Offering nearly the same House edge as Blackjack but without the complicated card choices, Baccarat is an exciting game with nuance where players can better their chances using one Baccarat winning strategy or more.
What will you learn from our Baccarat strategy guide?
Baccarat is the most popular casino card game on the planet. Why? It’s simple to learn, offers great player odds and moves fast – many hands can be played in a short session. The best online casino in Canada will offer multiple Baccarat variations, hence why learning the basics is so important!
Still, how to play baccarat and win? The use of a specific betting strategy for Baccarat means you are aware of favourable odds. Also, having a Baccarat strategy can put players in a position to make some serious bank. Find out how to increase your odds and place bets to win consistent profits with Baccarat.
4 important tips before you start
- If you are new to Baccarat, take the time to learn the rules of the game before your first session. They are straightforward and easy to follow. Also become familiar with the various betting odds and the payout methods your casino of choice uses.
- The most popular Baccarat game is also known as Punto Banco (Player/Banker), or North American Baccarat, but there are others such as Baccarat Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque. Choose the version you wish to play and familiarize yourself with the rules specific to that game.
- Experienced players almost always start a game with a Betting Strategy Baccarat. This usually includes a staking plan or a budgeted amount of money to play within. It is based on the maximum amount of money a player is willing to lose in a session and may also include a winnings goal that can be banked as profits when reached.
- Part of the wide appeal of Baccarat is that the game moves fast. Hands are decided quickly, allowing players to play numerous hands and ideally accrue winnings over a relatively short period of time when compared to Blackjack and Poker. Every successful Betting Strategy Baccarat includes a time element. Players should plan and play sessions after considering the maximum amount of time they are prepared to spend on a game.
Popular Baccarat Strategies
What about the best baccarat strategies to win? Players who use Baccarat strategies are primarily interested in the thrill of the game, banking profits and managing their losses.
Apart from enjoying the excitement at the table, closing a session with a bigger bankroll than what they started with is the ultimate goal. Baccarat gambling strategies enable players to manage their bankrolls effectively and be prepared for the big winning opportunities when they appear.
1. The one-sided baccarat strategy
Part of the attraction of Baccarat is its simplicity. Only the banker or the player can win unless there’s a tie. The Banker has a very slight House Edge (1.06%) making the odds only fractionally less favourable to a player than a coin toss. Even so, that edge will prove its value over time, which is why a common Baccarat strategy is; Always bet on the Banker.
However, in a short session, the reality is that a Shoe containing six to eight decks of cards can break either way – repeatedly – and usually wins will often trend towards the player or the banker for a few hands. A one-sided baccarat strategy consists of placing bets on either the player or the banker for the duration of the session.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beginner Friendly – easy to understand | Does not account for Trends |
| Protects Bankroll & extends playing time | Incremental (smaller) Winnings |
| A consistent fallback strategy | Wagering on Ties is excluded |
2. The trend switch combat baccarat
A popular Baccarat strategy is identifying trends or patterns developing in the hands distributed from the Shoe. This type of Baccarat is also called the Baccarat Pattern Strategy. Some players record the results of every hand on paper to determine whether they or the banker are experiencing a run – or pattern – of back-to-back wins. If so, players adjust their bets to take advantage of the Trend for as long as it may last.
While the Baccarat Pattern Strategy tries to impose order on random events, catching a lucky streak can sometimes pay big rewards when playing Baccarat. Players who bet on streaks, or switch their bets in anticipation of a streak about to end, capitalize on these Trends with this Baccarat gambling strategy.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ride back-to-back winning streaks | Pattern lengths are unpredictable |
| Opportunity to profit quickly | Another strategy needed for periods between Trends |
| Playing online displays hand stats | Doesn’t account for Ties |
3. Breaking the doubles strategy
In Baccarat, a “Double” is two consistent wins in a row by either the banker or the player, and sometimes indicates the start of a trend.
This strategy is employed by betting alternately between the player and banker with every hand. When a Double appears, players bet on the opposite hand for the next bets, anticipating that the Double will switch to the opponent and could become a trend.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Doubles are more frequent than trends | Eliminates opportunity to ride a trend |
| Doubles often appear in clusters | Wait time for Doubles to appear |
| Win frequency is increased | Best employed simultaneously with another strategy |
4. Card counting in Baccarat?
A well-proven strategy for success when playing Blackjack, card counting offers significantly fewer advantages when playing Baccarat.
For those few players with the exacting memory and/or the sheer tenacity to train their minds to count cards, a Baccarat Shoe with six decks randomly shuffled is a challenge.
When playing Baccarat online, digital decks practically eliminate any advantage card counting might offer. This Baccarat strategy may fractionally reduce the House edge, but there are several much more effective strategies that don’t require the mental training and practice, or the hundreds of hands to be played before the laws of probability are realized.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fractionally reduces the House edge | Requires intense mental discipline and observational skills |
| More valuable in High betting games | Does not allocate for patterns or trends |
| Requires extended table time |
5. 1-3-2-4 baccarat strategy
This Baccarat strategy focuses on the amount and sequence of a player’s wagers rather than just the direction (Player/Banker) of the bets. Most easily remembered as Baccarat Odds & Evens, the first bet made is valued and multiples of it are wagered on the three following bets.
Consider it a set of four bets. If the first is valued at $10, the 2nd would be $30, the 3rd $20 and the 4th valued at $40. If a loss is incurred at any of the four stages, players revert to the core bet and begin the sequence again.
The common wisdom is that the 1-3-2-4 Baccarat strategy protects the bankroll and can generally be depended on to win twice the core wager value with every set.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Prevents chasing losses | Suited for low wager tables |
| Can preserve winnings within set | Requires repetition for a significant profit |
| Ensures profit if first two bets win |
6. The Martingale System
Also used by Roulette and Blackjack players, the Martingale system is a popular and well-known betting strategy. Players double the bet value after every loss in order to win back their bankroll. After a win, players revert to the initial betting amount and begin the process again.
While popular in most Canadian casinos, the Martingale system is not well-liked by experienced Baccarat players. Typically, when using the system, large bets earn small wins and the potential to rack up large losses quickly is its main weakness. Check out our online casino reviews to see which operators have your preferred Baccarat game!
7. The Fibonacci Strategy
Named for a medieval Italian mathematical principle and adopted by gamblers down through the years, the Fibonacci Strategy relies on betting according to a sequence of numbers.
Usually starting with the number one, players bet an amount that is the sum of the previous two numbers in the sequence; 0+1=1, 1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5, 5+3=8, 8+5=13, 13+8=21, etc.
Players move back two numbers in the sequence when a bet is won.
Only to be used for bets where even money is at stake, the Fibonnaci System is considered a strategy that takes advantage of winning streaks. Like all gambling strategies, it is not a failsafe and in real terms, only gives players an organized method of wagering – but no proven advantage.
8. The Paroli System
Also commonly known as the Reverse Martingale strategy, the Paroli System recommends that players start a Baccarat game with a minimum wager and double their bets after every win. At the first loss, the player reverts to the minimum wager again and restarts the betting cycle.
The Paroli System strategy is designed to take advantage of winning streaks and unlike its namesake, tries to avert significant losses. Considered a more balanced approach to the mathematics of probability, its biggest advantage is in the fact that players don’t lose a large sum at once.
9. The Labouchere System
Sometimes known as the American Progression, Cancellation System or Split Nightengale strategy, the Labouchere system is ideal for even-money betting in casino games like Baccarat.
Unfortunately a little more complicated because it is a negative progression system, the Labouchere strategy consists of a four rule sequential betting formula that theoretically regains the losses suffered from a losing streak over the course of a few wins, rather than the one big win the Martingale system ascribes to.
10. The D’Alembert System
Based on the Martingale strategy, the D’Alembert system is also a stepped progression method of betting however, not as aggressive in nature. Using the negative progression system, players increase the size of a bet after a loss and decrease it ( if necessary) after a win.
A popular strategy with conservative players, the D’alembert system increases the wagers relatively slowly – by doubling the initial bet after any losses – without increasing the wager value any further in order to protect the bankroll. Wins are wagered at the original betting value.
Which Baccarat Strategy should you choose?
The best Baccarat strategy is the one that most closely reflects a player’s goals and their respective appetite for risk.
Choosing a Baccarat strategy should also be tempered with player knowledge of the game and the size of the bankroll. The Martingale system, for example, is a strategy that usually needs to be well funded to achieve any measure of success and could quickly wipe out a small bankroll in a few hands.
While most Baccarat Variants enjoy similar playing rules, there are some minor variations and betting options that differ. Often Players explore these differences before settling on a game variant and their best Baccarat strategy. Information on the most popular variations of Baccarat can be found here;
The best strategies to try when you’re new to casino
What is the best baccarat strategy to play? It really depends on the player. Here are some factors we suggest you check out before choosing your best baccarat strategy.
- Bet on the Banker – it’s not a well-worn adage among seasoned Baccarat players for nothing. The One-sided Baccarat Strategy is a straightforward betting method and easy to apply. Ultimately, the House holds an advantage and small as it is, it will eventually feature in any session. By consistently betting on the banker players slightly improve their odds and almost always extend session play without denting their bankroll. Profits may be small but are often regular.
- 1-3-2-4 Baccarat Strategy
Ideal for low wager tables, this Baccarat strategy also favours novice players who have a higher threshold for risk. This system goes a long way to protect the bankroll and on rare occasions can set players up for big profits on trends. It is also a great strategy to prevent players from inadvertently chasing losses.
Baccarat strategies to play if you’re a pro
Experienced players know that the big money to be won at Baccarat is in the streaks. Like surfers catching an incoming wave, these players seem to have a sixth sense of when a streak is about to break and are always prepared to ride it. While waiting for a streak to develop, capitalizing on shorter trends can build bankrolls quickly.
- The Paroli System
A Baccarat strategy developed to aggressively capitalize on trends, the Paroli system maximizes bets that are ideally bankrolled by previous wins. It also takes great advantage of doubles, enabling players to use a single strategy during a session that can rapidly boost profits while still offering a reasonable level of protection to the bankroll.
- Breaking the Doubles
One of the truths of consistently successful gambling is discipline. Guerilla Gamblers – players who take their profits and run – often use the Breaking the Doubles strategy when playing Baccarat because doubles occur much more frequently than trends. Experienced players use this system to bank more high-value wins over a shorter period of time. The point at which they take profits and close the session depends on the winning goals of the individual player.
Baccarat strategies that got the most wins
Big winners don’t often share their secrets on strategy however, the record-breaking wins at Baccarat all shared one common feature; the size and values of the bets placed are mind-boggling for most of us. Imagine wagering a quarter of a million dollars a hand and you get the picture. Legendary wins are typically the result of legendary bets.
For the rest of us, the most dependable Baccarat winning strategy remains the one-sided system with the adage of ‘Bet on the Banker’ kept clearly in mind. A baccarat gambling strategy that consistently offers small wins, betting on the Banker builds the bankroll and extends the session time of this fantastic game is a hard strategy to beat.
General beginner mistakes that are easy to avoid
Baccarat is so popular because of its simplicity, the rules are few and the betting choices are basic and straightforward. New players may benefit from a few general guidelines when considering Baccarat that are certain to make the game experience more enjoyable and hopefully, more rewarding.
- Don’t bet on the Tie.
Of the three bets available to Baccarat players – the Bank bet paying 1:1 less a 5% commission, the Player Bet paying 1:1, and the Tie Bet paying 8:1, the Tie Bet, while attractive, is very rarely won. New players will enjoy better results betting on the Player or the Bank.
- Set a Bankroll Limit
Set aside the amount of money you are comfortable losing. Consider this sum the price of the entertainment and anything leftover from the session as a bonus. Do not chase losses with more money. Baccarat, like all casino games, is first and foremost a game of chance.
- Learn the rules of Baccarat.
Specifically, learn the rules of the version of the game you are interested in playing. Learn a basic strategy and practice it until you are comfortable with how it works. Remember that no Baccarat gambling strategy is failsafe.
- Don’t make large bets
Baccarat has a well-earned reputation as a high-stakes game. This doesn’t mean that games with low wagering limits aren’t available. New players can benefit from seeking out Baccarat games with low minimum betting values while becoming familiar with the game.
- Don’t Take it too Seriously
A Baccarat Winning Strategy is after all just a strategy that guarantees absolutely nothing. Don’t allow unrealistic expectations of a Baccarat winning strategy to get ahead of you. Enjoy both the highs and lows that come with all forms of gaming and never wager more than you are comfortably prepared to lose.
Frequently Asked Questions
