The Real Player’s Guide to Winning Online Baccarat
Maximize your win potential with online real money casino baccarat. It’s “EZ-er” than you may think!
Baccarat is one of those games you either love or hate. The rules are complicated, yet it’s so easy to play, you could do it blindfolded. It’s a fast-paced game, a bit on the monotonous side, yet its biggest fans find it utterly intoxicating.
Today we’ll be talking about online baccarat, which is different from the forms you’re likely to find at walk-in casinos. Players cannot take on the role of banker when playing online. Even at live dealer tables, the hands are played out by the dealer, following the usual house rules, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
The first thing you need to know is that, in order to maximize your win rate, you need to be getting the lowest possible house edge. In a standard-rules baccarat game, the lowest edge is 1.06% on Banker bets, due to the 5% commission you’ll pay for winning them. However, there’s one online variant that offers a lower house edge, and doesn’t charge a commission.
EZ-est Online Real Money Casino Baccarat to Win
I know, that was a terrible pun… but it’s true. EZ Baccarat has the lowest house edge of any baccarat game on the world wide web. That’s because the casinos wipe out the 5% commission charge on banker bets and replace it with one little stipulation. If the Banker’s hand ends up being a 3-card total of 7, all Banker bets will Push; not lose, just push.
This alternate rule reduces the house edge on Banker bets to 1.02%. It’s only slightly better than the standard game’s 1.06% edge, but any pro will tell you, every minuscule advantage is worth taking. Player bets still have the same 1.24% edge, and tie bets are still guilty of an abysmal 14.36%.
By this assessment, the best way to maximize your profits in baccarat is to:
- Only play EZ Baccarat
- Only bet on the Banker
Yes, it really is that easy – even easier when you consider the fact that you don’t really “play” the game. It’s not like blackjack where you get to make decisions. The hands are all set by the dealer based solely on house rules. If you need a refresher on those rules to better understand the game, keep reading.
EZ Online Baccarat House Rules & Banker Advantage
Hands are played out automatically in baccarat – especially the RNG-based, computer generated ones like EZ Baccarat. All you have to do is choose where to place your bet; on the Banker, the Player, the Tie, or one of two optional side bets (found in EZ Baccarat) called Dragon and Panda 8 (more on those below.)
The game starts with each hand receiving two cards. The value of these two cards are added together, but no total can exceed 9 points. If the two cards’ value is 10 or more, you subtract 10 points. For example, a total of 16 becomes 6; a total of 19 becomes 9; 11 becomes 1; etc. Every additional 10 is subtracted. So if a hand totals 20, both 10s are dropped and it becomes 0.
Based on these rules, the highest possible hand is 9, the lowest 0, and the highest hand wins.
Once the player’s and banker’s 2-card hands have been evaluated, what happens next depends on the following variables:
| If… | Then… |
| Player or Banker hand totals 8 or 9 | All hands stand |
| Player’s total is 5 or less | Player takes a third card, then stands |
| Banker’s hand totals 5 or less, and Player stands | Banker takes a third card, then stands |
Optional Side Bets – Dragon 7, Panda 8
Some baccarat variants, including EZ Baccarat, come with optional side bets. In this case, you’ll be able to place a side wager on Dragon 7, or Panda 8.
Dragon 7: This is a bet that wins if the Banker happens to hit that perfect push-worthy hand of 3 cards totaling 7. The payout is 40 to 1, with a house edge is 7.61%.
Panda 8: This wager is won if the Player hand is a 3-card total of 8. It pays 25 to 1, carrying a house edge of 10.19%.
Long story short, don’t make these bets. They are sucker bets.
A Word to the Wise about Real Money Casinos
Before you play any game for real money, I suggest playing it for free first. That’s another perk of doing your gaming over the internet – you can always play for free. As I said at the very start, baccarat is a game most people either love or hate. Demo EZ baccarat for a while and if you enjoy it, only then should you make the switch to online real money casino baccarat.
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