Five Smart Tips for Winning at Baccarat

Key components to developing a winning baccarat strategy.

The most common means of winning at baccarat, found in every strategic tutorial on the world wide web, is to simply bet on the banker – always. Yes, the house edge is a bit lower on this bet. It’s not a bad tactic. But for those who say the Banker bet is the only key component to increasing your odds of winning, I say ‘Nay!‘

Key Components to a Winning Baccarat Strategy

Besides the ‘always bet on Banker’ decree, there are actually five things you can do as a player to reduce the casino’s odds, minimize your losses, and maximize your return. After all, these are the primary goals of any good gambling strategy. So without further ado, here they are…

#1 Look for Minimum Commission

The Banker bet has the highest odds of winning, but you’ll have to pay a commission to the casino each time you win this bet. That’s because the Banker has a slight advantage over the player at all times; as mandated by the house hand-setting rules. So wouldn’t it make sense that you would stand to win more if you had to pay in less with each correct Banker bet?

The standard commission is 5%. You’ll find this at almost every online casino, and the majority of land-based casinos as well. However, some tables do offer a slightly smaller 4% commission. Over time, that extra 1% in your bankroll adds up. Be warned though – as nice at it may sound, you’ll want to…

#2 Avoid Commission Free Baccarat

These games have slightly different rules that, despite the more frequent wins, actually result in a worse house edge on Banker bets. The usual alteration is that Banker bets that win with a total of 6 only pay 1-to-2, or half your bet amount. As insignificant as this sounds, it actually boosts the house edge from 1.06% to 1.46%. No, thank you!

#3 No Tie Bets!

No matter how tempting it might be, do not ever waste your money on a Tie bet. The probability of a tie occurring is 9.53%, or about 1 in 10 hands. The payout is only 8 to 1. Throw all the numbers in a blender, and you get a house edge of 14.36%. Ouch!

#4 Betting with Patterns

Some players are adamant that winning hands tend to occur in clumps. It is said that if you keep track of previous hands, you can find patterns, and that if you bet with the patterns, your odds of winning can increase. Is this true? Math says no, and my domineering logic wants to agree. Nonetheless, countless winning baccarat players swear by it.

#5 Smart Money Management

Proper bankroll management is a crucial factor in every winning baccarat strategy—any casino game strategy at all, for that matter. Don’t get in over your head. If you’re still new to the game, stick to low stakes. Most important of all, know that it’s time to walk away once you’ve made a decent profit. If you’re on a hot streak, it’s better to take the cash and enjoy it, than to wait for the inevitably bitter cold to set in.