For decades, baccarat was played only in high-roller pits, where millionaires could play to their hearts’ content. Today, new mass market-oriented versions have been introduced to casino floors.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, these new games are sure to be fun and exciting. But before you begin playing, it’s important to understand the rules and payouts.
Game rules
There are only three basic bets in baccarat: a Player bet, a Banker bet, and a Tie bet. The game is played with six to eight decks of cards and has a fixed payout ratio for each hand. The rules are simple and easy to understand.
If the Player and Banker hands both total 8 or 9, this is called a natural win. A third card may be drawn if either hand scores seven or higher. The rules for when the banker should draw a third card are determined by a set of charts that you can find in any baccarat guide.
Players can use positive or negative progression systems to increase their bet size after a win and decrease it after a loss. Negative progression strategies are less damaging to a player’s bankroll, while positive systems encourage players to chase losses and lose large sums of money. Neither approach is particularly good for a long-term winning streak, though.
Bets
In baccarat, you can place side bets on the Player Pair or Banker Pair. These bets pay out if either the player or the banker have a pair of matching cards, but their odds vary by establishment and platform.
If you bet on a winning player hand, you qualify for a payout of 1 to 1. However, if you win a banker hand, you must also pay a 5% commission. This lowers the payout odds to 19 to 20. In addition, you can place a bet on a tie hand, which pays 8 to 1.
One popular strategy for playing baccarat is the Paroli System. This betting strategy focuses on positive progression and is more conservative than the Martingale system. In this system, players double their bet size after every win and return to their original bet size after a loss. This helps them stretch their bankroll and prevents them from losing all of their money.
Payouts
The odds and payouts for baccarat are different from one game to the next. They are based on the cards dealt and the scoring rules. There are also several side bets that can boost your bankroll. These include the Big and Small bets, which pay out if either the player or the banker gets a total of four or five across three cards. They can also pay out 8:1 if both sides get a total of six. Some games also offer the player pair, banker pair, and either pair bets. The perfect pair bet pays the highest amount.
Another popular side bet is the Mini Royal, which pays based on the poker value of the first two cards for both the Banker and Player. A successful ’all red’ bet usually pays 22:1 and a successful ’all black’ bet pays 24:1. This side bet is offered at some baccarat tables, but not all of them. It is also available in EZ Baccarat, which does not charge the typical 5% commission on Banker wins.
Variations
Baccarat is a game that has many variations, and each of them has its own rules and unique features. These variations are designed to make the game more interesting and attract new players. They also offer different payouts and side bets. However, the most popular baccarat variation is Punto Banco.
After the player and banker each get two cards, the winning hand is determined by whichever total is closer to nine. If either hand has a nine or eight, the round ends in a tie. A third card is drawn only when the player’s or banker’s hand has a total of 6 or 7.
Some variations, such as EZ Baccarat, pay even money on both the player and the banker bets and don’t charge a commission for a banker win with a 7 (except in cases where the tie bet wins). Other games, like Dragon 7, offer higher payouts for winning the player or banker bets.