Online casinos have made traditional table games like baccarat available to the average player and not just for the big spenders. Like other live casino games nowadays, baccarat can be played anywhere by anyone with a computer that’s connected to the internet.
In this article, you will learn the simple game rules of baccarat, why it is ideal for small stakes players and the top baccarat games you can play.
What baccarat means
Most people think of baccarat as a table game only for the rich and the famous who play in VIP rooms at land-based casinos. That’s most likely because it’s a favourite among that crowd and the high wagers placed on baccarat tables can intimidate the average bettor. Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about the intimidating air of the baccarat table when you play online.
How to play the game
There are two options when playing baccarat: you can bet on either the player or the banker. The objective is to bet on whichever hand gets closest to nine. Both the banker and the player are dealt at least two cards and the hand that is closest to nine wins. The winning bets on both player and banker are paid 1:1 and the tie bet is paid 8:1 or 9:1.
The number of decks of cards used may vary but they’re usually between 4 to 8 standard decks that are reshuffled after every hand. If at any point in time the player or the banker has an eight or a nine or what is called a natural, no more cards will be drawn.
Types of bets
Before the cards are dealt, players can place their bets on either the player, banker or tie. The payout for the player and banker bet is1:1 and 8 to 9:1 for a tie. Banker bets have a lower casino advantage that’s why if you win a banker bet, the casino keeps a 5% bet commission.
When there is a tie, neither the player nor the banker wins and the bets are pushed. Depending on house rules, the tie bet usually has the highest casino advantage of over 14% and so should be avoided.
Game rules
The card values in baccarat are different from other card games. Cards from 2 to 9 keep their face value, Aces count as 1 while 10 and face cards Jack, Queen and King count as 0.
The value of the hand is decided by adding the value of the cards dealt and the hand closest to 9 wins. If the value of either hand is 10 or more, 10 is subtracted from the value so that a hand of 14 for example, becomes 4.
Top baccarat games you can play
There are many variations of baccarat nowadays, but unlike the big table and mini-table formats in land-based casinos, online baccarat offers more excitement with side bets, higher payouts and game choices. Play what you just learned with these popular online baccarat games.
Baccarat by OneTouch
Play this classic table game on your desktop, tablet and mobile and experience the impressive clear graphic display across all devices. Start placing your bets on Baccarat by OneTouch and reap the rewards of a high RTP of 98.94% for banker bets and 98.76% for player bets. Players of all expertise levels will enjoy the game’s ‘squeeze’ feature where the card’s edge is rolled gradually to heighten the thrill of reveal.
The video game is played using standard game rules and payouts. Player bets pay 1:1, banker bets pay 1:1 with a 5% commission and tie bets pay 8:1 Players also have side bet options such as Bead Road, Big Road, Big Eye Boy and Small Road.
Side bets can be placed at the same time as regular bets. One appealing feature of the video game is its fast gameplay and the suspense of the face-down cards when they are dealt and revealed one by one in the middle of the table.
Baccarat by Pragmatic Play
Get into a relaxed mood with the chill, jazz music of the game when you play Baccarat by Pragmatic Play. The screen opens to a top view of the baccarat table that is ready and waiting for the player to click bets into the blinking player, banker and tie bet boxes.
The game is played in the standard baccarat format with two hands in the game, the player and the banker. Cards are dealt to both hands and shuffled before every hand. The RTP for banker bet is 98.94%, 98.76% for the player bet and 85.64% for the tie bet. Player win pays even money of 1:1, banker win is also 1:1 but the house takes 5% commission and a tie pays 8:1.
Lightning Baccarat by Evolution
Lightning strikes fast and everywhere with Lightning Baccarat by Evolution. Set in an eye-catching black and gold art deco-designed studio, Lightning Baccarat features randomly generated payout multipliers and 1 to 5 lightning cards drawn from a virtual 52-card deck.
Just as they do in regular Baccarat, players bet on player, banker, tie and side bets. Lightning Baccarat engages experienced players with its live betting statistics and the trend in banker and player results. A 20% Lightning Fee is added to each player’s total bet that is visible in the game’s user interface.
If the player wins on a hand and has one or more matching lightning cards, the winnings can be multiplied from 2x to 8x. The multipliers go even further when three matching lightning cards are in a player’s winning hand, the total winnings could be multiplied by as much as 8x8x8 or 512x!
Pick only from the best of the best
Whether you like playing live or RNG table games, you can choose from a wide selection of games available today. The next time you play a round of baccarat, consider this list and choose only from the top baccarat games you can try.