Winning Baccarat Strategy: Does It Exist?

A winning strategy for a casino game is like a holy grail. All players seek after it trying to gain leverage over the casino and win big. While at some casino games using the proper strategy can help you lower the house edge, at others you cannot affect the outcome of rounds. The game of Baccarat falls into the latter. In this article, we will discuss options you have to beat the game and whether a winning Baccarat strategy exists.

Know the Rules

This is the first step you need to take if you want to be successful. Baccarat is a simple game based on luck. The rules are simple, yet you must know them before you join a Baccarat table. Basically, the game offers three betting options – the Banker, Player and Tie. By playing one of these bets, a player tries to predict which of the two hands will win or the game ends in a tie. The winning hand is determined based on the cards dealt by the dealer. The goal of the game is to guess which hand will total 9 or be closer to 9.

Each of the possible bets has its own payouts and house edge. This can help you understand how risky it is to play.

Banker	0.95:1	1.06%
Player	1:1	1.24%
Tie	8:1	14.36%-14.44%

As you can see from the table given above, the Banker bet is the least risky while the Tie bet has the highest house edge and as such, is the riskiest betting option. Its house edge depends on the number of decks in play, with 14.44 in 6-deck Baccarat and 14.36% in an 8-deck version of the game. Online Baccarat typically uses a 6-deck shoe.

Know which Bet to Play

Baccarat is a game of luck, meaning that you cannot make moves to change the outcome of a round. Unlike Blackjack, where your actions affect how the round will end, in the game of Baccarat, you can only choose the hand you will place your bet on and the rest is pure chance. Each round is independent, meaning that you cannot rely on patterns and trends.

Only by looking at the table above, one can easily tell that the Banker is the best betting option you can go for. It comes with the lowest edge, meaning that it has the biggest probability of winning. In a 6-deck game, the probability that the Banker hand will win is 45.87%, the likelihood that the Player hand will win is 44.63% while the probability that the Tie hand will win is only 9.51%.

The statistics say that you should go for the Banker bet although it pays the smallest prize. It is due to the fact that the casino takes a 5% commission. The best advice you should stick to if you want to win in the game of Baccarat is to play the Banker bet until this hand loses.

Know the Difference between Betting Systems and Strategy

In one of our previous articles, we have discussed choosing the best Baccarat betting system. This article brings you an overview of some of the most popular betting systems you can apply when playing the game of Baccarat. In this article, we will explain the difference between these systems and the Baccarat strategy. While Baccarat betting systems are all about the way you will place your bets, a strategy covers a wider range of factors that can affect the gameplay. When we talk about the strategy, we talk about moves you make to increase your winning chances. What you should keep in mind is that betting systems cannot help you gain an advantage over the casino.

Is There a Baccarat Winning Strategy?

To win at Baccarat, you have to guess the outcome of the round and place your bet on the winning hand. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do that will help you know this 100%. As we have previously mentioned, each round is an event per se. We bring you a list of tips that can help you make the most of the game, though.

• Avoid playing a Tie bet

Although it is one of the possible outcomes, it is the least likely that a Baccarat round will end in a tie. No matter how juicy the payout can be, you should avoid playing this bet as it wins rarely. If you like to take risks, you can go for it every now and then and win 8:1 if you get lucky.

• Play a Banker bet

As explained above, this is the best betting option you can choose in Baccarat. According to some experts, once a Banker bet loses, you should make a pause for a round or two and see whether you will continue to play a Banker bet or go for a Player bet.

• Avoid betting systems

They may seem promising, but the truth is that they can be detrimental to your bankroll. With a game like Baccarat one can never tell what will happen in the next round and the idea to increase your bets when on a losing or winning streak may be quite risky. By doing so, you should cover your previous losses in theory, but what happens in practice may not be in your favour.

• Manage your bankroll

This should be your biggest concern. No matter how good you are at Baccarat, you cannot be successful until you manage your bankroll properly. Before you start playing the game, you should set the amount you can afford to spend per session as well as win and loss limits.

Closing Thoughts

When it comes to Baccarat, it’s all about choosing a betting option and value of your stake. That’s all you can do to affect the outcome of the game. Actually, the element of luck and its simple rules are the main features that make this casino game popular with players. Unfortunately, there is no Baccarat strategy that can help you beat it, yet by applying the tips given above, you have decent chances of winning. Baccarat comes in multiple variants at live casino tables, so click here to visit LeoVegas and enjoy a Macau-like atmosphere while playing the game with this new knowledge.