Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games, with its low house edge making it a great way to win cash. It’s a game that is suitable for everyone and can be played at any online casino. Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran, there are a number of ways to improve your baccarat strategy and make more money from your play.
1. Banker Bets
Although baccarat is a game of chance, there are several betting strategies that can be used to increase your winnings and minimize the house edge. For example, you can use the 1-3-2-6 and 1-3-2-4 systems to maximize your bankroll and decrease your risk of losing big amounts on a losing streak.
2. Using Score Cards
In order to track potential patterns and make logical bets, you’ll need to have a baccarat score card in your arsenal. This tool is especially useful when you’re new to the game and don’t know what the rules are.
3. Avoiding Over-Betting
The best baccarat strategy is to never bet more than two units from your bankroll. This prevents you from chasing losses and allows you to stretch your money across more rounds of the game.
4. Using Flat Betting to Follow Pattern Trends
Another baccarat strategy involves filling out results in your score card and making logical bets based on these trends. This strategy is easy to implement and can be helpful if you’re looking for a more casual approach to the game. However, it’s important to remember that this can also lead to a chasing streak so make sure to have a win or loss threshold in place.
5. Counting Your Points
The goal of baccarat is to have the best possible hand. You can accomplish this by calculating your total points and comparing them to the dealer’s hand. If your hand is closer to nine than the dealer’s, you’ve won and if it’s not, you’ve lost.
6. Identifying the Third Card Rules
The third card in baccarat is important because it determines whether you can stand or draw. Unlike roulette, where the third card is a number, it’s a face value in baccarat. When the third card is a 2 or 3, the player needs to stand; when it’s a 3 or 4, the banker draws.
7. Always bet on the Banker
The best baccarat strategy for the long term is to bet on the Banker. This is because the house edge on a Banker bet is significantly lower than that of a Player bet, allowing you to maximize your return on your stake.
Moreover, the house edge on a Banker bet can be reduced even further with a strategy known as ‘double-backing’. If you double your bet, the house will pay you back a percentage of your original bet. The amount of this commission varies from casino to casino, but it’s generally around 5 percent.
Whether you’re a novice or an experienced baccarat player, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on the banker’s hand during every round of the game. This will allow you to make informed decisions about whether or not to stand and increase your chances of a winning hand.