Online Baccarat
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, usually with a shoe of eight decks at Live Casino baccarat tables. In addition to the Player vs Banker bet, players can also wager on Tie, winning a greater baccarat payout if both the Player’s and the Banker’s hands have the same value. Online baccarat games also feature a variety of side bets, like Perfect Pair and P Bonus, which may vary from game to game. Let’s take a closer look at this popular casino game, we’ll show you how to play online baccarat and where to find the best online baccarat games!
HISTORY OF BACCARAT
As with most table and card games, the origins of baccarat can hardly be established with unwavering certainty! No matter how far back you go through human history, you will find evidence of games that persevere through time, albeit changed in many ways.
The first written records of baccarat emerged in the 19th century, and the first appearances of baccarat as we know it were in 15th-century France. Modern-day baccarat carries on remnants of other popular games, some of which can be traced back to the ancient game of Pai Gow from China, in which the aim is to arrange dominoes with the objective of reaching a value of nine. More contemporary games, like Tarrochi, Macao, Le Her and Vingt-et-un may also have been direct influences on baccarat. Since its prominence during the Napoleonic era, baccarat and its two most popular versions — Baccarat en Banque and Chemin de Fer — spread like wildfire. Today, baccarat is a must-have table at any respectable casino, and no online casino is truly whole without at least a handful of online baccarat tables.
BACCARAT RULES
Playing baccarat is quite intuitive, especially if you play baccarat online at one of the many online casinos. This game has a reasonable low house edge, and the rules of play few and simple. There are a few strategies to playing baccarat, but let’s cover the basics first!
- The game is typically played with eight decks of 52 cards in one show.
- Baccarat players can wager on the Player, the Banker or Tie. Neither hand belongs to the house, but the Banker’s hand has a slightly lower baccarat payout (0.95:1) to account for a 5% commission fee.
- The objective of the game is to predict which hand attain a value of nine, or closest to it.
- The Player and the Banker are dealt two cards, one or both may receive a third card as per the Third Card Rule (scroll down for more info).
- The hand that reaches a value closest to nine will win the round.
- If the point total of any hand exceeds nine, then the tenths place of the total value will be dropped. For example, if the Banker has a hand of eight and nine, totalling to 17, then the hand is valued at seven (17-10=7).
- Live baccarat games are played with a live dealer. RNG and First-Person baccarat tables are fully automated.
BACCARAT CARD VALUES
- Tens, jacks, queens and kings are all worth zero.
- Aces are the lowest card and have a value of one.
- Cards 2-9 have their numerical face values.
- When the value of the hand surpasses nine, only the last digit of the sum counts. For example, a hand total of 14 will count as four.
- Suits have no influence on the game, only the card’s numerical value is at play in baccarat.
THIRD CARD RULE
When the Player or Banker are dealt a hand with a value of eight or nine, it is referred to as a ‘natural’. In this case, the hand will stand, and no additional cards will be drawn. If one, or both, of the hands are worth 0-7 points, then the Third Card Rule comes into effect. This rule determines in which cases the hand must draw another card. The Player always goes first, and the full breakdown of the Third Card Rule can be found in the game’s rules. Luckily, most online baccarat games do the thinking for you — the cards will be dealt automatically in RNG baccarat, and the dealer will draw on Live Casino baccarat tables.
- The Player’s hand will stand on 6-7, and will draw another card if the hand value is between 0-5.
- Whether or not the Banker draws depends on the Banker’s hand value, the Player’s third card value and whether or not the third card was drawn.
- If the Banker has a hand value of 0-2 and the Player’s third card had a value of 0-9, then the Banker always draws(D).
- If the Banker has a hand value of 7-9, the Banker always stands(S), regardless of the Player’s third card.
- If the Banker’s hand is valued between 3-6, the D-S rules vary. Please consult the ‘Banker’s Hand’ table in the game’s rules for more information, accessible by clicking the ‘?’ button on most Live Casino baccarat games from Evolution.
BEST ONLINE BACCARAT GAMES
Feel like testing your luck at a baccarat table? Grab a seat and place your chips on one of these fantastic games and watch the game unfold. We highly recommend playing top online baccarat games like Baccarat Squeeze, Lightning Baccarat and No Commission Baccarat.At LV BET, players can also enjoy the RNG online baccarat game, which is played without a live dealer. In RNG baccarat, all outcomes and game decisions are made automatically.
FREE ONLINE BACCARAT VS BACCARAT FOR REAL MONEY
As you may have guessed, most of the online baccarat games are available at Live Casinos, where all wagers must be placed using real money. Betting real money in any form, on any game, comes with its risks, but wagering cash is the only way to enjoy real winnings too. Always set an entertainment budget, stick to it and play responsibly.
If you’re just starting out, we recommend learning to play online baccarat in a free-to-play demo. Demo games can be found at an online casino’s Casino game portfolio, not the Live Casino lobby. At LV BET, players can locate the baccarat demo by heading to ‘Casino’, searching for ‘baccarat’ and hovering over the thumbnail of the game to bring up the ‘DEMO’ button. Demos may be restricted based on jurisdiction, and may require registering and verifying an account first.
All wagers and winnings in baccarat demo play are virtual, which means that they will not affect your real balance. Playing online baccarat for free is an excellent way to learn the rules of the game and to experiment with different baccarat strategies.
BACCARAT STRATEGY
Like in blackjack, all outcomes in baccarat are dependent on the cards which were played during the previous round. Even though playing with eight decks makes card counting difficult, the house edge can be lowered. In other words, players can change their strategy of playing based on the results of the previous rounds, which are displayed as statistics on most online baccarat tables.
HOUSE EDGE
- Player — 1.24%
- Banker — 1.06%
- Tie — 14.4%
One of the basic baccarat strategies is to capitalise on winning streaks, and the Banker is slightly more likely to strike it lucky. New players should carefully weigh the risks and avoid wagering on a Tie until they are more familiar with the game. Another popular strategy is to bet on Banker until it loses, then skip all rounds until the Player loses and wager on the Banker again. The idea is that a lower number of decisions you make will, over time, result in a lower number of losses.
Given that baccarat outcomes are dependent on the previous rounds, betting progression strategies, like the Martingale, will rarely (if ever) overcome the house edge in the long run. Even if your card-counting skills are extraordinary, remember that baccarat is a game of chance. A win can never be guaranteed, and not all strategies work for every player equally.
TOP BACCARAT CASINO
LV BET is one of the top online casinos around, where players can enjoy a variety of online baccarat games, including Live Casino baccarat tables and RNG/First-Person baccarat. Players can also claim rewarding Live Casino bonuses and enjoy baccarat for free through the demo mode. Have a look and play the best online baccarat games!
✅ WHAT IS ONLINE BACCARAT
Online baccarat is the digital variant of the popular card game called baccarat. Two hands are at play in baccarat, and the aim of the game is simple: wager on the hand which you predict will attain a value of nine or closest to it.
✅ HOW TO PLAY ONLINE BACCARAT?
To play online baccarat, players must place a wager on Player, Banker or Tie. The Player and Banker are dealt two cards each, the total value of both cards determines the winner. View the game’s rules by clicking ‘?’ to pull up all of the game’s rules.
✅ HOW TO WIN AT ONLINE BACCARAT?
Online baccarat is a game of chance; thus, winning can never be guaranteed. It is possible to lower the house edge through strategic play, but the use of any strategy should be carefully researched.
✅ CAN I PLAY ONLINE BACCARAT FOR FREE?
In some casinos, yes. At LV BET, for example, players can play free baccarat through the demo mode. Access to demos may be restricted in some jurisdictions, so players will have to register and verify an account first. All bets and winnings in the demo mode are virtual, but playing baccarat for free is a great way to learn the ins and out of this incredible casino game.
✅WHERE TO PLAY ONLINE BACCARAT FOR REAL MONEY?
Players can enjoy real-money wagers on baccarat at LV BET, where they will find dozens of vibrant baccarat tables. Whether you are interested in Live Casino baccarat tables or first-person play, you’ll find the best online baccarat games with us!