The Complete Guide to Online Baccarat 2023

Everything you need to know about Baccarat: from basic rules to advanced strategies and terminology; in this Baccarat guide, you'll find a game overview, explanations about baccarat variants, tips, free baccarat games and the best online casinos for real money baccarat reviewed and ranked by experts.

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Overview

Online baccarat is one of those casino games that never goes of out fashion. With its prevalence in the James Bond films, baccarat has always held an air of sophistication and intrigue. The simple gameplay mechanic and 'player versus the house' ethos make it a popular game at any Canadian casino, often drawing crowds of spectators who cheer for the players.

Baccarat is a card game, in which the rules of winning are quite simple. The player whose cards are worth nine or nearest to it wins.

With the addition of several live dealer baccarat games, this camaraderie is now available when playing online via your desktop pc or mobile device. Players chat with each other and the live dealer while competing to see who can get the best hand.

Our in-depth guide to playing online baccarat will help you understand the game beginning with its history. We delve into the origins of this popular casino game uncovering its roots. We also follow its evolution to the version we see today.

For those players looking to get into the rules and payout tables, we cover how the hands impact the game, which betting options give you the best odds and the pros and cons of playing baccarat online.
When it comes to playing like a professional, it is always fun to be able to speak with authority. Our guide to baccarat includes a breakdown of all the jargon and in-game terminologies you need to know to understand the rules of the game and sound like an aficionado.

Our page includes a short guide to the nearly forty variants of baccarat found at our recommended online casinos and our selection of live dealer casinos. In addition, we look at what each of these variants adds to the online baccarat experience and which of these offers the most significant payout potential to assist you in sifting through the dozens of options available to Canadian gamblers.

To help clarify any lingering questions you may have about baccarat, we have included the most asked questions about the casino game at the end of the page in our user-friendly baccarat FAQ section.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Online baccarat is one of the simplest casino games to learn
The house edge is as low as 1.06% when betting on the Banker
It caters to small and large betting behaviours
Cons
Basic baccarat does not offer considerable payout potential
The gameplay loop can get monotonous if you prefer action-packed games

History

The game was created on European shores, way back in the 10th century. Its birthplace is rumoured to be Italy, whereas further development in France in the 14th century. From there, it is travelled to the American continent, where casinos eventually gave it its current form that we all see before us today.

In Italian, the word "Baccarat" is referred to as zero. Therefore, the game was initially designed with the rule that all Kings, Queens, Jacks & Tens are equal to zero. Since the creation of the game, this rule has remained constant.
The Royal Families of France played the game. It was known as Chemin de Fer; however, it ended with the French revolution. The game that casinos transferred from Europe to the rest of the world was an English version called Punto Banco.

Europe has a reputation for producing goods that can last forever, and the same can be said for every card and table game that came from these shores. However, the great depression also played a big part in their survival. Because gambling became legal in the US, games such as Punto Banco gained massive popularity in the post-depression era. However, in the early days, it remained restricted to the elite of American society.

Thanks to the Internet, Baccarat became popular all around the United States. Every casino online has the Mini Baccarat version, which follows the standard American rules also used in casinos of Las Vegas and casinos of Atlantic City.


Popular Terms

As with most card games, Baccarat also reflects its Italian and French roots by having many of the words used in the game derived from those languages, whereas other words reflect its successful integration into the American culture.

Baccarat: In actual terms, this denotes that the entire worth of a player's hand is 0. Not something you would want while playing the game.

Banker: It is one of the three likely moves in the game, betting on the hand of the dealer or the Banker. The payout in this scenario minus the commission is 1:1. It is sometimes also referred to as Banco.

Coup: One game or a round of Baccarat, which includes the hands of the player and the banker.

Dealer: The croupier or the dealer of the cards in the game.

Mini Baccarat: A popular online version of the game. The difference is that the limits are lesser than the classic version, and the dealer draws all cards.

Natural: Natural term refers to when the player's initial two cards have a total worth of either eight or nine.

Player: It is one of the three likely moves in the game, betting on the hand of the player. The payout in this scenario is 1:1. In the setting, an advantage of over 1% favours the house. This move is also referred to as the punto.

Run: A simultaneous bet that a player can gamble on the other party winning successive hands.

Standoff: Standoff refers to when the dealer has the same cards as the player.

Tie: A wager on a standoff between Banker and the player. This move is seldom used because it has a 15% house advantage; however, the payout is very lucrative at 8:1.


Rules

The game can house 14 players and is played with as many as eight decks of cards. The King, Queen, Jack & 10 cards are worth 0, Ace is worth 1, whereas the rest are worth their face value.
Every round or "coup" starts with each player making a wager on who will get the hand worth the most value. The bet is taken on the player, the Banker or a tie. The Banker and each player are then dealt two cards. In Baccarat, the hand cannot go beyond 9, so if a player has cards that exceed this total, just the second digit is considered when calculating the total hand. Also, additional cards are not dealt when the total is 8 or 9.

Although in Baccarat a banker is present, the dealer "shoe", as in Craps and Poker, revolves clockwise around the playing table. However, there is a difference here that in case the hand is won by the Banker, then the deal shoe cannot move.

The rules are only slightly changed in Mini-Baccarat regarding how cards are dealt. The actual rules are the same; however, odds differ somewhat from the fuller version of the game. The dealer deals with a six-deck shoe in this version, and all playing cards are turned over.


Strategy

Baccarat is a simple game, so there is not much to go by in terms of strategy. A player has two choices: wagering on the Banker's hand or the player's hand. Keep in mind that when the game starts, the payout stakes for both the bank and the player are 1:1; however, the bank charges a 5% commission.

The most important thing to keep in mind is your money in the game. Be fully aware of your finances, and be sure to set up a maximum limit and ensure that you stick with it. The game's beauty is that players have a high probability of winning, but due to the house advantage rule, there is an even higher risk of losing money.

Trust the French to come up with something difficult. People wanting more flavours in the game can opt for the French versions called Baccarat Banque & Chemin de Fer. There are limited options to the game online as well, and if you happen to be in the streets of Europe, you might find a few casinos offering Baccarat Banque & Chemin de Fer.

Tips

Here is a selection of easy to implement online baccarat tips to get you started:

Getting Started

New players can often find getting started with online baccarat a little daunting. Here are five simple tips for getting into your first game and enjoying the experience.

1 Learn the flow of the game

Online baccarat is an easy game to learn. The first step in being comfortable at the table is understanding how the game progresses, from placing your first bet to the final decision on winning hands. Free play practice will help a lot in this regard.

2 Understand your odds and the house advantage

Knowing the odds of winning on either Banker, Player or Tie bets will help you make intelligent betting decisions. In addition, knowing the house advantage of each hand will also make the decision-making process more straightforward.

3 Choose the version that suits your style.

Despite its simplicity, there are still several versions of baccarat for you to play. Each variant offers a different gameplay flow, table options, and even win multipliers.

4 Join a trusted online casino

We recommend joining a regulated online casino that offers your preferred online baccarat games and a healthy bonus to boost your bankroll.

5 Claim a baccarat casino bonus

When claiming a welcome bonus, it is necessary to understand the full terms and conditions. Ensure the wagering requirements are as low as possible, the terms are fair, and you can satisfy all while playing baccarat.

Terminology

To become proficient at online baccarat, you need to learn its terms. These make the game easy to play as they describe the various hands and payouts. We have created a handy guide to all the baccarat jargon you will need to learn the game and sound like a veteran player at the tables.

Baccarat Glossary

Baccarat Game Types

With its simple gameplay formula, you would not think that baccarat would have many versions. However, innovative game designers have come up with several variants. Each of which adds something new to the online baccarat player experience.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a simple casino card game where three boxes (Banker, Player, and Tie) are each dealt 2-4 cards. The player's role is to bet on which they believe to have cards valued closest to the sum of nine.

Live Baccarat

Live baccarat follows the same formula as baccarat, but it is played with a live casino dealer, not against the casino software. It can also include other players making it a multiplayer experience.

Dragon Tiger

Dragon Tiger is a two-card version of baccarat played against the casino. Here the Dragon and Tiger bet boxes each receive a single card, and the player must decide beforehand which will receive the higher value card. In addition, there are several prop bets available.

Live Dragon Tiger

Live Dragon Tiger appears in live streaming casinos where a live person deals the cards, not the casino software. This version will allow other players to join you in a multiplayer game.

Lightning Baccarat

While the game is played at a slightly faster pace, the real value of Lightning Baccarat lies in its win multipliers. At the beginning of each round, up to 5 'lightning cards' are drawn. Depending on what cards are drawn, win multipliers of up to 262,144 times the initial wager can come into play.

Punto Banco

This version of baccarat only has two betting boxes: Punto and Banco. In this case, each has specific rules regulating when to draw cards. While Punto draws based on its hand alone, Banco's actions rely on the values in the Punto hand.

Baccarat Banque

Found most often in live gambling environments, this version of baccarat sees the dealer player against two or more players. Cards valued at eight or nine wins automatically. The player cards are always compared to the dealer cards, never to each other.

Baccarat Squeeze

This exclusively live version of baccarat follows the basic ruleset. The "squeeze" mechanic refers to the fact that the cards are dealt face down, and the dealer reveals them to the viewers by folding the edges of the cards. The squeezing process increases tension and suspense.

Speed Baccarat

Speed Baccarat is only found in live dealer casinos and follows the base online baccarat rules. The focus is churning, as each round is limited to a maximum time of 27 seconds. With bets of up to $C1000 per hand, this is one for experienced players only!

Mini Baccarat

Mini baccarat is the ideal option for new players. The game follows the same betting and payout rules as online baccarat but with smaller stakes.

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Our Favorite Casino

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FAQ

There are two reasons to avoid betting on Tie. The first reason is that it has the lowest probability of being the winning hand at 9.51%. The second is that a push results when no one bets on a Tie.

Betting on the Banker is considered the best of the three bets. It has a 45.87% chance of being the winning hand. If you remove, Tie bets, the probability increases to 51%.

We list the best online casinos for players looking to play online baccarat. In addition, the list includes the bonuses available to new sign-ups.

No, there is not. Baccarat is a game of chance with the outcome of randomly dealt cards determining all wins and losses. The best you can do is understand the odds of the various betting options and wait to see what the cards have to say.

No the online casinos we recommend are licensed and regulated by international gambling regulators. These bodies review all payouts and results for honesty and fair play.

Online baccarat is available at live streaming casinos where you play against a live croupier instead of relying on a random number generator for the payouts.

While the banker bet has the highest probability of winning, the casino will charge a 5% commission on any player winnings.

The three betting options each hold a distinct house advantage. The bank is 1.06%, the player bet is 1.24%, and the tie bet is 14.36%.

Yes, you can play online baccarat for free. The best online casinos will have free to play versions of their baccarat for you to try before you start playing for real money.

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