Baccarat Strategies and Tips

Improve Your Baccarat

Tips on winning baccarat from a top card player

Five Quick Tips for Winning More at Baccarat

The word “baccarat,” comes from the Italian word for zero. This is a reference to the zero value given to both tens and face cards in this game. Although originally only popular in European casinos, where it was first introduced in 15th century France, baccarat has become popular in casinos across the globe and Internet.

When originally brought to America, casinos presented the game with an air of glamour and exclusivity; it was once played in a roped-off section of the casino, and it was under the direct supervision by a pit boss and even armed guards.

Because of the regal atmosphere surrounding this game, it often attracts high rollers and casino regulars. Despite all of the glamour, however, baccarat is a very uncomplicated game and requires little to no skill on the part of the player. It is therefore the perfect game for a gambler who doesn’t wish to put in the time required to master the more complicated casino games.

Baccarat is played with six or eight complete decks of cards. All cards from the ace through nine are valued according to their number. Both face cards and tens have a value of zero. When any combination of two cards is equal to more than ten, ten is subtracted and the remaining total is the card count. For example, if four and eight are drawn for a sum of 12, the count is two (ten from 12).

Up to 14 players, or “punters” may sit around a baccarat table at any one time, and three dealers work each table. The croupier or dealer in the middle is the caller. He or she directs the punters throughout the game and makes the calls on each hand. The other two dealers are responsible for payouts.

Now that you know the basics, here are five tips that will help you improve your game:

  1. Never bet on a potential tie, or a “standoff” in baccarat phraseology. This is not a good bet for the punter because the house edge is over 14 percent.
  2. Betting on the banker offers the punter the best odds of victory. As your chances for winning a banker bet are 44.6 percent, this is the best bet a punter can make.
  3. When making a banker bets, be sure that you have enough money to leave the table. Casinos will take a five percent commission on winnings from banker bets, and this is collected right before a punter leaves the table. Be sure to keep track of your money, as there is nothing more embarrassing than not having enough money left to pay the five percent owed to the table.
  4. Baccarat is a game of chance. Counting cards or developing methods to predict future hands are not effective in this game.
  5. As baccarat is a game of chance not skill, always quit while you are ahead. Rely on your short-run luck for this game!