Baccarat, Tips and Strategies from the World's Best Players

Experts Jeff Colt and Justine Priestley teach you how play the high stakes game of Baccarat in this informative and easy-to-understand video.

Baccarat Statistics

Introduction

Baccarat is a game steeped in superstition. The vast majority of players keep careful track of the shoe history, either on paper or with the aid of screens that show every hand since the shoe began. There are various ways of recording this information. The companies that market the screens that display the shoe history present it in various ways, according to the most popular methods of trying to define patterns.

Before going further, let me give my usual comment on notation. When referring to an actual bet, I use capital letters. When referring to the player playing the game, I use lower case. I invite the rest of the world to follow this convention, to help avoid confusion.
For those who don't know me, let me take a moment to say that all this effort at trying to predict the next hand is a waste of time. For all practical purposes, the odds are the same for every hand, and the past history does not matter. Now before the perfectionists out there write to me, yes, I know if you had the use of a computer, a card counter could make computer-perfect decisions according to the composition of the remaining cards, which would very rarely result in an advantage on some bets. However, that is not what I'm talking about it. I'm saying that trying to find a pattern in past Player and Banker wins is as useless as predicting the next color in roulette (on a fair wheel) according to past reds and blacks.

Although I personally don't play baccarat, I have wondered for years about some of the tables in those displays of the shoe history. The staff at the Venetian has been very helpful in helping me understand, so that I may enlighten the rest of the world. So, with the introductions out of the way, let's get started. Here is a picture of a typical sign, seen at the Venetian. There are various components of display, which I will address individually.

Bead Plate

This section above is called the "bead plate." It used to be that players could buy a tray with cubes with sides noting Player, Banker, and Tie wins. Wins are recorded as follows:

• Blue = Player win
• Red = Banker win
• Green = Tie win

The player starts in the upper left hand corner and makes his way down. When he reaches the bottom row, he moves over one column to the right and back to the top row.

Big Road

The next section, pictured above, is called the "Big Road." This primarily keeps track of Player and Banker wins. Tie and pair wins are also noted with slashes and dots. To be specific, a tie is noted with a green line through the previous Player or Banker win. A Player pair is noted with a blue dot in the lower right corner of the hand it occurred in. A Banker pair with a red dot in upper left. In the interest of simplicity, in this example there were only Player and Banker wins. Much like in the Bead Plate, the player starts in the upper left, as well as marking Player wins in blue, and Banker wins in red. However, instead of a solid circle, with a Chinese character in the middle, the Big Road has only the blue and red outlines of circles.
Unlike the Bead Plate, in the Big Road the player starts at the top of a new column with each change in Player and Banker winning. Note the grid is six rows deep. In the event there are seven or more consecutive Player or Banker wins, the results will move to the right, creating what is known as a dragon tail. In this example that never happens, as there was never more than four consecutive wins on the same side.

Big Eye Boy

With the next table, it is no longer so obvious what is going on, and it is here where I started to need help. As mentioned before, baccarat players are a very superstitious bunch. While the strategies they use to find patterns can be a complicated topic, one basic truth is they like predictability and repeating patterns. For example, if the last 12 hands were BBBPPPBBBPPP, I would bet that everybody at the table would bet on the Banker the next hand. Note how wins happen in groups of three. The Big Eye Boy table is useful in gauging how repetitive the shoe is. Red entries are a sign of repetition, and blue entries are a sign of a chaotic, "choppy" shoe. It is important to note that in the Big Eye Boy table, blue and red are not associated with Player and Banker wins, as they are on the previous two tables.
The first entry in the Big Eye Boy table is the hand after the first entry in the second column of the Big Road, so that there is enough information to judge if a pattern is developing or not. Here is where the air starts to get thin, so pay attention. Every entry in the Big Eye Boy table, as well as the next two tables, will refer to a specific entry in the Big Road. Each entry in the Big Eye Boy is recorded as follows:

1. If the hand in question causes a new column in the Big Road, then compare the previous two columns in the Big Road. If they are the same in depth, then record a red circle in the Big Eye Boy. If they are not, then record a blue circle.
   
   
2. If the hand in question is the same outcome as the previous hand (skipping ties), then compare the cell to the left of the newly created entry in the Big Road with the cell directly above that one. If these two cells are the same, whether both Player, both Banker, or both blank; then mark a red in the Big Eye Boy. Otherwise, mark a blue.
   
   In other words, consider the latest entry in the Big Road. Then, move one cell to the left. Then, move up. If the move up does not result in a change, mark red, if it does, mark blue.

In the event the Big Road forms a dragon tail, for purposes of the Big Eye Boy as well as the Small Road and Cockroach Pig, assume that the Big Road is infinitely deep, and ask yourself what would have happened under that assumption.
Note that if the Big Road consisted entirely of an alternating pattern of x Player wins with x Banker wins, then the Big Eye Boy would be entirely red.
To help with this part, I explain below every entry in the Big Eye Boy table that follows. I put the results in Excel so you could refer to the exact points in the grid I'm referring to.
For example, the first entry shows cell A1 on the Big Eye Boy table. This corresponds to the same hand represented in cell C1 of the Big Road table. Since cell C1 is the beginning of a new column, we check if the previous two columns are equal in length. They are, so we color the Big Eye Boy red for cell A1.

Big Road

Big Eye Boy

Big Eye Boy — Play by Play
Big Eye Boy Cell	Big Road Cell	Color	Reason
A1	C1	Red	Columns A and B equal in length
B1	C2	Blue	B1 and B2 don't match
B2	D1	Blue	Columns B and C unequal in length
B3	E1	Blue	Columns C and D unequal in length
B4	E2	Blue	D1 and D2 don't match
C1	E3	Red	D2 and D3 match
C2	E4	Red	D3 and D4 match
D1	F1	Blue	Columns D and E unequal in length
E1	G1	Blue	Columns E and F unequal in length
E2	HI	Red	Columns F and G equal in length
E3	I1	Red	Columns G and H equal in length
F1	I2	Blue	H1 and H2 don't match
F2	J1	Blue	Columns H and I unequal in length
G1	J2	Red	H1 and H2 don't match
H1	J3	Blue	H2 and H3 don't match
H2	K1	Blue	Columns I and J unequal in length
I1	K2	Red	J1 and J2 match
I2	K3	Red	J2 and J3 match
I3	L1	Red	Columns J and K equal in length
I4	L2	Red	K1 and K2 match
J1	M1	Blue	Columns K and L unequal in length
J2	N1	Blue	Columns L and M unequal in length
J3	N2	Blue	M1 and M2 don't match
K1	N3	Red	M2 and M3 match
L1	O1	Blue	Columns M and N unequal in length
M1	O2	Red	N1 and N2 match
N1	P1	Blue	Columns N and O unequal in length
O1	P2	Red	O1 and O2 equal
O2	Q1	Red	Columns O and P equal in length
P1	R1	Blue	Columns P and Q unequal in length
Q1	S1	Red	Columns Q and R equal in length
R1	S2	Blue	R1 and R2 don't match
S1	S3	Red	R2 and R3 match
T1	T1	Blue	Columns R and S unequal in length
U1	T2	Red	S1 and S2 match
U2	T3	Red	S2 and S3 match
V1	U1	Red	Columns S and T equal in length
W1	U2	Red	T1 and T2 match
X1	V1	Red	Columns T and U equal in length
Y1	V2	Red	U1 and U2 match
Z1	W1	Blue	Columns U and V unequal in length
Z2	X1	Blue	Columns V and W unequal in length
AA1	Y1	Red	Columns W and X equal in length
AB1	Y2	Blue	X1 and X2 don't match
AC1	Y3	Red	X2 and X3 match
AD1	Z1	Blue	Columns X and Y unequal in length
AD2	AA1	Blue	Columns Y and Z unequal in length
AD3	AA2	Blue	AA1 and AA2 don't match
AD4	AB1	Blue	Columns Z and AA unequal in length
AD5	AC1	Blue	Columns AA and AB unequal in length
AD6	AC2	Blue	AB1 and AB2 don't match
AE1	AC3	Red	AB2 and AB3 match
AF1	AD1	Blue	Columns AB and AC unequal in length
AF2	AE1	Blue	Columns AC and AD unequal in length
AF3	AE2	Blue	AD1 and AD2 don't match
AG1	AE3	Red	AD2 and AD3 match
AG2	AE4	Red	AD3 and AD4 match
AH1	AF1	Blue	Columns AD and AE unequal in length
AH2	AG1	Blue	Columns AE and AF unequal in length
AI1	AH1	Red	Columns AF and AG equal in length
AI2	AI1	Red	Columns AG and AH equal in length
AI3	AJ1	Red	Columns AH and AI equal in length
AJ1	AJ2	Blue	AI1 and AI2 don't match
AK1	AJ3	Red	AI2 and AI3 match
AL1	AK1	Blue	Columns AI and AJ unequal in length
AL2	AL1	Blue	Columns AJ and AK unequal in length

Small Road

The next table, in the bottom left of the display, is the "Small Road." The Small Road works exactly like the Big Eye Boy, except it skips the column to the left of the current column in the Big Road. To have enough information to go on, the Small Road must wait until the entry after the first entry in the third column of the Big Road. Here is exactly how the Small Road is recorded.

1. If the hand in question causes a new column in the Big Road, then compare the first and third columns to the left of the new column in the Big Road. If they are the same in depth, then record a red circle in the Small Road. If they are not, then record a blue circle.
2. If the hand in question is the same outcome as the previous hand (skipping ties), then compare the cell two cells to the left of the newly created entry in the Big Road with the cell directly above that one. If these two cells are the same, whether both Player, both Banker, or both blank; then mark a red in the Small Road. Otherwise, mark a blue.
   
   In other words, consider the latest entry in the Big Road. Then, move two cells to the left. Then, move up. If the move up does not result in a change, mark red, if it does, mark blue.

The Small Road in the sign pictured was too big to fit in the grid, so the first four columns dropped off. They would have been BBRRBR.

Cockroach Pig

The next table, in the bottom left of the display, is "Cockroach Pig." The Cockroach works exactly like the Small Road, except it skips two columns to the left of the current column in the Big Road. To have enough information to go on, the Cockroach Pig must wait until the entry after the first entry in the fourth column of the Big Road. Here is exactly how the Cockroach Pig is recorded.

1. If the hand in question causes a new column in the Big Road then compare the first and fourth columns to the left of the new column in the Big Road. If they are the same in depth, then record a red circle in the Cockroach Pig. If they are not, then record a blue circle.
2. If the hand in question is the same outcome as the previous hand (skipping ties), then compare the cell three cells to the left of the newly created entry in the Big Road with the cell directly above that one. If these two cells are the same, whether both Player, both Banker, or both blank; then mark a red in the Cockroach Pig. Otherwise, mark a blue.
   
   In other words, consider the latest entry in the Big Road. Then, move three cells to the left. Then, move up. If the move up does not result in a change, mark red, if it does, mark blue.

Other Statistics

Finally, the above picture shows the upper right part of the display. The left part shows overall shoe statistics for how often each bet won. This is not a very realistic example, as I put in Player and Banker wins only, for purposes of example. The right part shows what will happen on the Big Eye Boy, Small Road, and Cockroach Pig according to whether the next hand is a Player or Banker win.

Baccarat Card Counting Strategy

In either blackjack or baccarat a good first step in developing a card counting strategy is to determine the effect of removing any given card from the game. The following table shows the number of banker, player, and tie wins resulting from the removing of one card in an 8-deck shoe. The card removed is indicated in the left column.

Card Removed	Number
	Banker Win	Player Win	Tie Win
1	2259266202814720	2198201626637560	468838163231312
2	2259390347439480	2198279181695870	468636463548240
3	2259415336955130	2198240411263230	468650244465232
4	2259565639560830	2198132965463160	468607387659600
5	2259056540713470	2198626760121850	468622691848272
6	2259230629854970	2198942636434940	468132726393680
7	2259288625471740	2198847351781120	468170015430736
8	2258880877214840	2198299582316670	469125533152080
9	2259013211112320	2198292198535290	469000583035984
10	2259094649086970	2198163195365880	469048148230736

The next table puts these number is some perspective by indicating the probability of a banker, player, and tie win according to the card removed.

Card Removed	Probability
	Banker Win	Player Win	Tie Win
1	0.458613	0.446217	0.09517
2	0.458638	0.446233	0.095129
3	0.458643	0.446225	0.095132
4	0.458673	0.446203	0.095123
5	0.45857	0.446303	0.095127
6	0.458605	0.446367	0.095027
7	0.458617	0.446348	0.095035
8	0.458534	0.446237	0.095229
9	0.458561	0.446235	0.095203
10	0.458578	0.446209	0.095213

The next table shows the house edge of each bet by card removed.

Card Removed	House Edge
	Banker	Player	Tie
1	0.010535	0.012396	0.143467
2	0.010527	0.012405	0.143836
3	0.010514	0.012418	0.14381
4	0.010463	0.01247	0.143889
5	0.010662	0.012267	0.143861
6	0.010692	0.012238	0.144756
7	0.010662	0.012269	0.144688
8	0.010629	0.012298	0.142942
9	0.010602	0.012326	0.14317
10	0.01056	0.012369	0.143083

The next table shows the effect on the house edge of each bet according to the card removed. A negative number indicates removal is bad for the player, positive indicates removal is good.

Card Removed	House Edge
	Banker	Player	Tie
0	0.000019	-0.000018	0.000513
1	0.000044	-0.000045	0.000129
2	0.000052	-0.000054	-0.000239
3	0.000065	-0.000067	-0.000214
4	0.000116	-0.00012	-0.000292
5	-0.000083	0.000084	-0.000264
6	-0.000113	0.000113	-0.00116
7	-0.000083	0.000082	-0.001091
8	-0.00005	0.000053	0.000654
9	-0.000023	0.000025	0.000426

The next table multiplies the above numbers by ten million.

Card Removed	Count Adjustment
	Banker	Player	Tie
0	188	-178	5129
1	440	-448	1293
2	522	-543	-2392
3	649	-672	-2141
4	1157	-1195	-2924
5	-827	841	-2644
6	-1132	1128	-11595
7	-827	817	-10914
8	-502	533	6543
9	-231	249	4260
Average	0	0	0

To adapt this information to a card counting strategy the player should start with three running counts of zero. As each card is seen as it leaves the shoe the player should add the point values of that card to each running count. For example if the first card to be played is an 8 then the three running counts would be: banker=-502, player=533, tie=6543. Of course the player does not have to keep a running track of all three counts. In fact the point values for the banker and player are nearly oposite of each other. A high running count for the banker would mean a corresponding low count for the player, and vise versa.
In order for any given bet to become advantageous the player should divide the running count by the ratio of cards left in the deck to get the true count. A bet hits zero house edge at the following true counts:

• Banker: 105791
• Player: 123508
• Tie: 1435963

Assuming you were able to actually play this strategy perfectly you would notice that the true counts seldom passed the point of zero house edge. The next table shows the ratio of hands played, based on a sample of 100 million, in which the true count passes the break even points above. The left column indicates the ratio of cards dealt before the cards are shuffled.

Penetration	Positive Expectation
	Banker	Player	Tie
90 percent	0.000131	0.000024	0.000002
95 percent	0.001062	0.000381	0.000092
98 percent	0.005876	0.003700	0.002106

The final table indicates the expected revenue per 100 bets and a $1000 wager every time a positive expected value occured. Please remember that this table assumes the player is able to keep a perfect count and the casino is not going to mind the player only making a bet once every 475 hands of less.

Penetration	Expected Profit
	Banker	Player	Tie
90 percent	$0.01	$0.00	$0.00
95 percent	$0.20	$0.06	$0.15
98 percent	$2.94	$1.77	$11.93

I hope this section shows that for all practical purposes baccarat is not a countable game. For more information on a similar experiment I would recomment The Theory of Blackjack by Peter A. Griffin. Although the book is mainly devoted to blackjack he has part of a chapter titled 'Can Baccarat Be Beaten?' on pages 216 to 223. Griffin concludes by saying that even in Atlantic City, with a more liberal shuffle point than Las Vegas, the player betting $1000 in positive expectation hands can expect to profit 70 cents an hour.

Baccarat Odds

Baccarat is one of the oldest and most popular games in casinos all over the world. It is especially popular among high-rollers and Asian gamblers. In Macau, baccarat is extremely dominant. Although the game seems serious and elegant, it is really as simple as betting on the flip of a coin.

Format

There are three types of baccarat tables:
Big Table Baccarat is played in a snooty roped off area to separate itself from the other games. The players are usually very well dressed and the table minimums are often high. The regular baccarat table is about the size of a craps table with 3 casino dealers and up to 12 or 14 players. Each player, including the player dealing, may still bet on either the player or the banker but it is customary for the dealer to bet on the banker.
The deal will rotate around the table, much like the dice rotate around the craps table. If a player does not want to deal they may pass the shoe to the next player. The same person will keep dealing as long as the banker keeps winning. The person dealing will put two cards, face down, tucked under the shoe, and give the player with the greatest bet on the player the other two cards, face down. This player then looks at the cards and then gives them back to the player who is dealing. Then the player who is dealing will turn over the cards and one of the casino dealers will announce the totals. Depending on the totals, the dealer may then instruct the person dealing the cards to deal a third card. Finally the dealers will pay winning wagers and collect losing ones out of the dealer's tray. The player who actually deals is not assuming any financial responsibility of the other players bets, unlike pai gow, and is just turning over cards.
Mini baccarat has the same rules are big table baccarat. However, unlike the game at the big table, the dealer turns over all the cards, making for a much faster game. The odds are exactly the same as those of the big table, assuming the same number of decks. Mini baccarat is sometimes dealt from a six-deck shoe, changing the odds slightly. It can usually be found in the main casino areas.
Midi baccarat is the same as mini baccarat, except the size of the table is larger, and it is usually found in the high-limit rooms, as opposed to the main casino floor.

Rules

• Usually eight decks of cards are used.
• Cards are given point values as follows: Ace = 1, 2-9 = pip value, 10 and face cards = 0.
• At the start of a new shoe, the dealer will turn over one card. This will determine how many cards the dealer will burn, according to the baccarat value, except a 10 or face card will result in 10 cards burned.
• The cut card will be placed 16 cards from the bottom of the shoe. When the cut card appears, the dealer will finish that hand, play one more hand, and then start a new shoe. If the cut card comes out instead of the first card, the dealer will finish that hand, and then start a new shoe.
• Play begins by all players betting either on the "player", "banker", or a tie. At some tables you may also bet on a player pair and banker pair.
• After all bets are down, the dealer gives two cards each to the player and the banker. The score of the hand is the right digit of the total of the cards. For example, if the two cards were an 8 and 7, then the total would be 15 and the score would be a 5. The scores will always range from 0 to 9 and it is impossible to bust.
• A third card may or may not be dealt to either the player or the dealer depending on the following rules.:
  
  • If either the player or the banker has a total of an 8 or a 9 they both stand. This rule overrides all other rules.
  • If the player's total is 5 or less, then the player hits, otherwise the player stands.
  • If the player stands, then the banker hits on a total of 5 or less. If the player does hit then use the chart below to determine if the banker hits (H) or stands (S):
    

    Baccarat Drawing Rules
    Banker's Score	Player's Third Card
    	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
    7	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
    6	S	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	S	S
    5	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	S	S
    4	S	S	H	H	H	H	H	H	S	S
    3	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	S	H
    2	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
    1	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
    0	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H

• The score of the player and dealer are compared; the winner is the one that is greater. Winning bets on the banker pay 19 to 20 (even money less a 5% commission), winning bets on the player pay 1 to 1, winning bets on a tie usually pay 8 to 1. In the event of a tie, banker and player bets will push.
• On winning banker bets, the player will be paid even money. Meanwhile, the dealer will keep track of the 5% commission owed with small laminated markers. At the end of each shoe, or when a player wants to leave, the dealer will collect all commissions owed.

Odds

8 Decks

The following return tables show the possible outcomes of the banker, player, and tie bets for an 8-deck game. As the lower left cells in each table show, the house edge is 1.06% on the banker bet, 1.24% on the player bet, and 14.36% on the tie.

Banker Bet — 8 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	0.95	2,292,252,566,437,888	0.458597	0.435668
Player wins	-1	2,230,518,282,592,256	0.446247	-0.446247
Tie	0	475,627,426,473,216	0.095156	0
Total		4,998,398,275,503,360	1	-0.010579

Player Bet — 8 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	-1	2,292,252,566,437,888	0.458597	-0.458597
Player wins	1	2,230,518,282,592,256	0.446247	0.446247
Tie	0	475,627,426,473,216	0.095156	0
Total		4,998,398,275,503,360	1	-0.012351

Tie Bet — 8 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	-1	2,292,252,566,437,888	0.458597	-0.458597
Player wins	-1	2,230,518,282,592,256	0.446247	-0.446247
Tie	8	475,627,426,473,216	0.095156	0.761248
Total		4,998,398,275,503,360	1	-0.143596

Pair Bets — 8 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Pair	11	6448	0.074699	0.821687
No pair	-1	79872	0.925301	-0.925301
Total		86320	1	-0.103614

6 Decks

The following return tables show the possible outcomes of the banker, player, and tie bets for a 6-deck game. As the lower left cells in each table show, the house edge is 1.06% on the banker bet, 1.24% on the player bet, and 14.44% on the tie.

Banker Bet — 6 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	0.95	403095751234560	0.458653	0.43572
Player wins	-1	392220492728832	0.446279	-0.446279
Tie	0	83552962932288	0.095069	0
Total		878869206895680	1	-0.010558

Player Bet — 6 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	-1	403095751234560	0.458653	-0.458653
Player wins	1	392220492728832	0.446279	0.446279
Tie	0	83552962932288	0.095069	0
Total		878869206895680	1	-0.012374

Tie Bet — 6 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	-1	403095751234560	0.458653	-0.458653
Player wins	-1	392220492728832	0.446279	-0.446279
Tie	8	83552962932288	0.095069	0.76055
Total		878869206895680	1	-0.144382

Pair Bets — 6 Decks
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Pair	11	3588	0.073955	0.813505
No pair	-1	44928	0.926045	-0.926045
Total		48516	1	-0.11254

1 Deck

The following return tables show the possible outcomes of the banker, player, and tie bets for a single deck game. As the lower left cells in each table show, the house edge is 1.01% on the banker bet, 1.29% on the player bet, and 15.75% on the tie.

Banker Bet — 1 Deck
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	0.95	6737232640	0.459624	0.436643
Player wins	-1	6548674432	0.44676	-0.44676
Tie	0	1372227328	0.093615	0
Total		14658134400	1	-0.010117

Player Bet — 1 Deck
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	-1	6737232640	0.459624	-0.459624
Player wins	1	6548674432	0.44676	0.44676
Tie	0	1372227328	0.093615	0
Total		14658134400	1	-0.012864

Tie Bet — 1 Deck
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Banker wins	-1	6737232640	0.459624	-0.459624
Player wins	-1	6548674432	0.44676	-0.44676
Tie	8	1372227328	0.093615	0.748923
Total		14658134400	1	-0.157461

Pair Bets — 1 Deck
Event	Pays	Combinations	Probability	Return
Pair	11	78	0.058824	0.647059
No pair	-1	1248	0.941176	-0.941176
Total		1326	1	-0.294118

Reduced Commission Baccarat

A less than 5% commission on winning banker bets has been known to happen. For years the Horseshoe in Las Vegas offered a 4% commission on their big table game. For a short time in 1989 the Sahara offered 0% commission. The Betfair Internet casino offers a 2.75% commision in their "Zero Lounge." The following table shows the expected value on the banker bet according to the number of decks and commission.

Reduced Commission Baccarat
Commission	1 Deck	6 Decks	8 Decks
5.00%	-1.012%	-1.056%	-1.058%
4.00%	-0.552%	-0.597%	-0.599%
3.00%	-0.092%	-0.139%	-0.141%
2.75%	0.022%	-0.024%	-0.026%
0.00%	1.286%	1.237%	1.235%

9 to 1 Tie Bet

The tie has been known to pay 9 to 1 at some casinos. For examle Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas used to, and the Bodog online casino pays 9 to 1. Here is the expected value on the tie bet if it pays 9 to 1.

• 8 decks: -4.844%
• 6 decks: -4.931%
• 1 deck: -6.385%

Egalite Bets

I have heard that some casinos in London offer "egalite" bets on specific ties, by the total of the tie. For example, a 5-5 tie pays 110 to 1. The following table shows the probability and return for each bet, based on eight decks.

Egalite Bets — Eight Decks
Tie	Pays	Permutations	Probability	Return
9	80	55,146,054,060,032	0.011033	-0.106348
8	80	54,879,416,675,072	0.010979	-0.110669
7	45	101,717,538,899,968	0.020350	-0.063899
6	45	96,170,001,308,416	0.019240	-0.114952
5	110	39,684,046,743,808	0.007939	-0.118732
4	120	36,294,133,463,040	0.007261	-0.121401
3	200	22,250,510,129,408	0.004452	-0.105243
2	225	20,006,606,104,576	0.004003	-0.095412
1	215	20,499,217,668,352	0.004101	-0.114150
0	150	28,979,901,420,544	0.005798	-0.124527

Riding Trends

Every baccarat table will have plenty of score cards and pencils for the players to keep track of the outcome of every hand. Most players will do so religiously and carefully analyze their card for trends as the winning hand switches back and forth from the banker to the player. This is a big waste of time! The smart player will bet on the banker every time and leave the score cards alone.

Calculator

Baccarat Martingale Strategy

The Martingale system is one of the oldest betting systems around. It has existed for over 300 years and its supposed success lies in giving you the statistical edge for making a consistent profit. The Baccarat system is an attempt to guarantee you win overall, by implementing a system of doubling and then redoubling up on bets. If a gambler places his initial bet of $5 and loses, the method according to the Martingale System is to then double that bet to $10. If the better encounters another loss than doubling again would mean the next bet was $20. This continues until a win eventually occurs and all the money is made back plus of course a little extra.
The system, if it was adopted for the game of Baccarat and assuming a series of 5 losses in a row would go as follows:

• Bet Number 1 $5
  
• Bet Number 2 $10
  
• Bet Number 3 $20
  
• Bet Number 4 $40
  
• Bet Number 5 $80

At this point you would have ‘invested’ $155 at the casino. Let’s say you made one more bet. The Martingale System would dictate that this next bet be $160 pushing your total investment or stake at the casino up to $315. If you won at this point, you would receive twice what you bet, so $320 would be handed back making an overall profit of $5. At this stage you would go back to bet number 1 and begin the procedure again. Perfect! This is an undeniably perfect system provided you have the initial funds to see it through. The same betting system works well in games such as roulette.
The story does not end there though. Casinos, realizing that this betting system guarantees you make your money back plus a small profit have applied caps to betting sizes in the form of table maximums. This eliminates guaranteed chance of success using the Martingale System as you are no longer able to make all your previously wagered money back with one win.
Let’s look more closely as to why table limits sabotage guaranteed success by going back to our Baccarat betting example above. What if you weren’t to win at this point (we had reached bet number 6 of $160), or even the next time (bet number 7 of $320). By now you have invested $635 at your table. Still having not won you would be looking to make bet number 8 which would be $640 (double bet number 7). If, for arguments sake, the table limit was set at $1000 a bet this size would not be allowed as your total stake would pass the limit set at $1,275. 
So you’ve reached the level where you are no longer able to double up. Instead you make the biggest bet possible which would be the difference between the maximum table limit and the amount you’ve already wagered. In this instance that figure would be $365. Hurray a win, but of course the payout of $730 leaves an overall loss of $270 having wagered $1000 in total.
Of course it is possible to see short term success with the Martingale System. So long as you do not reach the table limit, the system is fail safe. It can only be used in games when bets pay 1:1 which is why Baccarat and Roulette are ideal but just bear it in mind that once the table limit has been reached, it is no longer possible to recoup all the previously wagered money in one go.

Baccarat House Edge

Winning Baccarat Strategy

Beat the casino using our professional Baccarat Strategy.

Baccarat is one of the simplest casino card games and whilst having a reputation for being a glamorous game for rich gamblers, has now become accessible to everyone through online casinos.  As well as being simple, it is also a game which offers a low house edge - only 1.06% on the best bet.  The low house edge makes it easy to beat the casino using a professional winning Baccarat strategy.

Baccarat Rules

 Play begins with two hands of two cards being dealt on the table: the banker's and the player's.  The player must then bet on which hand they think has a value closest to 9 or can also choose to bet on the hands being a tie.  Face cards and 10s have a value of 0; aces are worth 1 and all other cards are worth their face value. If the value of the two cards totals 10 or over, then the first digit of the total is discarded. For example, if a 8 and a 6 are showing, the 1 is eliminated and the value becomes 4, not 14.  In some situations a third card may be dealt. There is a series of conditions for when the player and/or the banker may or may not stand or hit. These are compulsory rules which the betters do not have an influence on using any Baccarat Strategy.

Once the bets have been made, the dealer will turn over the cards and if your hand is closest to nine you will have beat the casino. A winning bet on the player having the better hand pays out two times your original bet,  a winning bet on the banker pays out two times your original bet minus a 5% commission and a winning bet on a tie will generally pay 8 to 1 or 9 to 1 odds.  If you bet on either the dealer or player and the result is a tie, your bet will be returned to you and you.

Once the outcome has been decided and the winnings distributed, a new phase of play will begin and the player will try again to beat the casino using their Baccarat Strategy.

Winning Baccarat Strategy

The house edge when playing Baccarat is detailed in the following table:

Baccarat Odds
Bet	Probability of Winning	House Edge
Bank	45.84%	1.06%
Player	44.61%	1.23%
8:1 Tie	9.54%	14.12%
9:1 Tie	9.54%	4.57%

Regardless of whether the tie pays 8:1 or 9:1, it should always be avoided and if you are looking to easily beat the casino with little risk when playing Baccarat, our recommendation is to always bet on the banker and use the 1-3-2-6 winning Baccarat strategy.  This is a system of how much money to wager on each hand and works as follows:

On the first hand bet 1 unit.  If you win bet 3 units on the next hand.  If you win the second hand, bet 2 units on the third hand and if you win this, bet 6 units on the fourth hand.  If the fourth bet wins you have beat the casino and will collect 12 units of which 10 are profit.  If you lose at any point begin the system again with 1 unit.

The great feature of this winning Baccarat strategy is that for a potential profit of 10 units, you are at no time risking more than 2 units.  If you lose the first bet, you lose 1 unit.  If you win the first bet but lose the second, you've lost 2 units.  If you win the first two hands but lose the third, you've actually made a profit of 2 units.  If you win the first three hands but lose the fourth, you won't have beat the casino but will at least break even.

This winning Baccarat Strategy offers a great opportunity for large short term returns, especially as you can play this system using the bonus funds given to you by the online casinos and literally "earn" this money.  The casino still retains a very small edge over the long term so once you have beat the casino you should cash out your winnings as soon as possible and move onto the next casino.    

Baccarat - Studying Patterns

Studying Patterns :

Studying patterns does not work in Baccarat. It also doesn't work in Roulette, Sic Bo, or any other casino game. You simply cannot study probability because it is unpredictable.

However, there is still hope for those who want to win. In this article, we will be examining some of the strategies designed to help you play more professionally.

Four Simple Ways to Win When Playing Baccarat :

1) Almost always bet on the Banker! It has the best odds. Occasionally, you may want to bet on the player, and this is fine. However, almost never bet on the tie because the odds are very low!

2) Set a budget. Never chase losses, especially when you can't afford to lose that money.

3) Have fun. If you get nervous, restless, or bored, you will start betting too much, and you will start losing.

4) Bet what you can afford to lose. If you don't care about losing, you have a much better chance of winning. The only times I ever win are when I don't care about losing!

In baccarat it is not uncommon to win 3 or 4 consecutive decisions. This is what would happen if you aim to exploit such streaks by letting your winnings multiply.

    Round: Bet 1 unit. If you win leave your bet and your win on the table.

    Round: Bet 2 units. If you win there are 4 units on the table.

    Round: Bet 4 units. Win again and you collect 8 units, a net win of 7 units for a one-unit wager.

    Round: Start over. Bet 1 unit.

Perhaps you want to push your luck and go for four consecutive wins, collecting 16 units. But consider that you might give back your gains. Then again, if the fourth round indeed turns out to be a loser, you've lost only one unit of the money you brought to the table, so maybe going for a 16 unit win is worth the risk. You decide.

The main thing is to set win and loss exit points. Decide how much money you can afford to risk in total and how much of a win you'd be happy with. Quit as soon as you reach one or the other of those limits.

Can You Win Baccarat

One of the most important things to remember about baccarat is that it is a game where you will lose in the long run, but can make a tidy profit in the short term. With this fact in mind, the best way to win at baccarat is to quit while you are ahead in the game. This may be easier said than done because it is always tempting to keep on going in a great game like baccarat.

Knowing on which hands to bet is also a good way of increasing your chances to win at baccarat. In a nutshell, avoid betting on a tie as the outcome of the game, as this has a house edge of up to 14%. Rather stick to the safer bets such as the dealer or the player's hand. Even with the 5% banker's 'tax' taken into account, it is still much better to bet on these hands. For an added advantage, look out for online casinos that have a reduced banker's tax.

The number of decks used in the game could directly impact whether you win at baccarat or not. A typical game involves eight decks so look out for online casinos that offer fewer decks. Betting on the dealer's hand when playing with a lower number of decks gives you an even better edge on the game.

 

You can't argue with the fact that if you know what you are doing, your chances of winning at baccarat increase dramatically. With that in mind, read up as much about the game as possible - whether through online tutorials or in books. Another way of learning more about how the game works is by practicing for free at online casinos on the internet. This great feature offered by these websites provides ample opportunity for players to try different strategies and pick one that they feel comfortable with. Confidence is one of the key factors required for a sure win at baccarat.

Finally, the most important tip to remember when trying to win at baccarat is the need to develop a good money management system. We cannot stress enough the need for players to sit down and plan exactly how much they can afford to spend during their baccarat sessions. You need to consider how much you can afford to lose and at what point you will quit the game. Over and beyond planning a budget, players should also have the willpower to see their decisions through. All too often, players are caught up in the excitement and thrill of baccarat and forget their basic financial decisions. A good money management system that WORKS is absolutely essential if players want to win at baccarat.

4 Winning Tips for Playing Baccarat

The rules of the game and the scoring are very simple. It's all about getting a score as close to a "natural nine" or a "natural eight" as possible. If the score is not a natural, then another card is drawn to get the score closer to the natural. If the cards total a score more than 10, then the left digit of the double digit score is dropped and the right digit is considered as the score. If you are playing in the casino and betting money, then you need to be careful and keep some things in mind before putting your hard earned money on the table. The most important thing to remember is not to be taken in by anybody who can give you a magic winning formula. If such tricks existed, then the casinos would all be broke.

Tip 1

Gambling is a risky business, based purely on luck. A game like baccarat is a game of fortune, nothing much to do with skill. So, be careful with your money. If the tables are playing on very high stakes, then back off. There are other better and safer ways of earning money. Also remember not to push your luck too hard, if you are on a winning streak. If you can make a decent amount, then take it and leave. Do not wait until your lady luck deserts you, taking all your money with it. When you step into decide the maximum amount that you can afford to lose and stick to that decision. Do not get tempted to play for more than this money. The trick in winning while gambling is to know where to call it quits.

Tip 2

In baccarat, you can either bet on the banker, the payer or on a tie. The chance of a tie is rare. The odds against one of the players winning are always better than a tie in most cases. So, don't waste your money on an unlikely tie. Choose a definite party to bet on. Also, while betting, begin with small amounts. Don't begin playing with high bets. Start low and if luck seems favorable, then increase the amounts gradually. Luck is an important thing in baccarat. So, test your waters before plunging in completely.

Tip 3

Look for casinos where the house charges are less. Although the standard commission's charges by the casino are 5%, there are casinos where the house charges are lesser than this. If you look around, you will find places with commissions as low as 2.75% to 4%. Playing is such casinos will automatically increase your take home money, as there will be less cutting on the tax.

Tip 4

Although it is still a risky gamble with not much logic, betting on the Bunco will always prove beneficial to you. Study the winning patterns of the game. If you can find a pattern, follow it. If you don't, then bet on whoever won before last game. Also, if you find the same party repeatedly for more than 3 times, and then bet on the other party for the fifth time. It is very unlikely that the same party will win 5 times in a row.

Baccarat Sure Win Tips

Baccarat Sure Win Tips for Winning Game Play

For the most part, Baccarat is a game of chance, but there are few things you can do to ensure that your chances of winning are better and we've compiled these into a "Quick tips" list for you:

1 Know your limits and don't ignore them!

Before you sit down at a Baccarat table, whether online or at a land based casino, determine your bankroll (think of it as the amount you are prepared to lose) and stick to it. Don't spend money you don't have in the heat of the moment, know when to stop.

2 Know enough to spot mistakes

Before playing Baccarat ensure that you have a solid understanding and knowledge of the game rules and play progression so that you don't make mistakes, and so that you can spot any mistakes by the croupier or any player during the game (although these are very rare as everything is closely monitored).

3 Only play at reputable venues

This may seem obvious, but it is very important to research the casinos you choose with regard to reputation, payout reliability, terms and conditions pertaining to bonuses and promotions etc. This is relatively easy to do as there are a number of both brick and mortar and online casino reviews available on the internet. Spending time doing this will go a long way to ensure that your experience is a pleasant one and all you have to worry about is having fun at the Baccarat tables.

4 Practice online for free

Online casinos offer players "practice" or "free play" modes that allow one to grow accustomed to the game without paying for it. Play as often as you like or practice your strategies in free play mode until you are ready to play for Real Money. You have nothing to lose.

5 Games with fewer than 8 decks of cards are good if you can find them

Baccarat games usually feature eight decks of cards, however, games with decks do exist and if they are available, rather play them as you have a better advantage of winning through the banker's hand on a game with fewer decks.

6 Mini Baccarat is good for beginners

This game has the same basic rules as other Online Baccarat variations but has lower table limits and less players, so this is a good place to start if you are a beginner.

7 Betting a Tie is the worst bet for you

Yes a tie bet or "standoff" has the biggest payouts, but it also a very rare result and has the highest house edge and that means it's the worst bet you can make.

8 Banker bets are Best

The casino advantage on the banker hand is 1.09%, and the chances of winning are 44.6% making the Banker bet the best possible bet for you. And even though casinos charge an additional 5% commission rate for winnings on this hand, you still have the most to gain by betting on it.

9 Don't bet against streaks

Never bet against a streak of either the Banker or Player. After three consecutive Banker or Player results, stop betting until the streak breaks or bet with the streak.

10 Systems seldom work

Baccarat is a game of chance, and like Blackjack, card counting and various systems do not work online.

Baccarat Basic Strategy - 7 Steps

Before we learn how to win, we must first learn the basic of Baccarat Game.

Baccarat is a casino-style card game where you can place a wager on who will have the best hand. To win at baccarat, you must bet on whose hand will be closest to 9: the banker's hand, the player's hand, or possibly a tie. Each player is dealt 2 cards, and the cards dealt will determine the value of the "hand." More specifically, face cards and all 10s have a value of 10, and the other cards are the value shown, with an ace's value at 1. The rules are simple, so learning how to win baccarat should only take you a few minutes.

Step 1:
Calculate how much money you are willing to lose.

Step 2:
Decide which hand, the player's or the bank's, will win at baccarat. Choose a strategy, and stick with it. You should note that the bank's hand has a slight edge over the player's hand. This implies that the dealer's hand will win baccarat more often than the player's hand. However, the commission due to the house when the bank wins may make this edge negligible.

Step 3:
Decide how much you are willing to bet to win at baccarat.

• Casinos have betting minimums and maximums that are posted at each table.
• Start with small bets. Baccarat, like any casino game, is a game of chance and therefore you need to place many bets to follow the odds of the game to win.

Step 4:
Watch the dealer deal 2 cards to each player. The player with the largest "player" bet on the table will decide to "hit" and receive another card, or "stay," which is to play with the cards previously dealt.

Step 5:
Be mindful of some rules that vary for online casinos as you bet to win baccarat. If the first 2 cards dealt to either the bank or the player total less than 5, that particular hand will be dealt a third card. Additionally, if either the player or banker's hand is equal to an 8 or 9, also known as a "natural," no additional cards will be dealt to either hand.

Step 6:
Determine each hand's value. For instance, a hand with a jack and a 2 would have a total value of 12. However, the "single-digit" number is the only digit that counts. In the example, a 12 would be equivalent to a 2.

Step 7:
Watch the winners get paid as they win at baccarat.


TIPS:

• The commissions due to the casino for winning "bank" bets can vary. They are usually upwards of 5 percent but can be less.
• A tie bet, while paying much more significant odds, has a considerable house advantage.
• Most casinos utilize 8 decks in their "shoe." If you can find a casino that uses less than 8 decks, this may improve your odds.
• It might be worthwhile to bet for fun using an online baccarat game. This will help you understand the game's process and betting options before you wager real money.