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How To Win At Baccarat: Best Strategies & Tips | LeoVegas

How To Win at Baccarat: Best Baccarat Strategies

Baccarat is an easy-to-play card game whereby players play against the dealer, who represents the banker. Players place bets on their hand, the banker’s, or on a tie. The winner is the player closest to nine.

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Learn The Rules Of Baccarat

Baccarat is a relatively easy game to pick up, so if it's your first time giving the game a go, the chances are that you’ll pick it up quickly enough. There are only three outcomes for each game: the player (you) wins, the banker wins, or there’s a tie. But before we get onto that, let's start with how to play baccarat.

Bets are placed usually using chips or tokens, with players placing a bet on their hand, the banker’s, or a tie bet. Baccarat uses three to six standard card decks, which are shuffled before being placed in a card machine (shoe). The dealer will deal cards to players and themselves, as the cards come out of it, face up.

These are how the cards are counted:

  • Aces are counted as one
  • Cards two to nine are counted according to their numerical value
  • Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings have no value

If a player’s card value goes above nine, ten gets deducted from their overall score. For example, if a player is dealt a card with a value of nine and another card with a value of eight, they have a total of seventeen. By deducting ten from this, the player is left with seven.

If the two cards a player is dealt have a total value of less than five, then they get dealt a third card. If the number is higher than five, then the total card value stands. However, if it’s higher than nine, then ten is deducted from this new value, and the new value stands.

If a player has cards with a value of five, the player has the option of whether to have a third card dealt to them. This is slightly different for the banker who gets a third card if the total value of their two is less than three. If the banker gets six or higher, their value stands as is.

The winner is the player that has a closer value to nine at the end of the game. If a player or the banker has a card value of nine with their first two cards, they automatically win. If they both have a card value of nine at the end of the round, it’s called a tie.

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Learn About The Odds And Payouts Of Each Bet

Player Hand Bets

The aim of each round of baccarat is to get as close to nine as possible, so if the player’s hand is closer to nine than the banker’s hand, they’ve won. In this case, their payout is double what they’ve bet or even. So, if a player has bet $40 to win on their hand, their winnings are $80.

Banker Hand Bets

If a player has bet on the banker’s hand to win, and it does, the player will be paid evens, minus a fee that goes to the house. So, if a player puts $20 on the banker’s hand to win, they’ll get $19, and $1 will go to the house, that’s if there’s a 5% fee on these types of bets.

Tie Bets

When a bet is placed on a tie bet, it means both the player's and banker's hands will have the same card value at the end of the round. This results in neither hand winning nor losing. With a tie bet, the player has the choice to leave the bet, remove it, reduce it, increase their bet or switch it.

Bet On Banker

This is a strategy that people familiar with baccarat are likely to suggest, simply because the odds are favourable for winning this way. The house gets a cut when players place this kind of wager, but they’ll still receive the majority of their winnings. Even though betting on the player can provide good odds, a banker bet provides a slightly higher yield, which can make all the difference.

Stay Away From Tie Bet

Tie bets are generally left best alone because a player is unlikely to see any winnings from this type of wager. Yes, it may be true that tie bet payouts are huge, but the reality is a player is less likely to win this way, whereas the house tends to do well.

Manage Your Bankroll

It’s important to know how much players have to play with, how much they’re willing to lose, and how much they’re willing to win before starting to play. Having a strategy is also a good idea, even though fate is ultimately in control. If the idea of using strategies is not for you, then consider betting on the banker whilst avoiding tie bets and all-in bets, too.

Use Baccarat Strategies

There are multiple baccarat strategies that you can use. However, remember that just as roulette, baccarat outcomes are less affected by strategy and depend on luck.

Martingale Strategy

The Martingale Strategy is widely recognized in casinos around the world and revolves around the single rule of doubling your bet value after each loss. The rationale behind this approach is that eventual wins will offset accumulated losses. To effectively employ this strategy, be consistent with your betting units. Staying within your predetermined minimum and maximum limits is crucial to maintaining the viability of the strategy.

Paroli Strategy

Flip the Martingale System around and you get the Paroli Strategy. Instead of doubling your bets after a loss, double your bets each time you win.

Let’s say you bet $1.00 and win. In the next round you would bet $2.00. The doubling up on bets continues until you eventually lose. And when that inevitably happens, drop that bet back down to its original $1.00. Now, let’s say you bet $1.00 and win, and then bet $2.00 and lose. In this case, you would go back to $1.00 and if you win again, you would bet $4.00. The ultimate goal of the Paroli strategy is to secure victories in a consecutive series of three rounds.

Fibonacci Betting System

The Fibonacci Betting System, commonly associated with roulette, can also be adapted for use in baccarat. The strategy centres around Banker bets, adhering to a predetermined sequence of values in each round.

Start with a minimum bet and whenever you win, move on to the next value within the sequence. If a round is lost, go back to the start of the sequence and begin again from there. The sequence to follow is:

1 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 13 – 21 – 34 – 55 – 89 – 144 – 233 – 377 – 610 – 987

Labouchere Strategy

The Labouchere Strategy is one of the more complex strategies out there. Start by creating a sequence of betting values, setting your first bet according to the sum of the first and last number of that sequence.

For example, if the sequence is 2-4-6, the betting amount would total 8 (2+6). If you win, you eliminate the winning numbers (2,6) and bet according to the remaining value (4). If you lose, add the 8 to the end of the sequence which becomes 2-4-6-8 and repeat the process by making your next bet 10 (2+8).

It takes quite a lot of getting used to and you'll need to score several wins with the Labouchere Strategy before you eventually start to cover your losses or even turn a profit.

1-3-2-6 and 1-3-2-4 Strategies

In this strategy, you set a chip size that acts as your base bet. Whenever you win, you follow the sequence (1-3-2-6 or 1-3-2-4), adding chips as necessary. We would suggest steering clear from Tie bets with this one as it's put to better use on Player and Banker bets.

The 3 2 System

3 /2 strategy is done by placing five chips of equal value across either the Banker and Banker Pairs bets or the Player and Player Pair bets and following this sequence.

Place three chips on Banker or Player. Place two chips on Banker Pair or Player Pair. Repeat these steps per round while adapting chip values to your budget.

The James Bond Strategy

It’s no secret that baccarat is one of the iconic 007’s favourite casino games, often prominently featured in Bond books, films and video games. Each round is played at a specific amount and split across the three bet areas. For example, you would play each round at $100, split $70 on the Banker, $25 on the Player and $5 on a Tie. Amounts can vary according to your budget, but the split should be similarly cut like the example.

Banker vs. Player: Which Bet to Choose?

The house edge in baccarat is quite low, which bodes well for players. The Banker's hand is at 1.06%, while the Player's hand sits at 1.24%.

In baccarat, 45.8% of the time the Banker’s hand will win, whilst the Player’s hand will win 44.6% of the time. That's why players tend to favour betting on the Player/Banker as a winning bet. Although it's a more assured bet, it doesn’t come free – here's a reminder that a winning bet on the Banker’s hand benefits the dealer with a 5% commission. Keep in mind that the house always holds the advantage.

The odds for Ties winning is around 9.6%, giving you a high payout of 8:1. The house edge is quite high though, at 14.36%, so placing a Tie bet can be risky.

Card Counting in Baccarat

Card counting is a strategy more suited to experienced players. By counting the cards dealt and calculating which ones are in play, the goal is to make an educated guess on the number and value of cards left to be played, and bet accordingly. However, there is widespread agreement among experts that card counting does not work in baccarat. In games where multiple rounds are dealt from a shoe, card counting becomes a potential issue. The fact that there are no known professional baccarat card counters or teams further supports this idea.

Bankroll Management in Baccarat

It's important to prioritize bankroll management in baccarat and remember that there’s a time to raise the stakes, and a time to walk away. It’s in your interest to know when to do what. To help manage your bankroll we suggest:

  • Taking breaks.
  • Sticking to your initial play budget and keeping your winnings separate. This way, you’ll play from your original bankroll and stop once that money’s gone.
  • Don’t chase losses. Remember, baccarat is a game of chance and little skill, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
  • Set win/loss limits to better protect your money.

Learn About Card Counting In Baccarat

For people that just want to play the game and enjoy placing a wager at the same time, card counting baccarat won’t be worth it. But for those who intend on card counting, finding a table with new decks is a must, so they can track cards from the beginning and follow this process:

  • Ace, two or three are dealt then add one to your count
  • Four is dealt then add two to your count
  • Five, seven, or eight are dealt then subtract one
  • Six is dealt then subtract two
  • Ten, Jack, Queen, and King are worth nothing

Practice For Free In RNG Games

There are a number of baccarat games that use random number generators for you to play baccarat online. These can help you develop a strategy as well as get a feel for the game itself, without placing a wager.

Use Live Casino Bonuses

Players can usually get these if they sign up to join an online casino. Bonuses are credited to their account and are often non-withdrawable. This gives players the opportunity to decide whether a game is right for them by playing it, before using any of their own money, which is great for a newbie.

Baccarat Strategies FAQ

What is the best strategy for baccarat?

This is subjective, depending on the player and what’s best for them. Trying out strategies is often the best way to answer this.

How to win at baccarat using flat betting?

Betting on the banker always brings the highest chance of winning a wager, so if a player’s flat betting, using the same amount for every hand, this is the favoured way to win, according to the math. However, winning ultimately is down to fate.

Which bet in baccarat has the best odds?

The flat betting system. Think about it, if baccarat has a 98% RTP, and a player bets on the banker, they’ll have the best odds to win, despite the house taking a small cut.

How to consistently win at baccarat?

Learn a betting system and perfect it. Eventually, players will realize what is most suited for them.

Baccarat Strategies FAQs

What is the best strategy for baccarat?

At the end of the day, baccarat is a game of chance. It’s best to view these strategies as ways of making the game more interesting and fun, rather than as keys to success.

What is the Golden Secret Strategy in baccarat?

This is a more advanced baccarat betting strategy. The idea is to place wagers on the opposite outcome from the previous round. So, if the Player won the previous round, wager on the Banker, and vice-versa.

What is the most successful baccarat strategy?

The Martingale Strategy is the most successful baccarat strategy, evidenced by its global popularity.

Is baccarat based on luck or skill?

Baccarat is a game of luck, although there are strategies you can use to potentially increase your chances of success.

Which hand wins most frequently in baccarat?

The Banker’s hand tends to win more frequently in baccarat.

Can you get an advantage in baccarat?

Betting on the Banker’s hand has a lower house edge, which could be seen as giving you an advantage.

Is no commission baccarat good?

Yes! Playing no-commission baccarat means that the house edge is reduced in your favour.

Read more about baccarat and other casino games in our guides: