Here you can learn about baccarat systems and strategies and find some useful hints and tips for playing baccarat.
Baccarat Systems and Strategies
Baccarat is one of the easiest casino card games to play, but one of the most difficult to strategise about as it is largely based on luck. When you start to play baccarat, it’s likely that you will hear people talking about baccarat systems.
What is a Baccarat Strategy?
There is a big difference between a baccarat strategy and a baccarat system. A baccarat strategy basically consists of any methods you choose to use in order to give yourself the best chance of ending your game of baccarat without suffering losses. A player’s strategy does not necessarily involve following an exact set of rules, but means that they will generally stick to certain guidelines, such as setting a limit on how much they are going to spend, or avoiding certain types of bets. Strategies differ from player to player, but some general hints and tips that you may like to use to form your baccarat strategy are included below.
What is a Baccarat System?
Baccarat systems are sets of rules that have been created by people who claim that they can help you to beat the casino by lowering the house edge.
Most baccarat systems involve the player recording the winning hands as they play and either trying to spot patterns or streaks in order to predict the results of the next games, or card-counting (studying which cards have already been used so that you have more idea of what bets to make based on which cards are left in the shoe). Many land casinos provide baccarat players with cards and pencils in order to help them to do this.
One of the most popular and well-known baccarat systems is the 1-3-2-6 system. This system is designed to limit your losses, and involves risking two betting units (i.e. £2 if your initial bet is £1) for a chance to win 10 betting units (i.e. £10 if your initial bet is £1).
The name of the system is related to the number of betting units you gamble in each game if you continue to win. If you make an initial bet of £1 and win, you increase your bet in the next round to £3. If you win again, you then reduce your bet to £2 in the next round. If you are successful again, you then increase your bet to £6 for a fourth and final round.
If you were lucky enough to win four rounds in a row, you would therefore win a total of £14. However, if at any stage you lose a round, you return to your initial stake of £1 for the next round, minimising your losses.
Do Baccarat Systems Work?
Most baccarat systems are essentially flawed because the game is largely based on luck.
Streak or pattern prediction assumes a continuation between hands that doesn’t in fact exist. The shoe of cards has no memory and therefore each hand should be viewed as an entirely separate game.
Although some players claim that card counting can work because some cards are more beneficial to the player than to the dealer (and the other way round), there is little evidence to suggest that card counting strategies give the baccarat player a significant advantage, and it’s important to remember that the cards that come up in a game are completely random.
It is unlikely that any baccarat strategy would result in a profit over any length of time because of the casino’s built-in house edge and the fact that the game is based on luck. It’s also unlikely that any casino would actively help players to win and the provision of cards and pencils is more of a distraction tactic than a helpful gesture by the casino.
You will probably come across many baccarat systems being sold online which claim to beat the casino at baccarat, but the truth is that no system does. If it did, why would anyone need to be selling it online when they could have made millions at casinos? Overall, although it’s often sensible to have a strategy for baccarat, systems should be avoided.
Baccarat Hints and Tips
- Set yourself a budget before you start to play baccarat. Be prepared to lose this amount of money, and make sure that it’s an amount you can afford to lose. Don’t be tempted to “just have one more go” when you have reached your spending limit.
- If you haven’t played baccarat before and want to try and get used to the rules and how to play before gambling any money, try one of the free online baccarat games offered by many of the major bookmakers and casino websites. You can also return to these once you have reached the budget you have set yourself if you want to continue playing without financial risk.
- Don’t bet on the “tie” option. It has the highest house edge and therefore you are less likely to win.
- Although “the banker” or “banco” bet means that you will need to pay the casino a commission on the winnings (usually around 5%), it has the lowest house edge and you are more likely to win with it.
- Don’t spend extended periods of time playing baccarat. As the game is based mainly on chance, you are better to play for a few games each time and then move onto something else, as the longer you play, the more likely you are to lose anything that you have won. If you do win, set that money aside and stick to your original budget rather than betting your winnings.
- Most importantly, try to play baccarat for fun rather than for profit. This way you can walk away from the table and still have enjoyed yourself even if you haven’t won.