What Is The Best Bet In Baccarat

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Beware the Banker’s Cut! When you learn baccarat rules you will know it’s normal for the casino. 5Dimes have the best possible odds on baccarat. Commission on Banker wins is not 5% but 4%, and Player pays out not 1 but 1.01. Also, Tie pays 9.4 to 1. These numbers are amazing and there’s no reason to play baccarat anywhere else. Baccarat streaking and 1326 combination noticed that if you just wait for two in a row just bet on that banker or player for a streak bet. Or back and forth pattern two times in a row follow it. Standard play is bet on banker always but I guess this games baccarat classic on bovada and ignition casino follows the pattern play.

Even the most elementary research efforts will tell you that the banker bet is your best choice in baccarat. That same research probably revealed that the player bet is only a slight underdog to the banker bet.

What Is Baccarat Game

Players look at the similar house edge, and the commission for the banker bet and decide to go with the player. Look, this isn’t the craps table, where betting with the shooter is par for the course.

The Best Bet: Banker’s Hand. Baccarat is a unique game. Unlike blackjack or other gambling games, where you go head to head against the house, in baccarat you have the option to choose which hand to bet on. You bet on whether the player’s hand will win or the bankers. Betting on the banker is your best bet in baccarat.

There’s no “hot hand” slinging 7s like machine-gun fire in baccarat and making the table rich. Check out why you should always make the banker bet in baccarat.

Baccarat 101

Examining how the baccarat game is played will help to understand what makes the banker bet so good.

In a baccarat hand, the player and dealer each receive 2 cards; the object is to get as close to 9 as possible. Note that 10 thru King are valued at 0, and Aces are valued at 1.

If the total of the 2 cards reaches 10 or more, the first digit is dropped. So, 17 becomes 7.

If either the player or the dealer has 8 or 9, it’s considered a natural, and no more cards are dealt. If there’s no natural dealt, the player is dealt another card on 5 or less. The player stands on 6 or 7.

The dealer stands on 7-9. However, what the dealer does beyond those 3 is determined by the player’s hand.

The drawing strategy for the banker’s hand is where the banker bet gets its advantage. The fact that the banker’s hand will only draw a third card if the player draws is a tremendous advantage.

Still, depending on the third card results, the player will determine if the banker’s hand draws at all.

In real money blackjack, the casino gets its advantage in much the same way. The player must act first. Of course, the player may bust and lose immediately in blackjack. You don’t have that worry in baccarat.

Conversely, you’re not going to sit tight on a weak hand and hope the dealer busts. The baccarat table takes all of the choices from the player and makes them for them.

What Is The Best Bet In Baccarat

The only decision a player needs to make is to bet on the banker, the player, or a tie.

You Have Choices

That’s right, in a game that eliminates all gameplay choices, the player has one critical decision to make.

That’s deciding where you’re going to place your bet.

Baccarat gives you only one chance to make a decision. You have 3 available betting options to choose from at the baccarat table.

These are to bet on the banker, the player, or a tie.

Let’s start with the tie bet.

The tie bet pays out 8:1 if the player and banker tie the hand. Many players like the thrill of making the tie bet in hopes of cashing in on the 8:1 payout as opposed to the standard 1:1 for a win. Some players may get behind and see the tie bet as a way to recoup some of those losses quickly.

There are a few fundamental problems with this bet. Firstly, all ties at the baccarat table push. So, you’re risking money that you really don’t need to be putting in danger.

Secondly, bets occur in less than 10% of hands. You’re taking a 1 in 10 shot at an 8:1 payout. Does that math click for you?

In its most basic form, the tie bet is a total sucker bet, and you should never, under any circumstances, make this bet.

The banker bet and player bet are the only 2 you should ever consider while playing baccarat in a casino, online, or through a mobile baccarat app. While the 2 share a similar house advantage, the banker bet remains the slight frontrunner.

The Math Favors the Banker

The banker’s hand wins roughly 46% of the time. The player hand is lower at slightly below 45%, with ties accounting for the remainder.

However, because a tie pushes, it effectively raises the banker’s hand to 51%.

The banker’s hand is such a great bet that all things being equal, the player would actually hold an advantage over the casino.

Imagine how much money you could fleece the casino if you were guaranteed to win 51% over the long-term.

Obviously, the casino can’t have tables full of players taking the casino’s money with impunity. So, they charge a commission.

This small commission tilts the edge back to the house. Even with the 5% commission, the house charges, the edge is still an incredible small 1.06%.

Unfortunately, you’re still going to lose in the end if you play long enough. However, the small edge means you can get a hot streak going and take some incremental wins.

Baccarat is one of the best games in the casino for the player. You’ll be able to play for longer and walk away from the table a winner more often.

Games with a small house edge are perfect for beginners and anyone wanting to stretch their bankroll to its absolute limits.

How the Commission Affects Your Winnings

So, exactly what is this commission on the banker bet, and how does it affect your winnings?

The house charges a 5% commission on all winning banker bets. So, if you’re playing baccarat for $20 per hand and betting on the banker, you’ll receive $19 for every win.

For a winning bet on the player, a $20 bet would net $20 in winnings.

This $1 seems inconsequential, but remember it’s not a $1 commission; it’s 5%. That’s an important distinction because it takes the edge away from the player.

If you are a whale playing for $10k per hand, that’s a $500 hit for every single win. Of course, if you’re paying $10,000 per hand, $500 clearly has a different value to you than it does me.

Still, that’s 1 full bet for every 20 wins. That makes a significant swing when you’re losing as many as you’re winning.

You should pay close attention to the baccarat table’s rules before you sit down. Some casinos institute a firm minimum commission.

These minimum commissions may be as little as $1. If you’re playing for $5 per hand, that’s suddenly a 20% commission.

This exponentially raises the house edge. If you’re not able to play for at least $20 per hand, you’re better off finding another game.

I’ve asked everyone from casino executives to professional gamblers to explain the minimum commission trend to me, and not surprisingly, I’ve been given tons of different answers.

It boils down to two schools of thought. If you’re in the casino industry, it’s all about convenience and offering the best possible player experience.

If you’re a player, it seems easiest to chalk it up to greed.

Either way, you need to be wary of tables with a minimum commission.

Why the Banker Bet Is Your Best Bet

The banker bet offers some of the best odds in the casino for you. It’s well worth the commission when you factor in your expected loss and see how far your money will go.

For example, let’s imagine you are playing for $20 per hand and play 100 hands per hour. That means you’re putting $2000 into play every hour.

We know the expected loss is 1.06% due to ties. So, that works out to about $21 in losses per hour.

You don’t need a massive bankroll to spend all day playing baccarat for real money. You’ll obviously need enough to weather a losing streak, but it’s not as much as you’d need playing slot machines or roulette.

In fact, you’re facing such tight margins that you may be surprised how regularly you leave the casino a winner.

If you’re in the market to stay on the tables longer and win more often, baccarat’s banker bet is one of the best options in the casino.

Baccarat Strategies to Avoid

Now that you have a clear cut strategy to focus on the next time you fly to Las Vegas let’s look at some of the baccarat pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid.

Many baccarat players will bet with the “big player.” It’s akin to betting the “pass line” on the craps table.

Look, I know that it’s appealing to want to bet against the house. When it comes to casino gambling, it’s very much us against them.

Don’t ever place a bet to spite the casino. They don’t care, and you’re going to lose.

Successful gamblers are able to make their decisions completely void of any emotional bias.

It would be best if you also ignored the trends. Baccarat tables will prominently display the results of several previous hands.

Have the casinos suddenly decided to take a philanthropic turn and sprinkle this beneficial knowledge amongst the struggling gamblers on the floor?

Not at all.

Misguided players believe they can spot trends and turn the tables on the casino. I’m going to say this once, casino games are games of chance, and the cards don’t care about probabilities or previous results.

Conclusion

Know that you have a better understanding of why you should always make the banker bet in baccarat, you’re ready to launch yourself on a course of casino gambling success.

Keep in mind that you’ll still have an expected loss, but you’re going to spend hours on the tables, enjoying all of the exciting action.

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Baccarat side bets provide extra and interesting components to the game, as well more things to bet on and therefore, a greater number of ways to win. So what are Baccarat side bets, what side bets are available and are they worth it? Read on to find out.

What are Baccarat side bets?

Side bets are bonus bets placed on a round of Baccarat on outcomes beyond whether the next round will be won by the player or banker or a tie. The majority are staked at the start of the round before the cards have been dealt alongside regular bets, and many have fixed odds that usually offer greater payouts than the up to 8:1 available for any regular bet.

What Baccarat side bets are available?

There are dozens if not hundreds of side bets that can be applied to Baccarat, but some of the most popular include the following:

What Is The Best Bet In Baccarat Betting

All Red / All Black

This is a side bet that the player’s hand will be solely comprised of ‘red cards’ (diamonds and hearts) or ‘black cards’ (clubs and spades). A successful ‘all red’ bet usually has a payout of 22:1 and a successful ‘all black’ bet usually has a payout of 24:1.

Bellagio Match

This is a side bet on whether the player or banker will get a hand containing a three of a kind (three cards of the same rank). If the player does so, this usually has a payout of 75:1 and if the banker does so, this usually has a payout of 68:1.

What is the best bet in baccarat card game

Big and Small / 4-5-6

This is a bet on the combined number of cards the player and banker’s hands will finish the round with. A successful bet on four cards usually has a payout of 3:2 and a successful bet on five or six cards usually has a payout of 2:1.

Combined value bets

You can make various side bets on the combined value of the player and banker’s hands. Popular bets include whether both hands will have a combined value of over or under 9.5. A successful bet on over 9.5 usually has a payout of 1.66:1 and a successful bet on under 9.5 usually has a payout of 2.23:1.

You can also make a bet on whether the combined value of two hands will be odd or even. A successful bet on a combined odd value usually has a payout of 1.92:1 and a successful bet on a combined even value usually has a payout of 1.91:1.

Another popular combined value bet is known as Quik. This usually has payouts on the combined value of the player and banker’s hands as follows:

Combined value

Usual payout

18

25:1

15 - 17

1:1

4 - 14

Bet lost

1 - 3

1:1

0

50:1

Bet

Double 8

This is a bet that both the player and banker’s hands will have a value of eight. This usually has a payout of 15:1.

Dragon Bonus

This is a side bet that the player will win with a natural eight or nine by a certain margin (for instance, if the player has a natural nine and the banker’s initial hand has a value of three, this counts as a margin of six points). The payouts are usually as follows:

Margin of victory

Usual payout

9 points

30:1

8 points

10:1

7 points

6:1

6 points

4:1

5 points

2:1

4 points

1:1

3 points or fewer

Bet lost

Dragon 7

This is a bet that the banker will win with a three-card hand worth seven. This usually has a payout of 40:1.

Egalite bets

This is a side bet that the round will be tied and both the player and banker’s hands will be of a specific value. The payouts are usually as follows:

Tied value

Usual payout

9

80:1

8

80:1

7

45:1

6

45:1

5

110:1

4

120:1

3

200:1

2

225:1

1

215:1

0

150:1

Lucky Bonus / Super 6

A Super 6 is a side bet that the banker will win the round via a hand with a value of six. This usually has a payout of 12:1. In some casinos, this side bet is referred to as a Lucky Bonus and has a payout of 18:1, but can be only placed if the player also places a banker bet on the same round and has a maximum limit of 10% of the banker bet placed.

Lucky / Unlucky 8

Lucky 8 a side bet that specifically the player or banker will win the round via a hand with a value of eight. A successful prediction for this usually has a payout of 4:1.

Unlucky 8 is the converse side bet that specifically the player or banker will lose the round via a hand with a value of eight. A successful prediction for this usually has a payout of 8:1.

Matching Dragon

This is a side bet on how many cards of a specified rank will be dealt to the player and banker. The payouts are usually as follows:

Number of cards

Usual payout

6

100:1

5

60:1

4

40:1

3

20:1

2

3:1

1

1:1

0

Bet lost

Panda 8

This is a side bet that the player will win via a three-card hand with a value of eight. This usually has a payout of 25:1.

What Is The Best Bet In Baccarat Odds

Perfect Pair

This is a side bet that either the player or banker’s opening hand will be a pair of the same rank. If they are of different suits, this usually has a payout of 5:1 and if they are of the same suit, this usually has a payout of 25:1.

Royal Match

How Is Baccarat Played

This is a bet that either the player or banker will be dealt a King and Queen in their opening hand. The payout is usually 30:1 if they are of different suits and 75:1 if they are of the same suit.

Same Suit Opening

This is a bet that either the player or banker’s opening hand will be two cards of the same suit. The payout is usually 2.87:1 if the player gets this and 2.86:1 if the banker gets this.

Suited three-card 8

This is a side bet that either the player or banker will get a three-card hand of the same suit worth eight. If either gets this, the payout is usually 25:1 and if both get this, the payout is usually 200:1 (the suits are allowed to be different for the respective hands).

Three-card 6

This is a bet that either the player or banker will get a three-card hand with a value of six. If one does, this usually has a payout of 8:1 and if both do, this usually has a payout of 100:1.

Are Baccarat side bets worth it?

Similarly as in Blackjack, virtually all Baccarat side bets are entirely down to chance and cannot be applied with any sense of strategy, whilst also offering both only a small chance of winning (as their large payouts suggest) and a considerable house edge.

What Is The Best Bet In Baccarat Card Game

For players, they are therefore capable of enhancing their enjoyment of the game, but not likely to boost their winnings in the process. Any side bets should be carefully considered and you must assess your chances of winning as best you can.

However, side bets can nonetheless provide a more exciting Baccarat experience for players who do not like being limited to one bet per round. When successful, side bets are also still capable of supplying substantially greater payouts then you would otherwise receive in the standard game.

Learn more about Baccarat

If you’re looking for general advice on how to play Baccarat, check out our guide to Baccarat and popular Baccarat variants. If you’re interested in learning more about Baccarat beyond how to play the game, you can read about the history of Baccarat.

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