Online Baccarat 101 – The Full Scoop on Asia’s Favorite Game
Baccarat seems intimidating to anyone who hasn’t given it a try yet, and online baccarat is no exception. This casino staple is a mystery to many people, but it’s history dates back to the casino houses and salons of France and Italy.
In the past thirty years, it’s become a necessary game in every casino, both online and land-based, especially in Asia. But Americans and Europeans flock to the baccarat tables as well.
So how popular exactly is baccarat around the world? Take countries like Macau, for example, which has grown exponentially in the casino market, even bigger than Vegas. In 2018, the casinos of Macau reported that over 88% of their 33.2 billion-dollar revenue, came from baccarat.
Singapore, another casino hotspot, reported that most of their revenues come from baccarat too. Even on the Las Vegas strip, where many visitors are reluctant to try, baccarat accounts for 18% of casino wins. Apparently, the only game that is more popular than baccarat in Vegas is slots.
We don’t know about you, but those numbers are quite surprising for a game that so many people don’t know how to play.
The Introduction of Online Baccarat
With all of this excitement about baccarat, online casinos needed to keep up. Hence online baccarat can be found in every online casino in Asia and beyond. In the last few years, high rollers in Asia made online baccarat their game of choice.
There is something unique about baccarat that you won’t find in other casino games. And online baccarat is very much the same as its traditional counterpart. Asian players are attracted to this game because there is something that fits in culturally about it.
Online baccarat has one of the lowest hold percentages in casinos and an average house edge of around 1.2 percent on both banker and player bets. The third bet, a tie, is when both hands are equal, and it has a very large house edge at 14 percent and pays out eight to one odds. For this reason, most players bet on either the player or the banker.
It’s easy to see why online baccarat is so popular, with perhaps the highest payout percentage of any other game.
Why YOU Should Be Playing Baccarat
A not so popular fact about online baccarat is that casinos find it quite dangerous, because of the amount of money that players bet. No to mention it has one of the smallest house edges. Therefore, Baccarat players have a huge potential to win large sums of money.
The betting limits go very high, with some casinos taking bets of up to $550,000 on a single game. Online casinos may have smaller betting limits, but the advantages for players choosing baccarat over other games are still relevant.
For this reason, casinos fear that they can lose millions of dollars on baccarat within hours. It’s also why you need to make baccarat your favorite game of chance. What’s not to love about a game with the lowest house edge?
A game that began in Europe and gained new appreciation in Asia is now more available than ever to players worldwide. Considering the high potential for gaining a profit, you should be thrilled at having new ways to play.
We don’t expect that the high rollers will abandon baccarat soon. And if you haven’t given it a try yet, there’s no better time than the present!
The Rules
The dealer shuffles the cards and puts them in the dealing shoe. Unlike other card games, there is no hitting or standing, etc. The rules are re-determined, and the results are based on your luck. Although baccarat seems like it’s a high roller’s game, it is actually quite uncomplicated; players must bet on either the “Banker” hand or the “Player” hand. They sit back and observe as the dealer takes care of the rest.
The object of the game is to get closer to nine than the opposing hand. If any cards total more than nine, the first digit gets dropped—for instance, six and eight equal twelve, which would then be dropped to eight.
Dealers must follow the set of fixed rules that determine whether they draw a third card or not. The only decision players have to worry about is which hand to bet on in the first place.
Eight decks of cards are used in playing online baccarat, and they are re-shuffled after every hand. Once the banker and player receive their cards, the point totals are shown to players. If one of the hands has eight or nine, this is called a “Natural,” and no additional cards are given.
The winner is whoever is closest to nine points of the player or the banker. If both equal the same number, then it’s a tie. If there is no winning hand, the dealer draws a third card to the player and then the banker.
A Step by Step Guide to Playing Baccarat
Online baccarat is not hard to learn in any sense. Even when you take in the many variations of the game, most players won’t have any trouble getting a grasp of it. Having many variations like Mini-Baccarat, Punto Banco, and Baccarat Squeeze can seem daunting for beginners who don’t know where to start. But we guarantee that after a few hands, you’ll get the hang of whatever you decide to go with.
But for starters, let’s take you through the steps of a standard game of online baccarat. And you can decide from there what you want to try next. These steps remain the same, whether you are playing the typical games or live dealer baccarat.
- Select an online baccarat game from our selected list of trustworthy casinos. Where you play is very important if you want a fair and regulated game.
- If it’s a casino you have never played at before, you will have to create an account and make a deposit to play for real money.
- The first step is deciding whether you want to bet on the “Banker” or the “Player.” You’re basically choosing which hand you believe will win.
- The player and banker both receive two cards displayed face up. Later in the game, the rules will determine whether either will receive a third card.
- If either the player or banker has a total of zero to five points, they’ll receive a third card.
- However, if either of them has six or seven, they will not get a third card. If the hand you bet on has either eight or nine points, you’ve likely won, unless the other hand is equal to that. In which case, it’s a tie.
Pretty simple, isn’t it. But can you have a zero points hand? Incidentally, face cards and tens are all worth zero points. So, because you can’t exceed nine points, any count that takes your hand over nine points will cause you to go down to zero. For instance, if you have a six and a nine, which equals fifteen, you’ll go down to five.
Fun Facts About Baccarat
Baccarat has come a long way since it’s humble beginnings in Europe. From becoming a staple in every live casino house to people flocking to online baccarat, it’s popularity is apparent.
Here are a few fun facts about baccarat that most people don’t know:
- Baccarat’s exact origins are debatable, but the first records of the game appeared in the 19th It was particularly beloved by the French nobility at that time.
- Records show that Felix Falguiere, an Italian gambler, created baccarat. Many believe it to be one of the oldest casino games ever.
- At the end of the 19th century, baccarat made it’s way to America with Europeans crossing the Atlantic. But it’s popularity really took off in the 1950s when it became a staple in casinos. This brought on a few variations like Baccarat Banque, Chemin De Fer, and Punto Banco as well.
- These days, many different variants of baccarat and online baccarat are at your disposal. Both online and traditional casino offers a selection to a wide and discerning audience. A popular choice when playing online baccarat is to engage in live dealer games. It provides a similar experience to being at the baccarat table in a real-life casino.
Why You Need to Stick with Our Baccarat Sources
As experts in all things casino related, we don’t recommend playing online baccarat at just any casino. We took on the work of picking out the top sources to suggest to our readers, using very strict criteria. Here’s how we determine the best casinos from the rest.
In order of importance:
- Fairness and Security – Your personal and financial data should be secure when playing for real money online. We check each casino for its encryption software and safety measures like SSL encryption. So, we know where your information will be in good hands. We also pay attention to licensing and regulations to provide fairness.
- Promotions – Casino promotions are a great way to maximize your bankroll and payouts. We search for the casinos with the best bonus offers to provide our users with the best in existence.
- High-Quality Games – Every casino that offers online baccarat should have a good selection and live dealer games. We look for the highest and latest software-based games.
- User Satisfaction – User satisfaction should be a top priority for any online casinos. We expect nothing but the best customer service via different methods.
