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Baccarat Tips
Baccarat
is a very simple casino game that offers a house edge of
under 2%, if you play with the correct baccarat
strategy. The best part about baccarat strategy is
how simple it is - there are only three bets in the
game, so you just have to choose the best one.
This article is going to analyze the three bets in baccarat, compute their house edges, and then decide which baccarat bet is best. Also, we will provide a few other tips for maximizing your return and making your money last longer.
Baccarat Bets
In baccarat there are three bets - the Tie, the Player, and the Banker. If you don't know what those bets are, make sure to check out our "How to Play Baccarat" article before reading on.
The Tie
The first bet we will analyze is the Tie bet. The Tie bet pays out 8:1 if the Banker and the Player hands tie (meaning they have the exact same value). Although the Tie bet pays out much more than the the Player or Banker bet, the house edge is much higher.
We have ran the numbers and determined that the house edge on the Tie bet is 14.12%. That means every dollar you put on the Tie bet will return (on average) $0.8588. That return is on par with the worst slot machines, so we don't recommend making the Tie bet.
The Player
The next bet we will analyze is the Player bet. The Player bet pays out 1:1 if the Player hand beats the Banker hand. The house edge on this bet is 1.24%, meaning that every dollar you bet on the Player will return (on average) $0.9876. Much better than the average return of $0.8588 per dollar for the Tie bet.
The Banker
The final bet we will analyze is the Banker bet. The Banker bet pays out 1:1 if the Banker hand beats the Player hand. The house edge on this bet is 1.06%, meaning that every dollar you bet on the Banker will return (on average) $0.9894.
What's it all mean? Well, since the Banker bet returns the most money per dollar wagered, the best baccarat strategy is to simply bet on the Banker every single hand. It sounds boring, but this baccarat strategy will provide you the best odds in the long run.
Other Baccarat Strategy Considerations
Besides finding the bet with the lowest house edge, there are a few other steps you can take to reduce your odds of busting in baccarat.
Bankroll Management
If you know you are going to be gambling for a few hours, you need to make sure you bring enough money to avoid busting. Even though the house edge is only 1.06% (on the Banker bet) you can easily have a big losing streak and go broke. We recommend keeping at least twenty-five of your average bets on the table so you can ride out long losing streaks. Learn more about bankroll management.
Player Rewards
Some casinos will provide you with a player's card you can swipe at the tables to earn cash back or other rewards. Make sure to take advantage of this if your casino offers it, because if you don't you are leaving money on the table.
Ready to Play?
If you would like to try out our baccarat strategies on your own, make sure to check out our list of the best online baccarat casinos.
Or if you want to get started right away, head over to BovadaCasino.com - our #1 ranked online casino for baccarat players.
