unfamiliar with it, don’t worry; let me explain.
In the Fibonacci sequence, the next number on the sequence is a sum of the previous two numbers on the sequence. Here’s an example: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34, and so on.
Many bettors implement this strategy when playing table games, like live casino baccarat, to determine their next stake in the game. So, you set a minimum bet you’re comfortable with, then create your Fibonacci sequence. If you lose your bet, you move to the next bet on your Fibonacci sequence in the next game round. If you win your bet, move two numbers back on your sequence and set that as your next stake.
These are just some of the popular strategies used to play table games, like live baccarat. While they are effective, it depends on various factors, like the game rounds. Each game round will be different. So, it’s best to be careful when implementing them. Also, it’s advisable to stick to one betting strategy because using several at a go can confuse you, and it won’t be to your advantage.
Finally, it’s crucial to know when to stop playing. It’s not the best idea to keep going, especially if you have long losing streaks. Chasing your losses can have a significant negative impact on your bankroll.
Before we conclude, here are some factors you may want to consider when selecting a casino site to play baccarat.
When selecting an online casino to play live baccarat, it’s advisable to find out about its casino game selection. How many casino games does the betting site offer? How many casino game options are there? Does it offer baccarat? Also, check if it has several baccarat games from different game vendors, as it will give you more options to choose from.
Before joining any online, be sure to check out its bonuses and promotions. Find out if the casino offers a no-deposit sign-up bonus. No-deposit welcome bonus offers are great as they allow players to try out games, like baccarat and free blackjack, no deposit required. This enables you to test out these games and determine if the gambling site is right for you. Also, check if the betting site offers other bonus and promotion offers. As I always say, the more bonuses, the better.
Always read a betting site’s terms and conditions before joining. These terms and conditions are essentially rules concerning different activities in the online casino, such as claiming bonuses, betting on casino games, and so on. So, read that section to decide whether or not it’s the best casino for you.
It’s also best to find out about the minimum deposit requirements for games like live baccarat at a casino site. It’s best to find a betting site with a low minimum deposit or, better still, opt for gambling sites with no minimum deposit requirements, as they’re more flexible.
It’s recommendable to check an online casino’s payment options before joining. Find out if it has a good selection of payment methods and if you’re familiar with the payment options available.
Before joining a betting site to play live baccarat, check out its customer service. Does it have several customer support channels? How long does the online casino’s customer service take to respond to bettor’s queries and concerns via these customer support channels?
Also, pay attention to a gambling site’s security before joining. Find out if the casino has implemented security features to protect your identity and confidential information from unauthorized individuals.
That’s all for this guide on live baccarat. Once again, live baccarat is a simple table game to play, making it a go-to option for many players.
Before we call it a day, I’d like to once again emphasize the tips we’ve talked about in this guide when it comes to playing baccarat. Also, keep in mind the factors discussed in this guide when choosing an online casino to play baccarat.
In live baccarat, the player bets on which hand between the banker’s and the player’s hand will win or that they’ll tie. Then, the banker distributes two cards to the player and themselves. Next, the banker turns over their and the player’s cards and adds their total values. Whichever hand whose cards have the highest value without exceeding 9 wins.
Yes, you can play live baccarat on online casino sites and win money.
There are many strategies and tips, like the ones I’ve discussed in this guide for winning baccarat. However, there’s no certainty that they work 100% of the time. So, it’s important to be careful when implementing them.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.