LEARN HOW TO PLAY BACCARAT

Baccarat is a straightforward game to play, and it is available in most casinos around the world, including HotSlots. If you have ever wondered how to play baccarat and win, we will provide you with all the information you need to get as close to that goal as possible.

It may look confusing at first, but baccarat is one of the simplest casino games you can find out there. It is no surprise that it’s a game that has been played for a long time (even by the legendary James Bond), and it is likely to remain that way for years to come.

Let’s break down the basics of the game so that you can play with confidence when you sit down for your first baccarat game. Ready? Let’s get started!

GAMBLER’S GUIDE TO BACCARAT

Baccarat is played against the house and not other players. The game’s objective is simple: bet on the side that you think will get a point total closest to nine. Both sides (the Player and the Banker side) will be dealt two cards, and a third card may be dealt in specific circumstances.

The good news is that you don’t have to worry about when a third card is drawn because the dealer (whether live or automated) will distribute the cards in accordance with the Third Card Rule.

Let’s clear a quick misconception. Just because the two sides are named ‘Player’ and ‘Banker’ doesn’t mean that you will be playing against the dealer. The sides could just as well be named ‘A’ and ‘B’. Your job is to bet on either side drawing a total of as close to nine as possible.

You can place a bet on any of the following three outcomes: Player, Banker or Tie.

BACCARAT RULES

Now that we’ve covered the gameplay basics, let’s take a look at some other rules and everything else you need to know before betting on baccarat.

CARD VALUES

The first step to really understanding how to play baccarat is to grasp the card values. The cards are valued differently than in other card games, so it’s important to take a moment and get to know these differences:

• Aces are worth one point.
• Cards 2-9 take their face value.
• Every 10 card and face cards (J, Q and K) are counted as zero.

Now, you need to add the values to determine the total. If the cards have a double-digit total, you only use the second digit to determine the score, dropping the first digit altogether.

Examples:

• If the Player is dealt a two and a five, the hand total is seven.
• If the Banker is dealt a five and an eight, then the total is three — not 13.

THIRD CARD RULE

There are some scenarios in which further cards will need to be dealt, and the rules may be a tad challenging to memorise at first. Thankfully, the Third Card Rule table can be found within the game’s rules, and the dealer will always know what to do.

PLAYER HAND

The rules for when the Player draws another card are relatively simple:

• If the hand total is zero through five, then the Player draws a third card.
• On six or seven, the Player stands.
• On a natural eight or nine, neither the Banker’s nor the Player’s hand receives a third card.

BANKER HAND

Whether the Banker’s hand receives a third card depends not only on the Banker’s first two cards, but also on the value of the third card drawn by the Player’s hand, if any.

• Banker’s hand always stands on totals of seven through nine. The Banker draws a third card on totals zero through two.
• With a total of three, the Banker’s hand stands only if the Player’s third card is an eight. If not, the Banker draws.
• On four, Banker stands on Player’s zero, one, eight and nine.
• On five, Banker stands on Player’s zero through three, eight and nine.
• On six, Banker stands on all except Player’s six or seven.

SEATING

Live baccarat tables often offer an unlimited number of seats, but you may run into tables with only five or seven spots. When playing live, you will also have a limited time frame to place your bets. The rounds move rather quickly, so don’t worry if you end up skipping a few.

SIDE BETTING OPTIONS

There may be optional side bets that you can place along with your main wager, like P Pair, B Pair, P Bonus, B Bonus, Perfect Pair and others. Make sure to read through the rules of your chosen table before you play; they will detail everything you need to know about side bets.

TYPES OF BACCARAT BETS

Here are the different kinds of betting options available in this exciting game.

PLAYER BET

The Player bet is quite self-explanatory. This bet will pay if the Player wins, that is, if the Player hand is closer to nine than the Banker hand. The chances of a Player win occurring stand at 44.62%.

BANKER BET

The Banker bet works the same way as Player bets, in that it pays when the Banker wins. This bet will pay on every Banker win, that is, if the Banker hand is closer to nine than the Player’s hand.

TIE BET

As its name suggests, the Tie bet pays in the event that both the Banker hand and the Player hand end up with the same points. Tie bets are known to be the least favourable bet to place, since a tie bet only has a 9.52% chance of occurring.

PLAYER AND BANKER PAIR

The Player Pair and Banker Pair — also known as the P Pair and B Pair, respectively — are side bets that pay if the Player or Banker are dealt a pair (two cards of the same rank).

BACCARAT TABLE OF ODDS

Bet	Odds	Payout	House Edge
Banker bet	45.86%	0.95:1	1.06%
Player bet	44.62%	1:1	1.24%
Tie bet	9.52%	8:1	14.36%
Player Pair	7.47%	11:1	10.36%
Banker Pair	7.47%	11:1	13.03%
Perfect Pair	3.34%	25:1	13.03%
Either Pair	14.2%	5:1	13.71%

MOST SUCCESSFUL BACCARAT STRATEGIES

Although strategies don’t equate to hauling in winning bets, they can definitely help you stretch your bankroll and, by extension, the entertainment. Some of the most popular strategies that players use while playing this card game are:

• The Fibonacci system
• The Martingale system
• The Labouchere system
• The D’Alembert system
• The Paroli system
• The Parlay system
• The 1-3-2-6 system
• The 1-3-2-4 system

These systems look to adjust your betting unit depending on the success or failure of your bet. Some of the aforementioned systems might be riskier than others, which is why we’d advise you to set aside a sizeable budget before testing them out.

FOLLOW THE BEST BACCARAT TIPS AND TRICKS

Looking for the best game results possible? Here’s a good idea: read up about the most popular tips and tricks that can help you minimise the house edge and get more out of your betting. One way to accomplish that is to stick to even-money betting options, but there’s much more to the game than that.

At HotSlots, you can find articles delving into this topic at great length. We’ve taken the time to explore all the most regurgitated tips and tricks so that you won’t have to test them out yourself and risk losing money!