There are few casino games that generate more revenue than baccarat. Last year, Macau casinos raked in more than 88 percent of their $33.2 billion total from the game. Singapore casinos also draw heavily from it, and baccarat is popular in the high-roller enclaves of Las Vegas Strip casinos. Yet, in the eyes of many Americans, baccarat seems exotic, mysterious and out of their league.
But the reality is that baccarat is easy to play, with a low house edge and simple rules. As a result, it’s an ideal game for those who want to get in on the action without spending too much money.
With a minimum bet of just $20 or $25, you can get started playing in no time at all. Baccarat has five different types of bets: the Player Bet, Banker Bet, Tie Bet, Super Six Bet and Pair Bet. Each type of bet has its own payouts and odds.
In baccarat, the goal is to bet on which hand will have the higher total. You can place a bet on either the Player or the Banker hand, and each pays out 1:1 if you win. You can also make a Tie Bet, which pays out 8:1 if you are correct about the outcome of the hand. A Super Six Bet pays out 12:1 if you correctly guess that the first two cards dealt will form a pair.
At every baccarat table, you’ll find stacks of score cards and pencils. Most players keep track of the results of each hand, analyzing them for trends and divine patterns. Keeping score is a common ritual, but basic number-crunching indicates that it’s nothing more than superstition. The house edge is ever so slightly in favor of the banker, and no amount of keeping score or divining patterns can change that.
Baccarat can be played with between seven and 14 players, each seated around a large oval-shaped table. Players and the dealer each receive two cards and the winner is determined by whose hand has the highest total. The scoring is based on the last digit of the total, with nine being the best score. Picture cards and tens are worth zero points, while aces count as one. Once the total crosses nine or enters double digits, the second digit becomes the final score.
Some people claim that a player can beat the house edge in baccarat by betting on the Player or Banker, and then adjusting their wagers based on previous wins or losses. This is incorrect, because the house edge is fixed for both the Banker and Player bets. You can use my baccarat calculator to see the odds for both bets, broken down by all possible Player and Banker totals. You can also view a chart that compares the odds of winning each bet. This chart will help you understand the probabilities of each bet and make informed decisions on where to place your bets. It’s a useful tool for both novice and veteran players.