How To Play Baccarat

If you want to learn how to play baccarat with real money, you’ll want to get some practice by playing online. However, for those new to the game, online baccarat can be a great introduction where you can get familiar with the rules.

Baccarat is a card game you can start playing with just a few essential tips. Explained simply, the basic strategy in the game of baccarat is to hit a total of 9 with two cards. Then, players can bet on either the dealer’s hand or the player’s hand and, with any luck, will choose the one that gets closest to 9 without going over.

The details of the game get more complicated, but baccarat remains one of the easier casino games to learn, as there isn’t any particular strategic method that can beat it. Baccarat is a game of pure chance, like playing craps, roulette, or keno. Even so, games of luck can be some of the most thrilling.

Play Free Online Baccarat

Try baccarat for free with the demo below. If you run out of credits on the free online baccarat, simply refresh the page to replenish the bankroll. When you feel you are ready, you can check out the best online casinos and play for real money.

Play real-money baccarat for free with the Golden Nugget no-deposit bonus

Another way to get started playing baccarat is to download any of the casino apps below and begin a game in demo mode. These practice games will give you a feel for the pace and structure of the game. Playing the free version of baccarat won’t risk any chips or cash.

Where To Play Baccarat Online for Cash Prizes?

Once you are more familiar with the rules of the game, you might actually want to play baccarat for the potential to win cash prizes. If so, you have a few options. One, you can visit a land-based casino. Two, in some states, you can visit legal online real-money casinos. Alternatively, you can visit the best promotional sweepstakes social casino that offers baccarat: Pulsz Casino.

Legal Online Casinos For Baccarat

To play baccarat online for real money, you’ll need to go through a licensed real money online casino. Legally, you will only be able to play baccarat at online casinos in some states. Follow the following links for more information on the best casino online bonuses, including: Michigan bonus codes, New Jersey bonus codes, PA casino no deposit bonus, West Virginia bonus codes, and Connecticut bonus codes.

These apps are built to run on your mobile device or even your web browser. So you can play baccarat from a phone, computer, or tablet.

You can search for other apps in your phone’s app store, including some options specifically for baccarat. However, if you want the opportunity to play baccarat both for free or to switch over and play for real money once you’re ready, the casinos above are the best way to go.

There are frequent changes to the laws surrounding online casino gambling, so if your state is not currently on the list, don’t lose hope. New states are passing legislation to legalize online casino access to gambling every year. Plus, you can always visit one of these states if they are nearby. You are permitted to play as long as you are physically present in a state where casino gambling is legal. You don’t even have to be a resident.

Of course, in demo mode, you can play baccarat whether or not you are in a state with online casino gaming legalized. This is because you are not playing for real money when you are in demo mode, so this constitutes a workaround for those located in states without legal gaming.

Baccarat Variations

Variations of the game of baccarat include:

• Punto banco (North American baccarat)
• Baccarat chemin de fer (chemmy, or European baccarat)
• Baccarat banque (à deux tableaux)

In general, when people in North America are referring to baccarat and its rules, they default to the style known as punto banco. This is what is typically played in casinos and what you might expect to play if you’re already familiar with the game.

Baccarat Rules

The rules of baccarat start simply but get to be a bit more complex as the game progresses. For example, the main objective in the game is to hit the number 9 (or as close to it as you can get) with two cards. The possible numbers you can hit max out at nine, as any two-digit number is lowered by 10. For instance, if you are dealt a 2 and a 6, you have a total of 8. If the dealer got a 3 and a 4, they’d have a 7. Your hand would win, as it is closer to 9. Easy, right?

Well, things change when you start mixing in face cards. A queen and a 6 will give you 6 total, as the queen is basically a wash. An ace card is worth 1, while the other face cards are worth 0 in baccarat. So, an ace and a 6 would give you a total of 7, while two kings give you a 0 total.

Picking this up gets easier as you go along, but your goal is to select the hand that will win. In other words, you want to bet on the hand that will hit a total of 9, or closest to it. You’ll have to choose if you want to bet on the player’s hand to win or the dealer’s hand to win, and you’ll have to decide before any cards are revealed.

There is also the possibility that the hands will end in a tie or push. There is an option to bet on this possibility, with the benefit of a higher payout. If you bet on a tie in baccarat and win, you’ll typically be paid 8 to 1.

If you bet on the player’s hand to win and get it right, you’ll be paid 1 to 1, or even money. Payouts for winning a bet on the dealer’s hand are approximately the same; however, they are subject to a small fee. As the house has a slight advantage based on the way the cards are dealt, you’ll have to pay a 5% fee out of the even money you win if you’ve bet correctly on the dealer’s hand.

So, if you’ve bet $100 on the dealer, and the dealer wins, you will get your initial bet back plus $100, even money. But the dealer will subtract a $5 fee for betting on the side with an advantage or will keep track of what you owe in fees, and you’ll have to pay up before you leave the table. For online gaming, the fee for winning a dealer hand bet will typically be deducted automatically with each hand.

Beyond these basic rules, there will be a chart that dictates how the dealer is instructed to play the cards. For instance, the rules will determine whether they are to deal another card if their total is 3 and the player’s hand is 5. Of course, these depend on where you’re playing and their particular rules, but you can request a copy from the dealer or hit the “i” button when gaming online to view more information.

As a player, you’ll never actually put your hands on the baccarat cards in a casino, unlike in many other games. When playing online, of course, this won’t be an issue.

Baccarat Odds

Baccarat is genuinely a game determined by luck. Therefore, it’s considered impossible to “beat” the game. Essentially, the house will always win over time because it has a slight advantage. In simple numbers, the house edge is 1.06% on the dealer’s hand and 1.24% on the player’s hand. The odds are much worse on tie bets, with a house edge of 14.36%, so you’ll generally want to avoid making that bet.

Compared with other games, the house edge in baccarat is relatively low. So, it can be a great game if you’re looking to pass the time. However, it could take quite a while for the odds to catch up with you.

How To Play Baccarat At Casinos

Playing baccarat in person at a casino can be a thrilling way to enjoy the game. But, of course, you won’t be able to do it for free, and the minimum real-money bets tend to be higher than you’ll find with other games. For example, most baccarat tables will require a minimum bet of $10 to $25, if not more.

The rules are the same as described above, but when you play in person, you can request a hard copy of the rules to follow along more easily. It’s also possible that the casino will use chips to keep track of any money owed from the dealer bets you’ve won and will require you to pay these before you leave the table.

You should remember that the action is always a bit more fast-paced when you’re playing in real-time. You won’t be allowed to stop gameplay while you analyze each result. So unless you have a bankroll to support learning at speed, it’s best to familiarize yourself by playing for free online first.

Free Online Baccarat FAQ