Baccarat has long been a staple in Asian casinos, and now it’s more accessible than ever to American gamblers. With the game’s popularity booming, casinos may soon be adding tables to accommodate high-rollers ready to try their luck at the table that traces its roots back 500 years to medieval Italy. Two of its three available wagers—Banker and Player—have house edges among the lowest in casino games. The third, Tie, is more volatile and has a house edge over 14 percent.
A typical baccarat table has from seven to 14 seats for players and a dealer area. Each hand is dealt two cards—visible to all players—face up. A player can choose to bet on either the Player or Banker hand, and the goal is to guess which one will total closer to nine. All cards count, except aces, which are worth zero. Unlike poker and blackjack, in which the player’s own cards can affect their odds of winning or losing, the Player’s and Banker’s hands are dealt independently of each other.
The simplest baccarat strategy is to make consistent bets on the Player or Banker, managing your bankroll conservatively in the process. Many baccarat players also employ so-called road maps—scoreboards that track previous results to spot patterns and hot or cold streaks. These strategies can help players limit their losses and maximize their wins, but they are no substitute for solid money management skills.
Baccarat is a very popular game for high rollers, and the reasons are simple: It offers fast action and an opportunity to win big. Most serious gamblers stick to the Player or Banker bets, which have a low house edge of 1.06 and 1.2 percent respectively. A third bet, Tie, pays eight to one but has a much higher house edge over 14 percent.
Many baccarat enthusiasts are superstitious, and they believe that the winning hands come in streaks. They keep track of the winning hands on paper score cards at each table, and they follow their favorites in the hopes that the trend will continue. Some even go so far as to change the number of spots on their baccarat game table to reflect their personal lucky numbers, such as removing “4” and 14.
Other gamblers rely on hunches or trends when betting. An expert baccarat player I know named Francois is a good example. He has a definite strategy for the game that he refuses to share publicly, but I’ve seen him play enough to be convinced it works. He knows that he’s playing against the house edge, but he’s still making big bets on hunches he thinks will pay off. I admire his courage and discipline. The best way to win at baccarat is to learn how to manage your bankroll and avoid chasing losses, but don’t be afraid to take risks from time to time. Just don’t expect to walk away with millions in your pockets.