Baccarat is a classic casino table game that has been around since the 1400s. As one of the oldest card games out there – Baccarat has been enjoyed for centuries. The game saw it’s rise in popularity after the 1953 publication of Ian Flemming’s Casino Royale – taking centre stage when James Bond joined the high-class casino scene.
In recent years, Baccarat has become a much more inclusive game. Perfect for beginners and pros alike – players now have access to the game any time, and anywhere! With online casino available in UK, the game continues to sweep the nation.
If you’re just starting off as a beginner, join us as we show you our how-to’s and top tips. Whether you want to feel like a movie star, like our beloved Bond, or curl up on your sofa in your pyjamas and try your luck at the popular card game – we could get you well on your way to bagging your next win!
How to play
The main objectives when it comes to playing Baccarat are to bet on the winning hand – whether this is your hand, the banker’s hand, or the tie. Two card hands are dealt to the player, and the dealer, and whoever has the hand valued closest to nine is the winner. A winning bet on a player’s hand pays out 1:1. This means that if you bet £10, and you win, you’ll get your betting amount back, as well as an additional £10.
The game also allows for you to bet on a tie. If you do this and the tie wins, there is no loser, but a winning payout of 8:1 – meaning that if your initial bet was £10, you will receive this back, alongside £80 to add to your bankroll.
In this game, all the cards are given a value – with all face cards (Jack, Queen and King) valued at zero, Aces representing one, and two – nine equaling their face value.
During gameplay, if your hand adds up to more than nine, you will be required to subtract 10 from your score. For example, if you had two sevens – this would naturally make 14 – but in the game of Baccarat, after subtracting 10, your hands value would be four.
Top Tips
For beginners, it’s worth bearing in mind that the banker’s hand wins more than 50% of the time, so it is sensible to focus your efforts on flat betting.
If you’re familiar with Roulette – you might have heard of the Martingale system. This system is also frequently used in Baccarat, and may be more up your alley. It requires doubling the size of your next wager after a losing bet, until you eventually have a win. This system can be great, but be wary of your budget and remember to only bet as much as you are willing to lose.
It is recommended to ignore the ‘tie bet’ option, as experts have found that the house edge for a tie bet is 14.4%, and such a big percentage is often a disadvantage from the outset. A good strategy is also to treat every tie bet as if it never happened. As these games don’t have a winner or a loser, if you are following the bank, it could mess up your calculations.
While Baccarat is a strategic game, it’s also one of the simplest and really just comes down to luck. With its advantageous house edge, the games win/lose ratio makes it as predictable as the flip of a coin, so bare this in mind the next time you’re following in the footsteps of the famous 007.
