The ‘mysterious’ aura surrounding the game of Baccarat which fed the portrayal of the game as an exclusive or elitist game is diminishing as it’s popularity grows rapidly at Online Live Dealer Casinos. You no longer have to be in the same circles as James Bond to enjoy a hearty game of Baccarat. Online Live Dealer Baccarat is quickly becoming a favorite among online gaming enthusiasts. It is a relatively straightforward game to learn with minimal strategic opportunity; hence you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the game. Online Live Dealer Baccarat is considered one of the most thrilling games and has enormous payout potential. You have landed yourself at the best spot possible to get everything you need to know about online Live Dealer Baccarat rules and strategy.
Below we have compiled some helpful information to get you started on your way to becoming a Baccarat expert. You will find a couple of terms exclusive to Baccarat, online Live Dealer Baccarat rules, and some strategic tips to help you come out on top. Once you have memorized the card values, the rest pretty much just falls into place. To practice, try to find some tables that will let you play with fun money for a few rounds to get acclimated to the flow of the game. If you cannot find any online Live Dealer Baccarat games that let you play for free, you can try it out on the electronic version just to get your feet wet. You won’t want to stick with the electronic version of the game though, online Live Baccarat is a gaming experience that perfectly mimics the land based visit to a casino, complete with dealer interaction and lively casino sights and sounds.
Objective of game: To correctly choose which hand (player’s or dealer’s) will come closest to a total point value of 9, and place your wager accordingly.
Online Live Dealer Baccarat Terminology:
- Natural Nine: A two card total of 9. This hand cannot loose. It is the best hand possible in online Live Dealer Baccarat.
- Natural Eight: A two card total of 8. This is the second best hand possible in online Live Dealer Baccarat.
- Draw: Obtaining a third card based on the outcome of the point value for the first two cards dealt. Draws are subject to pre-determined criteria and are not decided by players.
- House Edge Commission: Statistically the Banker’s hand wins slightly more often; hence the house charges a 5% commission for wagers won by betting on the Banker’s hand. This commission represents the ‘house edge’.
Card Values
Unlike other card games, in online Live Dealer Baccarat, suites of the cards have no meaning in the game. The values of the cards are as follows:
- Aces count as 1.
- 10’s, Jacks, Queens and Kings have a zero value and are often referred to as ‘null’.
- Cards 2 – 9 remain at face value.
- To calculate the score for the hand, add the values of each card and drop the ten’s digit. For example, a hand of 7 and 9 has a value of 6 (total of 16, drop the ten’s digit). The value of a hand with three sevens would be 1 (21, drop the ten’s digit).
Online Live Dealer Baccarat Rules
- Baccarat is played with 6 to 8 decks of cards, depending at which online Live Dealer Casino you are playing at. Depending on the casino rules, cards are often reshuffled after each hand to disable card counting techniques and ensure gaming fairness.
- Cards are dealt to two hands: the Player and the Banker.
- Bets can be placed on the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, a tie, or any combination thereof.
- Payouts are as follows:
- Player’s hand: pays 2:1
- Banker’s hand: pays 2:1 minus 5% house commission.
- Tie: pays 8:1
- The Player always goes first.
- The Player’s hand will draw a third card if its total is 0 – 5 and the banker’s total is 0 – 7. If the Player’s total exceeds 5, or the banker’s total is greater than 7, the player does not draw another card.
- If the Banker hand totals 7 – 9, the Banker does not draw. If the Banker’s first two cards total 0 – 2, then the banker draws one card.
- The winning hand is the one closest to a total of 9. A natural 9 cannot lose.
Player wins:
- If the hand that the Player wagered on has the higher total.
- If the player placed their bet on a tie and the Player and Banker totals are equal.
Player loses:
- If the hand that the Player wagered on is not the highest hand.
- If the player placed their bet on a tie and the Player and Banker totals are not equal.
- If the hand that the Player wagered on results in a tie, the wager is then a push.
Tips and Strategy for online Live Dealer Baccarat
Most online Live Dealer Baccarat casino experts will agree that the game offers minimal strategic opportunity. Many online Live Dealer Casinos use 6-8 decks of cards, so even if they do not reshuffle after each hand, (which is not always the case), counting cards can be quite challenging. While there is not a truly viable online Live Dealer Baccarat strategy, we do have some helpful tips that will assist you in making the most of your online Live Dealer Baccarat gaming experience.
- Try to choose the online Live Dealer Baccarat table that is playing with the lowest number of decks. Some casinos play with six decks, while others play with eight. There are a few high stakes tables that will even offer just one deck games. The odds lessen slightly towards the house the fewer decks in the game. Though this is not a huge difference, every little tip of the scale in the player’s favor helps.
- Statistically, the Banker’s hand wins more frequently than the Player’s hand does, causing the odds to be in the house’s favor. Based on this fact, it always makes sense to wager on the Banker. Mathematically speaking, holding your wagers in this position for an extended period of time will pay off. You must be in for the long haul to recover any losses and then take the lead.
- One important point is to never lose track of your bankroll and losses. Chasing losses blindly will only cause you problems. The house charges a commission when your winnings result from betting on the Banker’s hand. Some casinos do not charge you the commissions until you are leaving the table. If you don’t keep track of them, you could be caught by surprise at the decrease in your balance when presented with the dealer’s bill.
The absolute most critical strategy is that you enjoy the game. Don’t be intimidated by the previously held elitist stigma that Baccarat has carried in the past. You don’t have to be a high roller to thoroughly enjoy and even win big at online Live Dealer Baccarat. Without the complications of intricate online Live Dealer Baccarat strategies or convoluted rules, you are free to have the time of your life playing one of gambling’s most thrilling and exhilarating online Live Dealer games. And who knows, with a bit of lady luck on your side, you could walk away as wealthy and suave as James Bond himself.
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