How To Play Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the most popular table games you’ll find in a casino. It was first created in Rome, sometime in the 16th century, and it’s remained a firm favourite of casino-goers ever since.
Played against the house, it is a card game where you’re pitted against the banker to make the strongest hand. It offers a unique strategic challenge in the form of being able to bet on the banker winning, in addition to yourself.
To help you enjoy this classic table game, we’ve created this guide on how to play baccarat for beginners that covers baccarat rules, the different variants you can find, and the types of bets you can place.
How to Play Baccarat Games
In baccarat, you compete against the dealer (known as the banker) to make a hand as close to 9 as possible.
Card Values in Baccarat
Before discussing the mechanics of baccarat, it’s important to know that in this live casino game, you can’t hold a hand of 10 or more. If the value of the cards you hold exceeds nine, then you will remove the first digit.
For example, if you have 9 and 7 (totalling 16), then your hand is just 6. Similarly, if you have 10 and 10, then your hand is zero.
This means that card values are slightly different to their face values:
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2-9 remain the same.
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10 and face cards become worth zero.
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Ace is worth 1.
Table Layout and Bets
When you play baccarat games for the first time, you’ll notice there are three areas on the table. These are usually labelled “player”, “banker”, and “tie” and they correspond with the three types of bets you can place on the game.
You place your chips in the position(s) that you want to wager on. So, if you want to bet on the banker, you slide your chips to the banker's spot on the table.
Baccarat Game Mechanics
The game begins when the banker deals two cards to you and themselves, all face-up. If either side has a hand of 8 or 9, then this is considered a “natural win” and the game ends with that side winning.
If neither side has a natural win, then you may be dealt a third card, but it depends on a few rules. You’ll stand at 6 or 7 and hit on 5 or less.
The banker may also get another card, but the rules that direct this are a little more complicated:
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If the player’s third card is 1, 9, 10, or face and the banker holds a hand of 0-3, then they will hit.
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If the player’s third card is 8, the banker will draw another card when they have 0-2.
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If the player’s third card is 6 or 7, the banker draws with 0-6 but will stand on 7.
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If the player’s third card is either 4 or 5, the banker will draw on 0-5 and stick with a hand of 6-7.
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If the payer’s third card is 3 or 4, then the Banker draws on a hand of 0-4.
Once any third cards are dealt, the winner will be determined by who has the highest-ranked hand. The same rule of removing the first digit applies for any combinations that go over 9, so the strongest hand remains 9.
Types of Bets in Baccarat
In baccarat, you can place three different bets on the outcome of each game - player, banker, or tie.
Although you are the player, the banker bet allows you to wager against yourself if you think the dealer is going to have a stronger hand in that game. However, you have to keep in mind that banker bets pay out slightly less than player bets.
The odds and payouts differ across each of the three bets, reflecting the different probabilities of each outcome. In standard games, you’ll see these figures written on the table:
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Tie: Pays out at 8:1, reflecting a 9.53% chance of occurring.
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Banker: Pays out at 0.95:1 with a 45.73% probability.
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Player: 1:1 payout and a 44.63% chance of occurring.
The different payout rates and probabilities also mean that each of the three bets have different house edges. These are:
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Tie: 14.36%
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Banker: 1.06%
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Player: 1.24%
Therefore, it is your task as the player to weigh up the different payouts, probabilities, and house edges, as well as your own thoughts on who will win the next round while making your bets.
Variations on the types of Baccarat games at BetMGM
You’ll notice that we have several baccarat games at BetMGM UK. These games all follow the same basic rules that are described above but offer their own features to serve up a unique experience. Here are some of the most popular options.
First Person XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat
In addition to the standard baccarat mechanics, First Person XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat allows you to take your winnings to the XXXtreme with a set of multiplier cards.
At the beginning of each round, between four and eight Lightning Cards are assigned a multiplier of between x2 and x10. If you bet on a winning hand and it contains any of these cards, then your payout is multiplied by the corresponding amount.
First Person Prosperity Tree Baccarat
First Person Prosperity Tree Baccarat uses a similar multiplier mechanic as XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat but with different multiplier amounts.
Live Squeeze Baccarat
Live Squeeze Baccarat follows the standard rules of baccarat but gives you an additional mechanic that is more commonly found in land-based casinos. Instead of being immediately dealt face-up, the cards are first placed face-down and you’re given the chance to turn them over at your win. There is a timer counting down though, so if you wait too long, they’ll be revealed for you.
Baccarat Strategy on playing and how to win
Most players who learn how to play online baccarat eventually begin to ask themselves how to make money playing baccarat. So, let’s address this first, there is no way to guarantee a win or to profit from playing baccarat and you should always play responsibly.
However, there are some good strategies and techniques that you should use to keep your baccarat games enjoyable and to help you stay on track.
Know the Rules
To get the most from the game, you need to understand the baccarat rules. Thankfully, these are simple to pick up and you can find all the basics listed further up in this guide. You will also pick things up as you play, so don’t be afraid if you’re not an expert right away.
Manage Your Bankroll
Managing your bankroll is important when playing casino games like baccarat as it’s a key part of responsible gaming. You should set aside an affordable gaming budget for each week or month and then stick to it.
Match your bet sizes to your bankroll. If you’re playing with £100 a month, making £20 bets could see your entire month’s budget gone in just five games. Therefore, pick a table with minimum and maximum limits that fit your ideal bet size.
You can also take advantage of the responsible gaming tools offered by BetMGM to set limits on how long you can play and how much you can wager to help keep your bankroll management on track.
Take Advantage of Bonuses
You’ll find plenty of bonuses and promotions offered in our casino. In addition to a casino welcome offer for new players, you’ll find other ongoing and time-limited promotions on offer from time to time. This can be a great way to make your bankroll stretch a little further and squeeze more value from your baccarat games.
Most BetMGM baccarat games also include the MGM Millions supersized jackpot features which offers you additional opportunities to win while you play.
Don’t Chase Losses
We all have times when the cards don’t go our way, so it’s important to remember that you can walk away from the table at any time. If you find yourself getting frustrated or feeling a desire to chase losses to break even, it’s time to take a break and try again another day.