Baccarat is a popular casino game because it has a low house edge and is easy to play. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy to learn.
Blackjack - also known as 21, or pontoon - is the most popular gambling table game. Blackjack is commonly spread at friendly home games, local charity events and at casino properties worldwide. Regardless of the locale or chosen stakes, the most enjoyable aspect of playing blackjack is getting paid on winning hands.
Baccarat’s scoring system is different than what blackjack players are used to. And it doesn’t rely on traditional poker hand rankings either.
I don’t advise that you immediately hit the land-based baccarat tables because the rules are confusing.
That being said, let’s discuss the easiest way to learn how to play baccarat. Later, we’ll also cover rules, basic strategy, and side bets.
The first section has a list of books that help you learn how to play baccarat and the second section has software recommendations.
Baccarat Books
1. Baccarat Battle Book
The Baccarat Battle Book was written by Frank Scoblete and published in 1999. Scoblete’s book is focused on teaching you the odds of baccarat, getting the most out of your play time, and getting the lowest house edge. This book is aimed specifically at beginner baccarat players and includes basic information about card counting.
2. Baccarat for The Clueless
Baccarat for The Clueless was written by John May and published in 2000. May covers several aspects of the game including the historical and social side of the game. His book also covers basic rules, an easy to understand counting system, methods to improve odds, rules for baccarat banque, and more.
3. How to Win Big at Baccarat
How to Win Big at Baccarat was written by John C. Steele and published in 2012. Steele’s book starts by teaching you the basics of the game, looking at each individual hand, and then continues by teaching you how each hand relates to the house edge. This book also includes a betting strategy, card counting techniques, and more.
4. So You Wanna Be a Gambler: Baccarat
So You Wanna Be a Gambler was written by John Patrick and published in 1985. Patrick claims to explain the rules so simply that a 7-year old child could understand them. He also covers the following:
- Managing your bankroll
- Ways to bet
- General knowledge of baccarat rules
- The discipline needed to win
- Cutting losses
- And how to consistently win
5. Secrets of Winning Baccarat
Secrets of Winning Baccarat was written by Brian Kaysar and published in 2003. Kaysar’s book focuses on taking advantage of the house edge and turning it into a winning strategy for you. His 17-chapter book covers:
- Basic rules of baccarat
- Casino etiquette
- The history behind baccarat
- Basic plays
- Strategies you can win with
- And advanced baccarat techniques
Baccarat Software
1. The Baccarat Predictor System
The Baccarat Predictor System is software by Lee Jones that teaches you techniques providing up to a 6% turnover. Here are some of the listed features of the Baccarat Predictor System:
- Get a win rate of over 3.5 units per shoe
- Bet on over 70% of the hands played
- All flat betting
- Only a small bankroll needed
- Two mode types including streaky shoes and choppy shoes
- No card counting
- And more
2. BacDoctor
BacDoctor produces a home study baccarat course called Dr. Tom’s, and it’s aimed at players with little to no baccarat experience. The software covers simple rules, money management, and more. It’s designed to match whatever pace you wish to learn at and is separated into 10 lessons with video and written lessons.
Here’s the Best Way to Start Learning Baccarat
The easiest and quickest way to learn baccarat is to visit an online casino and play free games. https://luckyranking.netlify.app/how-to-win-pokemon-slot-machines-pokemmo.html. Here are 6 reasons why this is the best option for beginners:
1 – You have all the time in the world to observe how hands work.
2 – You don’t have to worry about outside distractions (fellow players, cocktail waitresses, casino atmosphere).
3 – You don’t have to risk anything.
4 – Online baccarat games feature rule tutorials.
5 – No etiquette is required at online casinos.
6 – You can play through a mobile device.
The last point is really helpful because you can quickly navigate between the rules and game table if there’s something you don’t understand.
Many beginners will appreciate that they don’t need to bet real money in online baccarat. Instead, you can enjoy as many free hands as you want.
The lack of distractions is another great thing about playing in online casinos. You won’t have to worry about keeping up with the game speed, chatting with other players, or cocktail waitresses asking about what you want to drink.
Many beginners appreciate the lack of etiquette too. You needn’t worry about touching the cards and the dealer scolding you or taking a while to make your bets.
The mobile aspect is important because you can play/learn baccarat anywhere at any time through your smartphone or tablet. This is nice because you can pull your smartphone out for a few baccarat hands whenever you have free time.
Above all, online casinos offer a great chance to learn the game in a pressure-free environment.
How to Choose an Online Casino for Playing Baccarat
You can find a wide range of internet casinos that offer solid baccarat action. But here are some criteria to consider when looking for a good online casino:
- Casino that accepts players from your country.
- Whether or not you need an account to play.
- The table interface.
- Additional options like rules and game settings.
Starting with the first point, some casinos won’t let you play free games if they don’t accept players from your country or territory.
You’ll often be warned on the homepage if this is the case. If not, find out by trying to use the baccarat tables or reading terms & conditions.
It’s always nice when you don’t need to create an account to play free baccarat. Some Flash casinos don’t require PC and Mac players to have an account, meaning you can just click the desired game and start playing.
Other Flash casinos may still require that PC / Mac players create an account. The vast majority of mobile casinos also make you sign up before enjoying free games.
The table interface is less crucial because you’re simply trying to learn the game. But it’s always nice to learn on a good-looking baccarat table.
Top Online Casinos for Learning Baccarat
The best internet casino for learning baccarat is subjective to the criteria we covered above.
You may have no problem taking a few minutes to create an account as long as the baccarat interface looks good. Or you might not care how the table looks provided you can jump right in and start playing.
My personal preference is a casino that both accepts my country and allows PC and mobile players to play without an account.
The look of the software is less concerning, and every online casino should have baccarat rules and settings.
I’m from the United States, meaning there are only so many online casinos available to me. Here are a few that I’ve used to play baccarat:
- BetOnline Casino
- Bovada Casino
- Drake Casino
- lv Casino
I suggest that beginners try Bovada or Slots.lv, which are both on the same network.
Their interface is crap compared to both Drake and BetOnline because it doesn’t look like a baccarat table at all. But I love how these casinos’ baccarat software emphasizes a bare-bones approach.
Learn Blackjack Strategy
This is perfect for new players who only want to concentrate on learning the game, rather than worrying about the frills.
Here are other aspects that I like about Bovada and Slots.lv from a beginners’ perspective:
- US players are accepted (necessary for me).
- PC, Mac, and mobile users can play without creating an account.
- The baccarat game offers an optional tutorial in the beginning that shows how to use the software.
- Options include game rules and the ability to change settings.
I like how you can just click the baccarat game and start playing without signing up.
I’ve since created an account at all of the casinos mentioned above so I can play for real money. But you may not want to waste the time in case you don’t like the casino and/or baccarat action.
The tutorial isn’t as important to me because online baccarat is a pretty self-explanatory game anyways. But those who’ve never played an online table game of any type will find this helpful.
The game rules are great because they feature 6 pages on everything you need to know about baccarat.
Settings include the following:
- Turn music on / off
- Turn sound on / off
- Enable/disable button labels
Can You Learn Baccarat in Land Based Casinos?
My point here isn’t to bash brick-and-mortar casinos and claim they have no value when compared to internet casinos. Nor am I trying to pump up Bovada, Slots.lv, and other US-friendly online sites.
Brick-and-mortar casinos offer an experience and social element that internet sites just can’t match.
Plus, you can still learn the game in land-based casinos as well. In fact, this used to be the only way outside of a book that players could learn decades ago.
But online casinos are a much better choice for beginners due to the lack of pressure and ability to control game speed.
You don’t have to feel stupid while you spend a minute mulling over a bet. And you don’t have to feel hurried by the dealer trying to speed up the game.
Yet another good thing about internet casinos is that you don’t need to bet $10 or $25 minimums while gaining your bearings. Online baccarat is free, making it the perfect training grounds if you ever do want to play in brick-and-mortar casinos.
Baccarat Rules
Again, online baccarat is a no-pressure way to learn the rules.
But you can still have trouble with understanding the scoring system. And this is why it’s nice to get a head-start on learning the rules.
Here’s a look at the rules, including the game’s objective, betting, payouts, scoring, and sample hands.
Baccarat Objective
The objective of Baccarat is to figure out whether the banker or player hand will score closest to 9. You can also bet on the two hands tying.
Betting Process
You’ll see three circles in the middle of the table. These represent the Banker, Player, and Tie spaces.
You select the chip denomination you want and place your bet in one or more of these circles. The minimum and maximum wager amounts will be listed on the table.
You’ll also see a button that allows you to clear out bets that you’ve placed.
Here’s an example of how betting works in online baccarat:
1 – You choose a $5 chip.
2 – You select the Banker circle.
3 – You choose Deal if you’re happy with the wager.
Baccarat Payouts
A winning bet on the banker hand offers a 1:1 payout. But the house takes a 5% commission from each winning banker wager because this has a higher chance to win.
A successful bet on the player hand also offers a 1:1 payout. No commission is taken from the winning player wager since it has lower odds to win.
A winning tie bet normally pays 9:1 at online casinos. Some internet casinos and most land-based venues offer 8:1 payouts for successful tie wagers.
Any tie on the player or banker bet is considered a push and your money will be returned.
Baccarat Hand Scoring
Here’s how much each card is worth in baccarat:
- Ace = 1
- 2-9 = Face value (i.e. 5 is worth 5)
- Jack, queen, king = 0
When hand scores are worth 10 or higher, the first digit of the score is removed. Here are examples:
- 12 = 2
- 14 = 4
- 10 = 0
The hand with the highest value at the end of the round wins.
How Hands are Dealt
Both the player and dealer are initially dealt two cards. Their score at this point determines if the player or banker draws another card.
Here are the different scenarios based on the player and banker’s two-card totals:
- If the banker or player get an 8 or 9 with their first two cards (a.k.a. a “natural”), they can win with no more cards dealt to either side. This situation can also result in a tie (i.e., 8 vs. 8) or a win if both parties have naturals (i.e., 9 wins over 8).
- When the player has less than 5, they’ll automatically receive a third card. The player stands if their score is 6 or 7.
- If the player has 6 or 7, the banker draws on a score of less than 5. The banker stands if their total is 6 or 7.
When a third card is automatically drawn for the player, the banker receives a third card based on the table below (“D” means draw):
Baccarat Side Bets
Some online and land-based casinos feature side bets. While there are plenty of side wagers throughout the baccarat world, the most common ones include Either Pair, Perfect Pair, Big, and Small.
Here’s how each of these bets works:
- Either Pair. Bet on whether the player’s or banker’s first two cards form a pair.
- Perfect Pair. Wager on whether the player’s or banker’s first two cards are a suited pair.
- Bet on if the total score of the player and banker hands will be 5 or 6.
- Bet on if the total score of the player and banker hands will be 4.
Side bets are a fun way to spice up the action and give you a chance to win big payouts. You can see the payouts below:
- Either Pair pays 5:1
- Perfect Pair pays 25:1
- Big pays 0.54:1
- Small pays 1.5:1
Both the Either Pair and Perfect Pair wagers offer big prizes. But the catch is that all of these side wagers have high house edges, which you can see below:
- Either Pair = 14.54% house edge
- Perfect Pair = 17.07%
- Big = 4.35%
- Small = 5.27%
The Big and Small side bets aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t on par with regular baccarat wagers. The Either Pair and Perfect Pair wagers are among the worst side bets in any game.
Baccarat Strategy
The easiest part to learning baccarat is the strategy. You’ll achieve perfect strategy as long as you make the banker bet every time.
This is best explained by looking at the house edges on each available bet:
- Banker hand = 1.06%
- Player hand = 1.24%
- Tie = 14.36%
The banker and player hand both give you a solid chance to win. But the banker hand offers slightly better odds, even when the 5% commission is taken out of wins.
This means that you have no reason to make the player bet if your main goal is to win money.
You definitely don’t want to place the tie wager because it has one of the worst house edges in casino gaming.
This bet has an attractive payout at 9:1. But the 14.36% house advantage means that you should avoid the tie bet at all costs.
Conclusion
You can grab a baccarat book or read online articles to learn the game. But there’s nothing better than using a combination of experience and rules to learn baccarat as quickly as possible.
Online casinos offer this combo through free games that are accompanied with rule pages.
I covered the main reasons why internet baccarat is great for beginners, including no pressure, free games, no outside distractions, tutorials, and smartphone play.
Nothing is better for learning baccarat than being able to control game speed and not worrying about irritating dealers or fellow players.
The main things that you need to consider when choosing an online casino include if your country/territory is accepted and whether you need to create an account to play.
I especially like not having to create an account because you’re only looking to pick up the game. You can decide whether or not you want to sign up and deposit later.
Even if you plan on playing in land-based casinos, internet baccarat is great for learning the game. Once you have the rules and playing process down, then you’ll be able to enjoy playing much more.
Finding the Best Payout Blackjack Games
Whether you play blackjack online or in a local casino, it’s important to find the games that offer the top payout percentages.
Once you learn how each of the items listed below change the odds you’ll quickly be able to find the best games in any casino.
Playing on the tables offering the best payout percentages improves your chances of having a winning session every time you play, makes your playing bankroll last longer, and provides the best opportunity to play a break even game when you use the player’s club and coupons.
Rules that Help the Player
The standard payout for a blackjack is 3 to 2. Never play blackjack offering 6 to 5 or any other payout of less than 3 to 2. (Certain blackjack variations may be playable while offering lower payout for blackjack, but you need to investigate these games separately. For example, Spanish 21 is a blackjack variation that doesn’t pay 3 to 2, but offers a low house edge.)
Games paying 6 to 5 add almost 1 ½% to the house edge.
The fewer decks being used the better for the player. Singe deck games are the best, helping the player by almost a half percent over an 8 deck game. A double deck game is almost 2/10% better than an 8 deck game.
Early surrender improves the player’s odds by almost a quarter percent.
When the player can double on any two cards it also improves the payback percentage by just short of a quarter percent.
Games where the dealer stands on a soft 17 are over 2/10% better for the player over games where the dealer hits.
If you’re allowed to take more than a single additional card when splitting aces it improves your chances by just less than 2/10%.
The final rule that helps the player is the ability to re-split aces, reducing the house edge by almost 1/10%.
Rules that Help the Casino
If you assume the standard rule allows players to double after splitting any pair, the following split and doubling rules increase the house edge.
When you can only double on 11 or 10 totals it increases the house edge by almost 2/10%.
If you can only split once or if you aren’t allowed to double after splitting, each improves the house edge by over 1/10%.
Only being allowed to double on totals of 9 through 11 increases the house edge by just under 1/10%.
Finding the Best Tables
The first thing you need to realize is there isn’t any such thing as a perfect table. If you could find a blackjack table offering all of the favorable rules listed above you’d be able to play with an edge over the casino.
Casinos aren’t in the habit of offering games where they don’t have an edge.
The best you’ll be able to do is find the games that offer more of the favorable rules listed above than the others in the casino.
Concentrate on the ones offering the largest advantage, but take any edge you can find.
If you play the same places on a regular basis start keeping track of where you can find the best tables.
Basic Strategy
Did you know that every decision you make playing blackjack only has one correct play?
Not every play is profitable, but sometimes your job is making the decision that will cost you the least amount of money in the long run.
Here’s an example. If you have a ten and a six, for a total of 16, against a dealer ten nothing you do will be profitable in the long run. The best play in this situation is hit because it loses less than standing. (If the rules allow surrender, the correct play is surrender, but if you can’t surrender you should hit.)
Learn Blackjack Online
Once you find the tables offering the best rules you need to learn and use basic strategy to get the best payouts possible.
While I was learning basic strategy I printed a chart and used it every time I played. When I played online I kept it at the computer with me and when I played live in a casino I took it to the table with me.
It doesn’t take long to learn all of the normal plays using my method. Even the toughest plays become second nature eventually. Once you reach that point you won’t need the chart any more.
Player’s Club
Many online casino and most local casinos offer player’s club benefits to their frequent players. These clubs rarely pay cash back to their members (though a few can under certain circumstances) but they offer features and benefits that are worth money.
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Here are a couple examples. You can earn free buffet coupons or a dinner for playing. If you play more you may receive a free hotel stay or special bonus offer. Sometimes high rollers even earn free flights or special vacations.
Sometimes it’s difficult to put an exact monetary value of benefits, but they offer another way to increase the payouts from your blackjack play.
If a buffet trip costs $12 and you get a free coupon for playing four hours of blackjack, I count that the same as earning an extra $3 an hour, or losing $3 an hour less.
Conclusion
Once you join the player’s club and learn basic strategy it only takes a few minutes to find the best payout blackjack tables in most casinos. If you’ve visited before and kept track of the best tables you can start playing even faster.
The difference in the house edge of even 1/10% is worth the extra few minutes it takes to find better rules.
Every 1% in edge is worth $100 per hour if you’re playing for $100 a hand at 100 hands per hour.
The way I see it, every dollar less the house takes from me because of their edge is the same as winning an extra dollar. Hopefully you’re starting to look at it the same way.