How to Play Baccarat Online: A Guide to Rules, Bets, Odds, and Strategies

Have you always wanted to learn how to play Baccarat? The game is surprisingly simple, and this guide will teach you everything you need to know. We cover everything from the rules, gameplay, and betting options to beginner strategies, giving you the tools to get started with your first baccarat session. 

What is the Baccarat Card Game?

Baccarat is a card game played against the house, where the player’s only decision is which side to bet on. In each round, two hands are dealt, one for the “Player” and the other for the “Banker.” 

As a participant in the game, you can bet on either the Player, the Banker, or a tie. The hand closest to nine wins. The dealer deals the cards according to preset rules, which we will further explain in this baccarat guide. The best you can hope for is to make a “natural,” which means getting dealt a total of 8 or 9 on your first two cards.

Origins of the Baccarat Game

The game of Baccarat traces its roots back to 15th-century Italy. A man by the name of Felix Falguierein is traditionally considered the father of the game, which was originally called Baccara, which stands for 0 in Italian. The word was used to refer to face cards in the game, which carry a value of 0.

From Italy, Baccara spread to France and gained popularity among the nobility. During the reign of King Charles VIII in the late 1400s, two main versions of the game, Chemin de Fer and Baccarat Banque, were invented. The game spread to England, and eventually to America and Asia by the 20th century. The modern game of Punto Banco, the most popular version of baccarat, has become prominent and is now found on most modern casino floors.

Rules of the Baccarat Casino Game

If you want to know how to play baccarat, you must first get a handle on the most basic rules of the game. In the following sections, we will explain the table layout, teach you how to bet, and what to expect from every round of Baccarat. 

Baccarat Table Layout

A typical online Baccarat table is split into a number of sections. In the middle of the screen, you will see the betting section. This section is split into the Player, Banker, and Tie slots, with additional betting slots available if side bets are available. These side bets can include Perfect Pairs, Super 6, and more.

On either side of the betting slots, you will see stats, as results of previous hands are displayed here, helping you decide on your next bet. In live dealer Baccarat versions, the actual table stream will be displayed above the betting section, with the dealer in the middle, a shoe filled with eight decks of cards on the left, and the space for the two hands reserved in the middle of the table. 

Who Plays in Baccarat?

The rules of Baccarat can be slightly confusing to new players, as the game refers to the two hands as “Player” and “Banker.” It is important to note that the game is not like blackjack where you against a dealer.

Player hand in baccarat does not belong to the player, and the Banker hand does not belong to the dealer. Instead, the dealer deals out both hands, and players can bet on either of them winning or the round ending in a draw.

How to Play Baccarat: Step by Step

Next, we will explain how to play Baccarat in detail, taking you through every step of a typical hand of Baccarat. From the moment you launch one of our Baccarat tables, each round of the game will follow the following steps:

Step 1: Choose Your Bet

Much like in Roulette, a round of Baccarat starts with betting. Choose a chip value you would like to play with, and click on the Player, Banker, or Tie slots to place your bets. The table minimum and maximum bet will usually be displayed in the top left corner for your information. Once you have placed your bets, the round will start.

Step 2: Cards are Dealt

Two cards are dealt to both the Player and the Banker. In live dealer games, the dealer performs the deal, while the cards are generated by an RNG in the virtual versions. Both hands will be revealed and compared.

Step 3: Drawing Rules Determine a Third Card

The Player and Banker totals determine if a third card is drawn. These rules are set in stone, and you can learn more about them in the section on third-card drawing rules below. The key thing to know is that the third card is never dealt to a hand that has a total of 7 or higher.

Step 4: Hand Totals Compared & Payouts

After all the dealing is done, the two hands are compared, and the players who bet on the winning hand get paid. If you bet on Player, you will be paid at even money. If you bet on Banker, you will be paid at even money, minus a 5% commission (in most cases). If you bet on Tie and won, you will be paid 8:1 or 9:1, depending on house rules.

Baccarat Bets, Odds, and Payouts

The odds in baccarat are fairly even. Here is a quick look at the odds of winning on each side of your baccarat bet, the payouts you can expect, and the house edge:

Bet	Payout	Winning Odds	House Edge
Player	1:1	44.62%	1.24%
Banker	1:1 (-5% commission)	45.86%	1.06%
Tie	8:1 (common)	9.52%	14.36%
Tie	9:1 (some casinos)	9.52%	4.85%

Banker Bet

Statistically speaking, the Banker bet is the best bet in Baccarat. Despite most casinos charging a 5% commission on all winnings from the Banker bet, this bet produces a net result of -1.06% of your bets. This represents the lowest house edge you can have in Baccarat, and one of the lowest of any casino game. 

Player Bet

The Player bet is similar to the Banker bet, but slightly less likely to win. While the commission is not charged on Player wins, the lower chance of winning takes the house edge on this bet up to 1.24%, which is slightly higher than betting on the Banker. 

Tie Bet

By far the least favorable of the three Baccarat bets is the Tie. A Tie bet only wins 7.5% of the time, and pays 11:1, which equates to a house edge of 10.5% over the long run. Compared to the low house edge you can expect when betting on the Player or the Banker, the Tie bet produces almost ten times higher long-term losses. For this reason, Baccarat players usually avoid betting on Ties altogether. 

Common Side Bets

Different versions of Baccarat often come with side betting options. One of the most common side bets is the Player Pair or Banker Pair, which pays 11:1 if the hand you bet on contains a pair. Other common side bets include Perfect Pairs, Big/Small, and Super 6. These bets have a very high house edge and are not favorable for the players. 

Commission vs. No Commission Bets

As previously mentioned, Banker bet wins usually come with a 5% commission paid to the house, while there are no commissions charged for Player or Tie wins. No Commission Baccarat versions also exist, in which Banker wins are paid at even money, but Banker wins with a total of 6 are paid at 0.5:1 instead of even money. 

What is a Natural in Baccarat?

A natural in Baccarat represents a total of 8 or 9 dealt on the first two cards. If one of the hands has a natural, and the other does not, the round ends and the natural wins. If both hands have a natural, but one is higher (9 vs 8), the higher natural wins. If both hands have the same natural, the hand is a Tie. 

Baccarat Third-Card Drawing Rules

If the Player’s total is five or lower, a third card is drawn for the Player. The new total is recalculated, with only the last digit counting (for example, 5 + 6 + 7 = 18; 8 is the new total).

The Banker’s action then depends on both the Banker’s total and, if applicable, the Player’s third card. These rules are summarized in the Banker drawing table below.

Banker Total	Player’s Third Card	Banker Must
0 – 2	Any	Draw
3	Any except 8	Draw
4	2 – 7	Draw
5	4 – 7	Draw
6	6 or 7	Draw
7	Any	Stand
8	Any	Stand
9	Any	Stand

Online vs. Live Baccarat Compared

While the basic rules of Baccarat are mostly the same in online and live casinos, there are some key differences to note. The first one is in the speed of play, which tends to be much higher at online tables. Live Baccarat players are famous for “peeling” cards, which is a technique of looking at cards at a very slow pace and in a way that makes for maximum suspense. In online Baccarat, on the other hand, the cards are revealed quickly, and hands finish much faster. 

The social element of Baccarat is also hard to replicate in an online setting. While live Baccarat players are used to heavy interaction at the tables, online players usually don’t have a chance to interact with each other at all. The live dealer versions of Baccarat replicate some of the social elements of the live game, as they include a chat feature and even the potential to squeeze cards at a slower pace. 

Here is a quick comparison of online and live Baccarat games and their key elements:

	Online Baccarat	Live Baccarat
Pace	Very fast	Much slower
Minimum Bets	As low as $0.10 per hand	Often $25 per hand
Table Talk	Limited to none	Lots of table talk
Card Squeezing	Automatic	Manual
Availability	Available anywhere via mobile	Available only in casinos
Fairness	Guaranteed by RNG	Guaranteed by live dealers

Popular Baccarat Game Variations

We have covered the basic rules of Baccarat, but it’s worth noting that there are different versions of the game available out there. Here is a look at a few popular Baccarat games that you can find at CoinPoker. 

Baccarat Pairs VIP

Baccarat Pairs VIP is a simple RNG-powered Baccarat game where you can bet anywhere between $5 and $350 per hand. Typical rules apply for the Player, Banker, and Tie bets, while additional Pairs bets pay 8:1 anytime a pair is dealt with the initial two cards. This game allows you to play at your own pace in a calming setting of a virtual casino lounge. 

Super 8 Baccarat

A popular live dealer Baccarat version from Pragmatic Play, Super 8 Baccarat follows the basic rules of the game for the most part. Tie bets are paid at 8:1, and side bets like Player Super Pair and Banker Super Pair are available, along with the Super 8 side bet, which pays up to 6:1 anytime a natural 8 is dealt. 

XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat

This exciting live Baccarat version is a product of the Evolution studio. Unlike normal Baccarat, this game awards multipliers of up to 1,000:1 for Player and Banker bets that win while holding specific, randomly selected cards. Each new hand of XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat is a new opportunity for a big win, and fast gameplay and high volatility are the name of the game. 

Golden Wealth Baccarat

Another exciting Baccarat game from Evolution, Golden Wealth Baccarat invokes the charms of the Far East to create a thrilling gameplay experience. In each round, five Golden Cards are selected and awarded multipliers between 2x and 8x. This makes for endless opportunities, as winning hands get extra value each time a Golden Card is involved in the combination. 

Baccarat Strategy

Now that you know how to play Baccarat, it’s time to discuss some basic strategy. You can learn more about Baccarat strategy in our detailed guide on the topic, but the strategies introduced here are enough to get you started and give you a good chance at winning in your first Baccarat session. 

Bet on the Banker

The best strategy you can stick to in Baccarat is to always bet on the Banker. This bet comes with a house edge of just 1.06%, which means almost 99% of all the bets you make come back to you in the long run. This maximizes your short-term chances of having a good run, and saves you money in the long term. 

Avoid Betting on Ties or Side Bets

While switching between Player and Banker bets based on “hunches” can be justified to some degree, betting on Ties or Side Bets is never a good strategy. These bets come with a house edge 10 times higher than that of Player and Banker bets, making them highly unfavorable to you. The next time you sit down at the Baccarat table, pretend like the Player and Banker betting slots are the only ones available. 

Don’t Follow Streaks

Following “streaks” is one of the most flawed strategies some Baccarat players like to employ. This strategy involves tracking the results of previous hands and placing bets based on these results. For example, a player may bet on a Tie because there hasn’t been one for ten hands. Forget about streaks and stick to a good basic betting pattern to give yourself the best chances. 

Master Baccarat with CoinPoker

Are you ready to put your new Baccarat skills to the test? Join CoinPoker Casino today, claim our lucrative150% deposit bonus, and pick a Baccarat table to get started. Whether you prefer an RNG-powered Baccarat game or a live dealer table, there’s a table with your name on it at CoinPoker. 

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• How to Play Jacks or Better: Explore the world’s most popular video poker game, and get even higher RTP rates than you can in Baccarat. 

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