Baccarat Guide

How to Play Real Money Baccarat

If you know the rules of the game and are ready to play baccarat online real money, then all you have to do is follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Create an account. First things first – you’ll need to register with a site that offers online baccarat. Check out our list of the 20 best legal and licensed casinos above if you’re not sure where to start from.

Step 2: Deposit money. As this is online real money baccarat, you will need to deposit money to play. Ideally, you should set a budget before you play to ensure that you’re depositing enough to play a couple of rounds without exceeding your financial limits.

Step 3: Choose your favourite version of baccarat. As we explore below, there are many different versions of online real money baccarat you can play. Most online casinos have multiple versions – including live dealer baccarat.

Step 4: Place your bets. This card game allows you to place bets on the player or the banker winning (never both at the same time), on a tie, or on either one or both of them getting pairs (like two Aces).

Step 5: Enjoy the game. Baccarat is usually a quick affair, which makes it pretty exciting. Remember that just because you’re playing for real money doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it.

A Guide to the Rules of Baccarat

As previously mentioned, in baccarat the player and the banker go head-to-head in trying to get two or three cards whose combined value is 9, or as close to 9 as possible (but without exceeding it). The person who manages this wins, but there are a few rules you need to keep in mind.

Hand Values

Let’s start with the basics. In online real money baccarat, not all cards are worth the same.

• Cards with a value of two to nine (from any suit) have the face value pictured on the card.
• Cards with a value of 10, as well as the Jack, Queen, and King cards, have a value of zero (also known as baccarat).
• The Ace is worth one.

The First Draw

When the game begins, the player and the banker will each get a first draw of two cards. Each player and the banker will need to add up the value of those two cards.

When the value of the two cards adds up to 10 or more, only the second digit will be taken into consideration. So, if you get two sevens, your score is 4 (7 + 7 = 14, so 4); while if you get two fives, your score is zero (5 + 5 = 10, so 0). Nevertheless, if the combined value of the two cards is eight or nine, then this is considered to be a natural. The hand that gets a natural wins.

The Third Card

If neither the player nor the banker manage a natural upon the first draw, then one or both players may draw a third card. This, however, can only be done when the player or the banker’s hand has a combined value of zero to five. So, if the value is six or seven, both must stand with their cards.

Wagers

Although you will be playing against an RNG, it’s important to remember that the system can be both the dealer and the banker – in other words, you can bet on your hand, as well as that of the banker (the computer).

• Bets on the banker: When you bet on the banker, you are saying that you expect their hand to win. If you bet on the banker and the banker wins, the bets are paid 1:1, but a 5% rake is deducted from your bet. This is because, mathematically speaking, the banker has a slight edge over the player, and so is more likely to win.
• Bets on the player: When you bet on the player, you are saying that you will win the next round. Such a bet pays 1:1, and there is no rake.
• Bets on ties: When you bet on a tie, you are predicting that both the player and the banker will have the same amount of ‘points’ by the end of the game. In this case, neither the banker nor the player loses. This type of bet pays 8:1.
• Bets on pairs: You can also bet on the banker or the player getting pairs. This means that you are envisaging one or either of those parties will get a pair of cards (like two Queens or two Twos). This type of bet pays 11:1.
• Bets on multiples: You can also place bets on either the player or the banker winning, while simultaneously placing bets on either or both of them getting pairs and tying.

Baccarat Playing Tips

Baccarat is not a game of skill, but purely a game of chance and luck. In fact, you shouldn’t believe anyone or any site that promises to share any infallible systems that will help you win at real money baccarat. But, of course, there are some things you can do to spare yourself losing too many funds.

• Use betting systems wisely: Betting systems help give you direction, but they can quickly eat up your budget. So remember to think things through before taking one up.
• Don’t be superstitious or look for patterns: The chances of you winning are always the same as the chances of you losing, whether you’ve just joined the game or have been playing for hours. Cards have no memory, blowing on them won’t change their value, and being superstitious has no scientific basis.
• Manage your money well: To ensure you don’t end up in the red, always set a budget, divide it into units, and never exceed it. It also pays to save a percentage of your winnings every time.