Baccarat
Baccarat is a simple and fun online casino game, so don’t be put off by the mystique that surrounds it. Far from being reserved for high rollers and super-smooth James Bond characters, it’s an intriguing game anyone can play, making for an enjoyable alternative to blackjack or roulette.
Better still, you don’t have to do much, and there’s no difficult strategy to master. Your only decision is whether to bet on the Player, the Banker or a Tie at the start of each hand.
Baccarat is a card comparison game with only three outcomes – a Player win, Banker win or a tie. Ties payout handsomely, which is why high rollers enjoy the action.
How to Play Baccarat
You bet on the Player, Banker or Tie before the cards are dealt. Two cards are then dealt face up to the Player and the Banker. The aim is to get a total closest to 9, with 9 being the best score.
Cards of two to nine are taken at face value, aces are worth one, but any ten or a picture card is valued zero.
If the two cards add up to more than nine – say you have an 8 and a 7 making 15 - the second digit of the total counts as your score, so 5 points in this case. The dealer does all the work in Baccarat, so you can sit back and relax. First, the Player hand completes. If the hand totals 8 or 9 and is ahead of the Banker, the Player wins. If the Player total is 6 or 7, the Player must stand and let the Banker hand play out. But if the Player is below six, he gets a third card to try and improve, unless the Banker has 8 or 9, in which case the Banker wins automatically.
If the hand is still active because the Player has stood at 6 or 7, or drawn a third card, the Banker hand plays out. If the Player used only two cards, the Banker must draw a third card if his total is 0-5. However, if the Player used a third card, the Banker can only do the same under certain conditions – see the in-game rules for details.
While that may look a little complicated, it’s easy to pick up once you get going.
A note on payouts. If you backed the Player and win, you get paid out 2 for 1. If you backed the Banker, it’s also a 2 for 1 payout but with a 5% casino commission reduction. If the hand is a tie, and you backed Tie with your initial bet, you get a 9 for 1 payout. If you backed Player or Banker and the hand was tied, your stake is returned.
Online casinos usually have two Baccarat games for you to enjoy.
Baccarat Professional Series
Head to our casino table games page and select Baccarat Professional Series, brought to you by NetEnt. With crisp graphics and smooth gameplay, relax to the sound of soothing jazz as you place your bet.
The layout is simple. All you must do is bet on the Player, Banker or Tie box and let the dealer take care of the rest. Click the spanner to change the settings, or the question mark to see the game rules, including the table determining whether the Banker must draw a third card. It’s reproduced here for your convenience.
This game is as fast as it is slick, so there’s no waiting around.
Live Dealer Baccarat with Dragon Bonus
If you prefer to play along with a live dealer using real cards, then this is the game for you. Brought to you from Atlantic City, our live- stream tables bring all the excitement of a real casino floor to your living room.
Go to the live casino page and select Dragon Bonus Baccarat. While the game itself is the same, you now have some Dragon Bonus side bet action to consider as well.
To take part, place a bet on the Dragon Bonus box next to the side you’re backing to win. You’ll win if your hand is a ‘natural’ winner (hitting a total of 8 or 9 with your two cards), or if your hand wins by more than four points. The more points you win by, the higher the payout, up to 30/1 for a nine-point margin.
Dragon Bonus wagers pay as follows:
| Natural Win pays 1 to 1 |
|---|
Natural Tie is a Push |
Non Natural Win by 9 points pays 30 to 1 |
Non-Natural Win by 8 points pays 10 to 1 |
Non-Natural Win by 6-7 points pays 4 to 1 |
Non-Natural Win by 4-5 points pays 2 to 1 |
Live Dealer Baccarat from Evolution
Fed-up with playing animated tables and relying on a random number generator to select the cards? No problem – play and interact with a real dealer using cards at a genuine baccarat table at online casinos.
Our special live dealer baccarat games are available now, running 24/7 with a minimum bet of just $1 for each round.
Enjoy All the Table Games at Online Casinos
Baccarat is just one of a wide selection of table games available at online casinos. You can also enjoy many variations of blackjack and roulette, either traditional online games or using our live dealer casino offering.
If you’re ready to play for real money, remember to make use of our first deposit welcome bonus to help get your entertainment off to the best possible start. Baccarat is available online in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.