How to play Baccarat online

So what is baccarat? The simple explanation

Online baccarat is basically a contest between the two hands: the player and the banker. If you are getting confused with these terminologies, do not worry; all you need to do is to view the player and the banker as two competitors trying to win a match.

You can bet on either the player or the banker to win, while you can also wager on a tie. The winning hand is the hand with a higher card value, while a tie, as the name implies, occurs when both the player and the banker return the same value.

Don’t be confused by all the terminologies and numbers, it is very easy to understand and bet on baccarat!

One of the most important things to note is how the values of the cards are determined, or in more general sporting lingo, how the scores are counted.

The cards:

Cards numbered 2-9 are taken at face value (the actual number on the card); aces are worth one point; while 10, jack, king and queen are counted as zero. Where the total value of the cards is greater than 10, the single-digit (the number on the right) is recorded as the value of the card.

In a typical baccarat game, the player and the banker are dealt two cards each. The aim is to get as close as possible to 9.

For example, if a hand draws cards of face values 7 and 8, the sum of the cards is 15, but the value of the hand is taken as 5, the single digits. Similarly, 17 becomes 7, 11 becomes 1, 13 becomes 3 and so on. Hence, a combination of 4 and 3 (totaling 7) is more valuable than 6 and 8 (totaling 14) since we only deal with the single-digit in baccarat (7 > 4). The highest possible hand value in baccarat is 9.

If either hand has a value of 8 or 9, that hand is declared the winner, termed a "natural win".

If one hand achieves a value of 8 and the other 9, the hand with the 9 obviously wins the game.

However, if neither hand achieves an 8 or 9, an additional card can be drawn by either or both competitors according to a set of predetermined rules. This is where the game gets a little bit tricky.

In baccarat, 8 and 9 are referred to as naturals and represent the best possible outcomes.

The great news for bettors is that we do not have to worry about all of these permutations and combinations. The online dealer keeps track of proceedings and determines whether a third card is drawn or not!

All we have to do is to place our bets, enjoy the game, and wait for the final results. Remember, the overall aim of baccarat is to score a higher value than the other hand.

What is the house edge in baccarat?

In casino games, the odds are always designed to favor the casino rather than the bettors. After all, they are profit-making ventures and not charity organizations!

Big winnings are not uncommon, but the casino ultimately has the edge in the long run.

Before playing a casino game, it is important to know the house edge on the game. The house edge is often expressed as a percentage and indicates the casino's projected profit on player bets. It gives the probability of winning a bet on a casino game.

Be mindful of the fact that the casino always has the edge in the long run.

The great news for baccarat players is that the house edge on the game is very low!

Each of the three main outcomes has its own house edge. A bet on the banker has a house edge of 1.06%; for the player, it is put at around 1.24%, while the house edge on a tie is at a whopping 14.4%. Hence, bets on the banker are the safest, while bets on a tie are the riskiest.

You should note that you will have to give up 5% of your winnings as commission to the casino if you win a banker bet.

Going by these percentages, the chance of winning a bet on a player or a banker is just under 50%, while that of winning a tie bet is below 10%.

The risk level of the respective bets is also indicated in the payment ratios. Winnings on tie bets are usually paid out at 8:1, (9:1 in some countries), while winning bets on the banker or the player are paid out at 1:1, minus the 5% casino commission if you have won a bet on a banker.

This means that if you stake 1000 Rupees on the player hand, and your bet is successful, you will get an additional 1000 Rupees. If you placed the bet on a tie, you will be rewarded with a whopping 8000 Rupees!

Now that you know how to play baccarat, are you ready to get started?

Below you will find a list of the best baccarat sites in India. We recommend that you join one of those to get the best possible baccarat experience!