Baccarat (correctly pronounced "BAH-kah-rah") has
long been a favorite card game of high rollers, but
even many more budgeted players as well! The rules
are incredibly simple and can be mastered in a few
minutes. The object of baccarat is to correctly
predict whether the banker's hand will win, the
player's hand will win, or the game will result in a
tie.
The value of a hand is determined by adding
the values of its individual cards. Tens and face
cards count as zero, while all other cards count as
their numerical value. After summing the total, only
the last digit is used. Therefore, baccarat hands
all have values from 0 to 9. The hand with the
higher value wins. If the hands have the same value,
the game results in a tie. Initially, both the
banker and the player are dealt two cards. If the
two initial cards total 8 or 9, the hand is called a
"natural", and the game will end at that point.
Otherwise, standard Baccarat "third card rules"
(that Gold Club players need not remember) determine
if a hand should receive a third and final card.
Winning bets on the player's hand are paid at 1:1
odds. A 5% commission is charged on winnings as a
result of a bet on the banker, making the net odds
on banker bets 0.95 to 1. A winning wager on a tie
bet is paid at 8:1odds. If the game does result in a
tie, bets on the banker or player are returned.
If you have an abundance of pure luck, then
Baccarat is your game. Baccarat is played using a
fixed set of rules for the player and the dealer.
Calculations have been made that show the odds of
the player winning are 44.62%, losing 45.85%, and
tying 9.53%. Thus it would seem advantageous to bet
on the house winning virtually every hand.
To even out the odds, the house charges a
commission (usually 5%) on winning bets placed on
the house. How should this change the way a player
wagers?
Factoring in the commission, you are still
slightly better off betting that the house will win.
This assumes the commission is the usual 5%.
However, should the commission change then you have
to adapt your strategy. If the commission is less
than 5% then it is always advantageous to bet on the
house, while if the commission is more than 5% it
pays to bet on the player winning.
Removing the tie hands in the event there is no
payoff, the odds of the player winning are 49.32%
and for losing 50.68%. For various commissions we
can calculate the following average payoffs then,
assuming 100 wagers of $1 were made.
|
4% Commission |
Betting on the player |
Betting with the house |
|
Winning |
$49.32 |
$50.68 * 96% |
$48.65 |
|
Losing |
$50.68 |
|
$49.32 |
|
Difference |
-$1.36 |
|
$0.67 |
|
You lose less when betting with the
dealer. |
|
5% Commission |
Betting on the player |
Betting with the house |
|
Winning |
$49.32 |
$50.68 * 95% |
$48.15 |
|
Losing |
$50.68 |
|
$49.32 |
|
Difference |
-$1.36 |
|
-$1.17 |
|
You lose less when betting with the
dealer. |
|
6% Commission |
Betting on the player |
Betting with the house |
|
Winning |
$49.32 |
$50.68 * 94% |
$47.64 |
|
Losing |
$50.68 |
|
$49.32 |
|
Difference |
-$1.36 |
|
-$1.68 |
|
You lose less when betting with the
player. |
Baccarat sometimes allows for a
bet to be made for a tie, and sometimes doesn't
(mini Baccarat typically played online usually
does). Although the odds of 8 to 1 may sound
appealing, it is considered one of the worst wagers
in the casino, so don't bother making this bet part
of your baccarat strategy.
You can test out your Baccarat strategies right
now at Hotspot Casino. They offer a great version of
online Baccarat you can play for real money or just
for fun. They do allow tie bets and take a 5%
commission on banker bets, a great rendition of
Baccarat online.
