Best Baccarat Strategies

Find some of the most popular Baccarat strategies and learn how to use them properly to increase your winning odds. Take your time to explore all of them and decide which is the best Baccarat strategy for you!

• Our Baccarat tips on winning
• The primary Baccarat bets
• Avoid the Tie bet when using a Baccarat betting strategy
• The top Baccarat tips for 2022
• Handling your bankroll when using a Baccarat strategy

Our Baccarat tips on winning

At a distance, Baccarat may appear an intimidating and complex game. But in reality, this is one of the easiest casino games to bet on. If you want to know how to play Baccarat and win, consider these tips:

Know the rules

This is quite an obvious tip, but it is also the most important! This game usually involves several players. But you are always playing against the dealer. The objective is to hold a hand whose value is closest to nine. It uses three to six standard 52-card decks deal from a shoe.

Whether you are playing regular Baccarat or opting for live casino alternatives, the dealer handles most of the work. The only difference is that in live games, the dealer is not a robot but a real person. Your task is to place the bets. Once you do that, the croupier deals two cards to each side – Player and Banker. Adding the value of each card tells which hand has the highest total. Different game versions may have slightly different rules. Don’t forget to check them out before placing your bets!

Make the right bets

Just like in other card games, such as Blackjack, knowing how to make the right bets is essential. Your choice of wagers can determine your odds. Moreover, your bets must be established according to your experience, available balance and playing pattern. So, you don’t necessarily have to invest a lot of time developing skills. What you need is a baccarat betting strategy!

Try out a Baccarat betting strategy

You can’t predict the cards you get off the shoe. However, you can capitalise on your winning probability with a few betting tactics. A baccarat winning strategy can help you reduce losses and experiment with different techniques. It all comes down to deciding the best betting system to apply in a specific game. Continue reading to find out several Baccarat strategies that might come in handy!

The primary Baccarat bets

• Banker bet: Betting on the banker to win is one of the best moves you can make because this selection has the lowest house edge compared to other options. In this pick, you are staking money on the dealer’s hand to be closer to nine than the player’s. For example, if, after dealing, the banker holds a 7 and the player has a 5, then you win. The house edge in a Banker bet is 1.01% in a single-deck game and 1.06% for six and eight decks, while the payout is 9.20. However, the casino takes a 5% commission, which you have to consider when calculating the payout. If you wager £20 on the banker and it wins, the return would be £19, and the casino’s cut is £1 (5% of £20). The odds of winning a Banker bet (including tie bets) are 45.87%.
• Player bet: The opposite of a Banker bet is a Player bet. Here, you wager on the Player side of the table to have a hand closest to nine. If by the end of a round, the player’s hand is more than the banker’s, for instance, 8 against 6, then the player wins. This bet pays even money (1:1). For instance, a £10 wager earns you another £10. The winning odds (including tie bets) are 44.63%. Wagering on the player offers you a lower house advantage than a banker bet at 1.29% for single-deck Baccarat and 1.24% for six and eight-deck games.
• Tie bet: Baccarat gives you a choice to wager on the banker and player to hold cards of equal value. The odds of winning a Tie wager are 9.51%, with a payout of 8:1 or 9:1, depending on the casino. Many Baccarat experts do not recommend it, and if you’re a beginner and try to learn how to play, consider the other two types. Should you stake £10 and win, then the return is £80 or £90, plus your original bet. A Tie bet usually comes with a house edge of 15.75% when playing with a single deck and 14.36% for six and eight decks.

Avoid the Tie bet when using a Baccarat betting strategy

One tip that is consistent across all Baccarat strategy guides is to avoid the Tie bet. Professional gamblers refer to this wager as a ‘sucker bet’. This represents a wager where the expected return doesn’t reflect the winning odds and is significantly lower.

The appeal of wagering on a tie is that you are spreading your risk. You don’t want to miss out on the banker and player having equal-value hands. At first glance, a Tie bet looks innocent enough, especially given it pays 8:1 or even 9:1. These numbers can blind players whose only focus might be gambling for the highest revenue. 

The probability of hitting a tie bet in Baccarat is extremely low at slightly over 9%. Thus, you could spend a lot of money before a tie ever comes up. Even if you win, the selection has the highest house edge of any baccarat bet at 14.36%. A winning Tie bet means that you lose £14.36 for every £100, compared to £1.06 when you wager on the banker. Regardless of the payout, you would still leave a significant amount in the game. So, don’t fall into the temptation of making this wager!

The top Baccarat tips for 2022

The first rule when learning how to play Baccarat and win is keeping your wagers in check by using a pattern. When you have a solid system to refer to as you play, you are less likely to make rash decisions. Although Baccarat involves a certain degree of unpredictability, it still requires the player to think logically. Therefore, learning about betting strategies can help elevate your gaming in 2022!

A Baccarat pattern strategy falls in two categories – positive or negative progression. In positive progression, you increase your wager after winning and decrease it after losing. A negative progression system is the opposite. You bet more after a loss and less after a win. Explore these Baccarat strategies to find the one that suits you the best!

Martingale strategy

The Martingale is suitable when working towards long-term winnings. It works on boosting your balance when you eventually win. When using the Martingale, you double your wager after a loss and keep doing so until you win. This may work best with bonuses from live casino sites. Since you play with extra funds, not your own, you can try applying the strategy before getting familiarized.

For example, if the bet is £10, you have to wager £20 when losing, then £40 when losing again. If you win, then you revert to betting £10 and the progression begins. The idea is that your winnings will cover the losses. One risk of this Baccarat strategy is that it depletes your bankroll quickly. You need a sizeable gambling budget to keep raising your wager. Also, watch out for the maximum betting limit as you increase your stake!

Fibonacci strategy

This is considered a ‘high risk – high reward’ strategy. The Fibonacci is a natural number sequence where the sum of the two previous numbers determines the next one. So, a typical Baccarat betting pattern would look like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and so on.

When betting with it, you use the next number in the series to calculate your wager after each loss. Hence, if you stake £5 and lose, the next bet will be £5, then £10 (£5×2), £15, £25 until winning the round. If your selection wins, you have to go back two numbers. Say you win after the sixth play. Then, you would have to restart the progression with £15 (£5×3).

The Fibonacci system requires you to adjust your bet after every round, making the session quite interactive. However, it also needs a considerable bankroll as the bets add up quickly when being on a losing streak.

Labouchere strategy

This technique is more suitable for experienced players. Some call it the Split Martingale, American Progression or Cancellation System. It’s a complex Baccarat betting strategy that must be closely analysed before being put into practice.

Betting with the Labouchere strategy starts with creating a sequence like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Add the furthest number to the right and the furthest one to the left (1+6) to get your unit stake. In this case, it would be £7. Should you win, cross off the numbers from the sequence, then move to the next two from each end. However, after a loss, you have to add another number to the series, such as 7. As with the Martingale and Fibonacci, the Labouchere aims to recoup losses.

D’Alembert strategy

If you want to implement a progression in your Baccarat game without risking steep losses, then the D’Alembert is the most suitable method. This strategy works by increasing your wager after a loss and decreasing it after a win by one unit.

Take a game with a unit stake of £5. Should you lose that first round, your next bet shall be £6, then £7 when you lose again. However, if you win, you have to bet £6. The D’Alembert wagering system follows the assumption that in the long term, wins and losses balance each one out.

The Paroli system

Also called the Reverse Martingale, the Paroli is an uncomplicated system that helps you boost your earnings when on a winning streak. The game begins with flat betting, where the amount is constant. If you win, double the stake, then return to the initial amount after you lose.

Paroli’s objective is to multiply your winnings seven times should you land three consecutive wins. Although this Baccarat betting strategy doesn’t aim for significant winnings, it prevents you from incurring significant losses. Since you can set the original bet to as little as £1, the Paroli technique is ideal for inexperienced gamblers.

1324 Baccarat strategy

The 1, 3, 2, 4 in this system gives you the sequence to follow when wagering on Baccarat. It tells you what to spend on each unit stake. With this Baccarat betting pattern, you increase your wager when you win and revert to the initial stake after a loss.

So, if you start with £5 and win, the next wager will be triple that, which is £15. Another win would mean staking double the original bet, then quadruple it after another win. Losing a round requires you to restart the sequence. Using the 1324 wagering strategy allows you to stretch your bankroll. It also minimises your risk by decreasing your bet.

Handling your bankroll when using a Baccarat strategy

• Understand the Baccarat commission: Whatever Baccarat winning strategy you choose, remember the Banker bet charges a commission for every win. You can consider it a fee deducted by the dealer. Therefore, your total winnings will be affected by the commission.
• Set limits: Establish win and loss limits, so you know when to stop, regardless of the amount. These restrictions prevent you from overspending, and plenty of legit online casino sites started to allow this feature. This way, you can control your size bet better.
• Pick the right system: Not every Baccarat strategy might be for you. Evaluate your budget and select a system that fits your playing style. When gaining more experience, you can try switching to a more complex strategy.
• Break when necessary: Playing for long periods of time might not be in your favour. Making decisions when you’re not in the right mindset is not advisable when gambling. So, when you feel tired or distressed, take a break to avoid erratic gambling behaviour.
• Use Baccarat bonuses: You can minimise your spending by making use of casino promotions. These can help you try out several Baccarat strategies without using any real funds. Explore multiple offers and take your time to choose the one that fits you best!