Baccarat – game strategy
First of all, it is necessary to correctly understand what the “card counting method” is. After all, using this method and the chosen strategy of the game, you can not only greatly reduce the chances of the casino to win, but also slightly increase your chances.
With regards to the advantage of the casino, it only means that the chances of the casino with a sufficient number of games played to win is preferable for all types of bets. Naturally, this situation is observed in all casino games. After all, the casino does not play on equal chances, otherwise the casino is bankrupt.
We can also note that the “card counting method” is also suitable for playing poker, but no longer suitable for video poker. By the way, a correctly chosen strategy can also reduce the advantage of the casino to a minimum.
It just so happened that, unfortunately, there is no mathematically justified strategy for playing baccarat, since the player’s influence on the course of the game is minimal (only the choice of the bet size and the hand on which it is made), and then you can only hope for Luck.
However, the lack of a strict baccarat strategy does not mean that the player is deprived of the opportunity to make the best choice in the game.
Don’t bet on a draw!
It has been proven that in baccarat the casino has some advantage over the player on each of the three bets. Let’s determine the house edge for each of these bets.
- when betting on the Player – the advantage of the casino will be 1.29%.
- with a bet on the Bank – the advantage of the casino – 1.01%.
- if you bet on a Draw – the advantage of the casino is 15.75%.
This means, for example (for a single-deck game), that if you bet consecutively on The Player, you will lose about $1.29 out of every $100 wagered.
The figures given are slightly different for different authors considering different versions of the game (a different number of decks of cards participating in the game, and some difference in the buy-in rules). Obviously, the probability of winning when betting on the Bank is greater.
Even after withholding 4-5% commission from the winning pot bet, the probability of winning is still higher than the bet on “cards in the Player’s hand”.
Hence your first – conscious – choice: BETTING ON THE BANK FOR THE PLAYER is PREFERRED!
As for the Draw bet, despite the high payouts for this bet (from 8:1 to 9:1), the probability of a draw outcome is low (the advantage of the casino on this bet is up to 15%).
Hence the second conclusion: DO NOT BET ON “Draw”! But this recommendation, of course, is not for “gentlemen of Fortune.” Take risks! So, it is recommended to bet on the Bank. These are the bets with the most favorable outcome for you.
Not a rich choice, but you should be consoled by the fact that baccarat (along with blackjack), nevertheless, remains the game with the most favorable distribution of chances for the player from the entire abundance of casino games offered.
Number of decks
On the baccarat odds distribution page, it is shown that the number of decks involved in the game and the amount of commission from the winning bet on the Bank can significantly increase the player’s chances of winning.
This means that there is another possibility to build the right game: find a casino that offers baccarat with fewer decks and a lower commission on bets on the Bank. The best choice is a GAME WITH 6 DECKS AND WITH A COMMISSION FROM BETS ON THE BANK NO MORE THAN 4%. As far as single deck baccarat is concerned, it can only be found in some casinos.
Baccarat Rules
Baccarat or Punto Banco is one of the oldest European gambling games, also known as chmen de fer or iron, and in addition – macao and nine.
Today it is a very popular game in casinos around the world, notable for the fact that the biggest money is played in it. Thanks to its aristocratic origin, the game has retained its special ritual, stiffness and mannerisms that impress real players so much.
Every gambler should know about baccarat. Like any other casino game, baccarat only looks complicated, but in fact it is a simple and accessible game for everyone. Baccarat is a game of style. Baccarat is often seen as a high society game and is also made famous by the James Bond films. But today not only princes and counts can play baccarat.
Baccarat is a game in which bets do not require any additional decisions, and everything happens quickly. Unlike the same Poker, you do not need to strain your brains.
How to play Baccarat?
There are two sides to baccarat: the banker and the player. The baccarat cards are drawn from a special drawer, and usually 6 or 8 decks of 52 cards are used, forming “big decks” of 312 and 416 cards.
A large table is usually served by 3 dealers: one gives out winnings and exchanges chips, the other shuffles cards and collects lost chips from the table, the third moves the dealt cards around the table using a special spatula called a pallet. The third dealer has a special name – “caller”. it is he who loudly announces combinations of cards and names the winner.
The game begins with the fact that one of the dealers shuffles the cards, gives the player to remove (cut) using a special plastic separator – cutting card, which, after cutting, is used to separate several cards of a large deck so that it does not play out to the end – when possible accurately calculate the remaining cards or to avoid the fact that there are not enough cards to finish the deal.
Shuffled decks are placed in a clog – a special box, a block for distributing cards. The played cards during the game are discarded into a special cylinder located in the center of the table.