How to play Baccarat
About Baccarat
Baccarat is often thought of as a glamorous game, with high limits.
Its current image as “The Game of Kings” can be traced back to its origins to 17th and 18th century Europe, France and Italy in particular. It was a game favoured by the learned minds of the day including aristocracy and royalty.
As the popularity of the game spread it gradually lost its elitist image. Today, Baccarat is more James Bond than kings of old - the game is the casino game of choice for the enigmatic 007.
The object of playing Baccarat is to choose which side (the player, the tie or the banker) will finish closest to nine after all cards on the table have been dealt.
Play Online Baccarat
By playing Baccarat with us you’ll get to experience the thrill of live gaming, without having to visit a casino. In fact, we bring the casino to you! From our tables to the way we take bets, our whole gaming experience is as close to a live casino as you will find anywhere online.
Baccarat is played on a slightly smaller table than some of the other widely known casino games. The table layout is straightforward, with areas for backing the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand and/or a Tie.
There are only two hands in Baccarat - the Player’s and the Banker’s. There are no individual hands for the players, instead these ‘community hands’ are the focus for ALL the players. You don’t play against the other players, you are simply betting against the cards.
Baccarat rules are straightforward. Our game is played with 6 full decks of cards, shuffled by a Dealer, cut by a Player and placed in a “Shoe”, from which the cards are dealt.
Baccarat: Rules
In Baccarat, the highest hand count possible is nine. All face cards and 10s have no value. Cards less than 10 are counted at face value, Aces are worth 1. Suits don't matter. Only single digit values are valid. Any count that reaches a double digit drops the left digit. 15 is counted as 5 and 25 is also counted as 5.
To start, the players bet either on Banco or Punto or Standoff. The card dealer gives two cards each; first to the player and then the banker. The object of the game and Baccarat strategy revolves around betting on the hand that you think will have the highest total value.
A third card may be dealt to either or both the player (Punto) and the bank (Banco) based on the drawing rules detailed in this table.
Baccarat: Strategy
Baccarat is a game of chance rather than skill. With Baccarat it is difficult to determine a set strategy that can be used. The game doesn’t allow for rounds to be dependent on each other and the number of decks in a shoe varies meaning the chance of winning is the same with every hand dealt.
Each round has a 50% chance of the player winning.
Short term mathematical systems like the Martingale Thought System, where you double your bet each time you make a loss, are not recommended. Using common sense in Baccarat is the only way to win.
However, having fun is the most important part of the game!
Loading the Game
To play Baccarat, simply register a unique user name and password. You can then login to start playing online.
Once you’ve clicked on the login icon you will be taken to a separate screen containing your current account information. On the left hand side of this screen you will see a Play Now icon.
Clicking here will take you to our unique Games Lobby where you can select play Live Baccarat from the Live Casino Games section, or if you prefer, Auto Baccarat from the Table & Cards section.
After clicking on the link, the Baccarat window will pop up showing a progress bar. When this hits 100%, you’re good to go.