Baccarat is a game that requires very little knowledge on the part of the player, which makes it highly attractive; however, the simplicity in the play of the game leaves little for a strategy to work with in terms of creating a reality where you can manipulate a positive outcome. Thus when it comes to Baccarat strategy there are certainly some guidelines that should be followed but in terms of a comprehensive baccarat strategy, you will not find one.
Understanding The Odds
Of course, as with any game, knowing the game is an essential part of winning the game, and with baccarat, the most important element of the game to know is what bets win what. As you know, there are 3 options for bets in a baccarat game, betting with the bank, betting with the player, and betting on a tie. The odds for the banker and the dealer are very close, however, the house advantage on the banker bet is usually around .2 % better than the house advantage on the player bet, thus the bank bet is usually the best way to go. Where the big difference comes however is between the bank or player bet and the tie bet. The tie bet in baccarat is notoriously one of the worst bets you can make in the whole of the gambling world. Whilst you can win a 9:1 payout on a tie win, the house advantage on that bet is a whopping, 14%-15%. Thus, for a basic baccarat strategy; never bet on the tie, sometimes bet on the player, and often bet on the bank. If you follow this general rule, you will be able to take advantage of some of the best odds offered by any gambling game in existence.
Baccarat Set Up
Another area in which knowing the game is very important is in the area of the game setup. Baccarat can come in several different forms, and knowing what to look for can help you win. The two most important things to look for vis-à-vis the game setup are the number of decks in use, and the commission taken by the casino. In both of these cases the lower the number the better, especially when implementing any baccarat strategy. For the most part, you won’t find a casino that takes less than 4% commission, but if you can find one that takes between 5% and 4% this is a good place to play. Furthermore, a 6 deck game will usually be better than a higher deck number game, and thus especially as a beginner, this type of game should be opted for.