Casinos and their games have sure come a long way over the years
Home | Features | Strategies for Playing Baccarat

Strategies for Playing Baccarat

April 26, 2023

Baccarat has long been one of the most popular casino games in Europe, mainly due to its relative simplicity and high gambling component.

Nevertheless, it can be useful to evaluate some possible strategies, if only to better control your bankroll.

THE BASIC RULES

First of all, we must be clear about all the rules of the game, which is actually quite simple once we understand the basic mechanisms. Baccarat is a game in which players bet on which hand of cards will have a value closer to 9, or if, conversely, the result will be a draw. There are three possible betting options depending on who wins the hand: “Player”, “Banker” and “Tie”.

Each hand, the croupier deals two cards to each position in play, which are then added together to determine the score. Cards 2 to 9 have a face value, Ace is worth 1 point, 10 and figures (J, Q, K) are worth zero. If the value of the cards exceeds 9, the actual value is the single-digit number of the card total. For example, if the sum of the cards is 14, the actual value is 4.

At this point, as in Black Jack, you can possibly ask for a “third card” to compose the final score, with precise rules.

If the sum of the “Player” cards is greater than that of the “Banker”, the “Player” wins; if the sum of the “Bank” is higher, the “Banker” wins; If the sums are equal, it is a draw.

BACCARAT STRATEGIES

Baccarat is a game of chance and there is no real strategy that guarantees victory in every situation. However, there are a few things players can do to improve their chances of winning:

Learn the rules of the game: It is important to know the rules of the game, including card values and card dealing rules.

Manage your bankroll: It’s important to set a gaming budget and not bet more than you can afford to lose.

Betting on the Banker: Dealer bets have a lower house advantage over player bets in the long run, so in principle, they are preferable.

Avoid tie bets: draw bets offer a high payout, but the chances of winning are very low, so they should be dosed very carefully.

Do not try to identify patterns: Baccarat is a game of chance and there is no betting scheme or model that can guarantee victory.

Don’t be influenced by other players’ bets: other players’ bets do not affect the outcome of the game, so there’s no reason to follow them or base your bets on them.

In general, Baccarat is a simple game that requires a good deal of luck. The best strategy is to manage your bankroll responsibly and bet rationally.

BANKROLL MANAGEMENT IN BACCARAT

Managing your bankroll is a crucial aspect of the game of Baccarat (as well as all gambling). Here are some tips to better manage it:

Establish a game budget: Before sitting at the table, it is important to establish a game budget, which is a maximum amount that you are also willing to lose. It is important to respect this budget and not to bet beyond this figure.

Set wagering limits: Once you’ve set your gaming budget, it’s important to set betting limits as well. For example, you may decide to bet no more than 2% or 5% of your budget in each hand (depending also on your risk appetite).

Avoid trying to recover losses: if you lose a hand, it is not advisable to try to recover losses by betting higher and higher figures. Instead, it is better to continue to play responsibly according to the strategy and limits we set ourselves in the beginning.

Divide the bankroll into gaming sessions: To avoid losing all your bankroll in a single game session, it is advisable to divide it into smaller sessions and establish a time limit or number of hands for each session.

In general, managing your bankroll at Baccarat requires discipline and self-control. By following these simple rules, players can enjoy the game responsibly and minimize the risk of losing more than they can afford.

ARE THERE ANY GAME SYSTEMS FOR BACCARAT?

There are plenty of game systems for Baccarat, but none of them guarantee a potential win in any way. Indeed, some may be in contrast with a good management of the Bankroll (see all those that provide for the doubling of bets).

Certainly, however, just to better manage your resources and not fall into trivial errors such as the exaggeration of bets, it may be useful to give yourself some kind of scheme for the same, whether it is fixed or dynamic.

Fixed bets: We choose the minimum bet to be placed for a game session and keep it all the time, regardless of the number of hands we are winning or losing.

Dynamic bets: we decide to vary the amount of bets, but still keeping precise patterns. For example, you could think of alternately aiming a pair of hands at a very low bet, and then a higher bet (or vice versa). Or create variable patterns to keep throughout the session (a very popular one is the “1-3-2-6” in which precisely those units are pointed every four hands to turn).