Let’s start a new adventure to discover the world of Online Baccarat and enclose it in a Guide capable of being useful at any time.
Baccarat is one of the most popular card games in online casinos, but despite being very ancient, its origins remain uncertain.
But everyone agrees to talk about the rules and how the casino games unfold and this is where this journey begins in one of the must-haves of casinos around the world.
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History of baccarat
According to legend, baccarat was first spoken of in the Middle Ages. It was later practiced by priests, who bet on a young girl’s life during a ritual.
The dice’s distribution was entrusted to girl, whose fate depended on the score obtained. A score less than or equal to 5 would have sentenced her to die by drowning. A 6 or 7 would have allowed her to live away from the temple while a score of 8 or 9 would have granted her the priestess’s title.
Some indications suggest that the card game was similar to tarot cards, which, contrary to our tradition, were played in France like Blackjack. Other historians speak of Italian traditions.
For this reason, in fact, the foundations of modern baccarat were inspired by the ancient card game and reworked by an Italian named Falguirein: further evidence to support this thesis is that, in an Italian dialect, the word baccarat means “nothing “.
Furthermore, the spread of Baccarat on French soil is due to King Charles VIII, who bought it during one of his many conquests.
Thanks to its reputation, the card game will reach the United States in the 1950s and, in particular, Las Vegas. He became famous in the Dune Casino. It became famous in casinos, so much so that rooms and tables were dedicated exclusively to baccarat practice.
Finally, it then spread to play baccarat online today in online casinos, so much so that today you can even play with the presence of a live dealer.
Online baccarat rules
Let’s start with the basics: online baccarat is a card game full of fun and strategy, but with some fundamentals to respect to play casino games in the best way.
The rules of baccarat are quite easy to master: players must in fact get as close as possible to 9 in the total value of the cards in hand. You simply have to add up the values of the individual cards you have in your hand. When the sum exceeds 10 points, the player sees 10 subtract from his hand’s total value.
After counting cards, three scenarios can occur:
- One of the hands equals 8 or 9: this is the best result that can be achieved in the game. In fact, whoever owns this hand wins the game with an odd of 1 to 1. It is said that there is a “natural” on the table. It allows players to receive the equivalent of what they have wagered.
- The hands are the same: the bets placed, in this case, are winning. In this case, the odds are 8 to 1 and allow you to win large sums of money, especially if this situation rarely occurs.
- Neither equality nor win: a third card is assigned to the player whose hand value is between 0 and 5. Usually, this addition allows the game to end. Players with values of 6 and 7 are left with their starting cards.
The Value of the Cards
As we have said, a fundamental aspect in the dynamics of the game is that related to counting the cards, an operation not only necessary at the end to actually understand the score obtained, but also throughout the game to keep its progress under control.
What value do the cards have when playing baccarat online?
- Ace: worth 1 point
- Two: it’s worth 2 points
- Three: worth 3 points
- Four: worth 4 points
- Five: worth 5 points
- Six: worth 6 points
- Seven: worth 7 points
- Eight: worth 8 points
- Nine: worth 9 points
- Ten: worth 0 points
- Jack: worth 0 points
- Woman: worth 0 points
- Re: worth 0 points
Bets in online baccarat
It is very important to know that during a round of baccarat online, you can make three types of bets, in fact players can decide to bet on:
- Banco: this betting option predicts the house winning at 1.07%. In the event of a win, the player in question must pay a 5% commission to the casino to balance the odds.
- Point: This type of bet allows the player to bet on their win with a 1.36% luck percentage
- Equality is the balance between the value of the dealer’s hand and the player’s hand, which offers a 14.4% advantage over the dealer. The odds are set to 8 to 1.
Example of an online baccarat hand
To get an idea of how a game of Baccarat Online works, we have prepared this applied example, a small abstraction game that allows us to make the dynamics as clear as possible.
Ready to get an idea by playing with us?
- To begin with, the dealer distributes the cards, two faces up both to him and to us: we have a 7 and an Ace, the dealer instead has a 5 and a King.
- We proceed to the count; we have 8 points while the dealer has made 5
- With our score, we get closer to 9, obtaining a win, and our stake is paid to us.
- Had we not made 8 (or 9), we would have instead needed to draw another card, with which we would have updated the calculation to see who would have won.
Strategies for winning at baccarat online
The rules of baccarat and the possible winnings revolve mainly around the number 9. The cards’ distribution, entrusted to the hands of the dealer, is usually carried out for 6, 8 or 9 cards.
A shuffling of the cards is carried out after each round, which occurs on a table with a number of players between 1 and 15, except for the number 13. There are 3 separate boxes to bet your chips.
Before the initial distribution of the cards, the amount of the initial bet is decided: players can decide not to play, take a break or follow by betting as little as possible. The croupier distributes the cards dedicated to that player from the banker’s side in the second case, following a scrupulous procedure. After revealing them, he counts the hands.
The rest of the time, the cards’ unfolding takes place automatically according to rules whose nature depends on a draw. In fact, it can also happen that a third card is drawn. It is usually given to the player who has a score less than or equal to 5.
Like other card games, Online Baccarat is run by a dealer who is usually an online casino employee. Also nicknamed the banker, the latter encounters 3 types of players during matches.
The first is the offensive player, generally considered a type of gambler who does not hesitate to wager large sums of money while entertaining other participants. Contrary to popular belief, this player has some card games experience, and his goal is to enjoy the game.
Meanwhile, the defensive player is there to spoil the party for the others. As the owner of an unrivaled fund, this player has a great deal of patience that prevents him from taking disproportionate risks. This strength allows him to often arrive in the final stages of tournaments. The attitude to follow to impersonate the defensive player is to preserve your sum of money by avoiding excessive bets.
Finally, the strategist is the type of player to fear most during a game. Indeed, the latter’s strengths are excellent memory skills, impressive logical reasoning, and a spectacular level of concentration. His knowledge of the winnings of all the players and the different baccarat tactics often allows him to get away with an interesting payoff.
Tips for having fun with online baccarat
As already mentioned, Online Baccarat is one of the simplest card games, and in fact, to win, you just need to have the hand whose value is as close as possible to 9.
However, some tips are essential for a good game:
- The first thing to know is the main Baccarat rules: simple enough to understand, they come down to betting on a hand whose total is as close to 9 as possible.
- To become an online baccarat ace, you also need to understand the basics. The player has no power during the game. His role is limited to the choice of a table and the possible choice to wait to enter to observe the game’s progress.
- The trick is to prefer a hand that pays less but still allows for regular wins. This is the case with the bank bet and the bet on the player who has the best chance of winning.
- The last tip is to avoid relying on the history of the match. In fact, in baccarat, each new hand is different from the previous ones.
The variants of baccarat
To desecrate a little the fact that this is one of those card games aimed only at the richest, many variants have been born, including mini-baccarat, born in 1980. Therefore, it is very common that online casinos offer different table games all born from the main title.
What are the most popular variants of Online Baccarat?
Mini Baccarat or Baccarat in its simple form
Introduced in the 1980s, mini baccarat allowed casinos to attract more players. With the same rules as traditional online baccarat, it has a less formal setting and is especially aimed at people on a tight budget. In fact, this version is characterized by completely reduced bets, the number of players reduced to 7 and faster execution.
The Two tables bank
Generally offered by online casino sites, this version is played around two tables against the banker. Players are advised to bet on one hand, the other, or both. If the player plays both hands, his bet must be double. The draw for a third card is done according to a scoreboard.
The Chemin de Fer
This variant proposed by physical casinos throughout Europe has been subject to changes by the aristocrats. A banker and players carry on the game. When the banker loses the wagered money, he is automatically replaced by his right neighbor.
The Punto Banco
Invented in South America, this version is characterized by the unfolding of the cards by the croupier alone. The other players, whose number varies from 1 to 7, have the goal of betting on the winning hand. The management is entrusted solely to the croupier, who will share the cards once they have made the bets.
Progressive Baccarat
Progressive baccarat is the best option for winning large sums of money. In fact, there is a grouping of all the table games of the other online casinos that share the same provider. Therefore, each bet will be placed in a common pot, which will be the prize up for grabs. To win, you must also bet the maximum bet authorized by the online casino. The player must pray to God that he can receive a “natural” hand, i.e. the winning hand with a value of 9 points.
The Maccara, the Asian version
Born from Macau and Baccarat’s union, Maccara is the Asian version of this famous card game. This form of baccarat, which can only be played in Macau’s casinos, the famous island, is not very different from the traditional version. The only thing that changes is the draw’s order, especially the one relating to the drawing of the third card.
The Super Pan Nine
In this case, the baccarat rules and the value of the cards remain the same. The differences are in the system of drawing the cards and in the number of the same distributed to the players. Super Pan Nine looks a lot like American online baccarat. Very funny, this version that comes from Asia is played with only 36 cards, without the 7, 8, 9, and 10. Similarly, the dealer and the player receive 3 cards respectively, instead of the 2 of the traditional game.
Banco Baccarat
Associated with numerous restrictions, this variant allows participants to compete against each other. To fill the dealer’s role, players must win money, bet the same amount as the dealer, and win the bet. After playing the dealer for 3 consecutive rounds, the player will no longer be allowed to bet and assume this role.