Helpful Tips for New Baccarat Players

Understand the Odds at Your Table

Unlike some other casino games such as Blackjack where you play against the house, Baccarat charges a commission on winnings from the Banker bet. Since a payout is 1:1 (you bet $5 you win $5) the casino must make the game sustainable for themselves. Therefore, if you bet on the Banker to win and you are right, you will pay a commission on your winnings.

The general rule is that the house commission is 5%. Therefore, in the above example if you bet $5 and win you would receive your own $5 back plus $4.75 in winnings. Not bad, right? It is important to understand the odds at your table because they can change from casino to casino and even from table to table in the same casino. It is not unheard of for a Baccarat table to have a 20% commission on winnings. Naturally, you want to avoid these tables as they significantly skew the odds of being up after a long string of playing in the house's favor.

Betting on the Banker vs betting on the Player

Unlike in Blackjack, you can bet on either the player's hand or the casino's hand. Betting on the casino's hand offers slightly better odds of winning but as mentioned above you end up paying a commission. Betting on the player's hand offers worse odds but doesn't come with a winnings commission. What you should bet on is a fierce debate between Baccarat players that is unlikely to be decided any time soon. Since it is so objective, it is best to just pick one and stick with it. If you choose to bet on the Banker stick with it for a decent string of rounds. Many people end up chasing wins from the other side, flip-flopping back and forth between betting on the player and the banker. Your increase your odds by sticking to your guns, pick one side and stick with it.

Play for Short Streaks

Short sessions are good for your state of mind and for improving your odds. Over time, the house wins. Always. Therefore, it is best to play in short bursts. If you find yourself on a winning or losing streak, it is best to get out before things start to run away from you. Over time, you will also lose focus and begin to make more irrational bets and end up breaking rule number 2, don't flip flop with which side you're betting on. Short and sweet is best.

Tie Bets are Best Left Alone

Tie bets are bets that the banker and the player positions will be a tie, and it has horrible odds! In your standard game of Baccarat with consistent betting and sticking to one side, either the player or the house, you can expect the house edge to be around 1-1.5%. The tie bet, given its low odds of occurring, gives the house a 14-15% advantage which is HUGE. The tie bet is a money trap for rookies. One you should avoid at all costs.

Money Management - Control Your Bankroll

The best way to ensure you don't lose a ton of money in one sitting is to ensure you stick to a budget. Control your bankroll. Your bankroll is how much money you have gone into the casino with. If you are playing $5 hands at the baccarat table with a $100 bankroll you would need to lose 20 times in a row to bust out. Unlikely, but it happens. If you empty your bankroll learn to walk away. Don't chase losses.

Quit While You Are Ahead

This is almost the inverse of tip number 5. Let us say you go in there with a $100 bankroll playing $5 hands. You hit a nice winning streak, you're up to $200. Learn to walk away. Quit while you are ahead, you just doubled your money; do you really want to lose it? No. A good strategy for this is to reduce your bankroll based on winning. Let's say you went in with $100 and managed to double your money. Cash-out $100. Now, you still have a bankroll of $100. If you then go on to lose it, you will leave the casino having had fun and breaking even. Breaking even is sometimes a good result, a result most beginners need to learn quickly to appreciate.

Don't Use the Martingale System

The martingale system is a famous betting system where the player doubles their bet every time they lose. Then, when they eventually win they make all of their money back and can start again. The problem with this is doubling your bet can spiral out of control very quickly. If you start at $5 and lose 10 hands in a row, your next bet will be over $5000. Can you afford to lose a $5000 hand?

Summary

Hopefully, this article has given you the confidence to hit the Baccarat table with a game plan in mind. Set limits for yourself, don't chase losses and don't give back wins. It is a zero-sum game, you either win or you lose. Many small wins are preferable to one big win. Many small losses are preferable to one devastating loss. Prepare a strategy and don't waiver from it, you'll be having fun and stacking wins in no time at all.