A Definitive Guide to Playing Online Baccarat

Baccarat Player

Baccarat Strategy

There are a number of casino games where strategy is vitally important to the success of the player, the game of blackjack is a very good example of this because the use of solid basic blackjack strategy lowers the house edge and can give the player a winning advantage.

It is no wonder then that the search for winning Baccarat Strategy is something that most new players dedicate themselves to, often buying in to misleading promises of winning systems and strategies. But as any seasoned Baccarat player will tell you, Baccarat is a game of luck and there is little that you can do besides placing a bet and allowing the game to run its course.

The only aspects in Baccarat that are variable are the house edge on the different bets. The house advantage may also change slightly depending on the number of decks remaining in the shoe. Players who take advantage of these discrepancies in the house edge may increase the odds of hitting a hot streak and earning some short term winnings. Over the long term however the house will always end up victorious in the game of Baccarat.

Let's take a look at some of the strategies gamblers swear by when playing Baccarat:

Card Counting

Believe it or not, the card counting strategy is not only employed in the game of blackjack but some gamblers swear that it is useful when playing Baccarat too. Studies have shown however that card counting efforts in Baccarat are futile because the player is required to add and subtract large numbers rapidly to keep track of the house edge and even if an accurate count can be established, it is only advantageous every 345 hands.

We have yet to come across a land based casino that will allow you to play at the table if you're only playing one in 345 hands and card counting in online Baccarat games is impossible thanks to Random Number Generators. So anything that involved card counting in Baccarat should be avoided.

Streaking Strategies

Rather than running around nude in hope of distracting the dealer, streaking strategy involves looking for and "riding" streaks when they occur which of course requires a great deal of time and monitoring. The problem however is that although streaks may seem to exist, they really are an illusion.

Should a player win 8 times in a row, the chances of him/her wining again in the next hand are the same as if the banker had just won 8 times in a row. Streaks have absolutely no influence on the odds of a particular hand.

Bet and Bank

The Bet and Bank strategy is a system whereby players escalate bets and bank a portion of their winnings, for example:
1st Hand: Bet $10 if you win, move to the second hand.
2nd Hand: Add $10 ($30 total bet) if you win, bank $40 and proceed to the third hand.
3rd Hand: Play the remaining $20. If you win, add $20 more and proceed to the fourth hand.
4th Hand: Play the $60. Should you win, take the money and begin again at the first hand.

Should you lose a hand at any time re-start at the first hand.

This is another system that is built on illusion as it requires the player to have a hot streak in order to be successful.

As you can probably see from the above discussion, baccarat is a game of luck rather than a game of skill. According to statistics, the best move is to bet on the banker as the house advantage is the least here. That is especially true as the shoe comes to an end and the house on the Banker decreases as the number of cards remaining diminishes. While this strategy can become quite boring, at least you won't be losing.

All in all, the best thing to do is treat Baccarat like you would a slot machine and simply play it for the enjoyment and allow wins to be a bonus!