The Ultimate Guide to Online Baccarat in 2023

The story of baccarat began, as many great things do, in Italy. The Italian gaming scene of the 14^th century gave birth to a game that had no name. Punters had to come up with a title for this new gaming sensation, and their thoughts immediately went to the word "baccara", which means zero. This was in reference to the face value of tens and face cards, which are worth zero in baccarat.

Italy could not contain baccarat for long, as it crossed the border and appeared in France in the 15^th century. There, it became insanely popular among French nobility, especially King Charles VIII and King Louis XIV.

France gave baccarat some of the zest that we are now used to, namely the variants Chemin de Fer and Baccarat en Banque. These variants involve slight rule and card dealing deviations, which became an instant hit with punters.

Baccarat eventually overstayed its welcome in France, and it had to seek new accommodation in England and the United States. It appeared on British and American shores in the 19^th century, with American casinos running a simplified version called Punto Banco.

As online casinos entered the world stage, baccarat became one of the most popular casino games around. It is played by countless punters from all over the world on a daily basis, with the most popular variants including Punto Banco, Mini-Baccarat, and Chemin de Fer. It has also obtained an enviable reputation among high rollers and elite punters, such as James Bond. The latter's affiliation comes courtesy of the film "Casino Royale".

However, the story of baccarat does not end there. After its resounding success on mobile platforms, it now seeks to conquer the VR and AR worlds. The future of baccarat is incredibly bright and we believe that you ought to partake in it.

Baccarat is an amazing mix of Romanesque and Anglo-Saxon culture, with each stage of its history leaving permanent marks on the gameplay and terminology. A crucial aspect of having the best possible baccarat gaming experience is knowing the most popular terms, which include:

• Baccarat - The name of the game is, oddly enough, also the name of the worst possible hand. It is valued at zero points, and it also refers to the value of face or ten-value cards.
• Mini Baccarat - This is a simplified and fast-paced version of conventional baccarat. It typically uses a smaller table than traditional baccarat.
• Banker - One of the two leading betting options in baccarat and the person whose hand players need to beat. The banker is not necessarily a representation of the house, as punters can beat on him. Note that payouts of 1:1 also come with a commission.
• Player - The other main betting option in baccarat, whose success depends on how his cards fair against the banker's hand. The payout has a cool 1:1 ratio.
• Coup - A single round or hand of baccarat that is comprised of dealing cards, determining a winner, and paying out winnings.
• Dealer - The dealer is the person responsible for dealing cards to the player and banker. Dealers have to follow specific rules, with these being predetermined.
• Natural - A two-card hand that amounts to 8 or 9 points. Naturals tend to automatically win, which means that no additional cards have to be drawn.
• Run - A series of consecutive wins by either the player or the banker. Some strategies are based on runs, particularly the idea that winning streaks will continue.
• Standoff - Sometimes referred to as a tie or a push, it is a situation in which both the player and banker's hands have the same total points at the end of a coup. Neither side wins, and bets are returned to participants.
• Tie - This can be a wager that puts its money on a standoff between the Banker and the Player. The house edge is huge, at 15%, but the payout of 8:1 matches it nicely.

The overall objective in a game of baccarat is simple. The banker and the player want to get as close to 9 points as possible. While the gameplay is very similar to blackjack, there are some rules and mechanics that need to be analyzed separately. Check out the following breakdown of baccarat rules and gameplay to learn more:

• Card Values - Baccarat has exciting card values, with Aces being worth 1 point, numbered cards from 2 to 9 being worth their face value, and face cards, so 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings, being worth 0 points.
• Dealing - Your normal game of baccarat consists of multiple decks. The hands that the player and the banker receive are drawn from said decks.
• Initial Dealing - The player and the banker are given two cards each at the start. If either one has 8 or 9 points, their hand is considered a “natural” and the round is over.
• Drawing Additional Cards - If a "natural" does not appear, additional cards are drawn. These follow very specific rules, which go as follows. If the player's total is between 0 and 5 points, a third card is drawn. If the player's total is 6 or 7 points, they stand, which means that a third card is not drawn. If the player stands, the banker follows certain rules that determine whether he draws a third card. Note that the exact rules depend on the baccarat variant at hand.
• Winning - The winner is determined based on their proximity to 9 points.
• Betting - Betting on the player gives you a payout of 1:1, betting on the banker amounts to 1:1 with a typical 5% commission, and betting on a tie can result in 8:1 or 9:1 odds. You might also encounter side bets, which have to be evaluated on a game-to-game basis.
• Card Counting - You will be surprised to learn that card counting is completely legal and not penalized at all. However, the addition of multiple decks and electronic shuffling makes card counting practically impossible.

Punters always want to break a casino game with the use of a clever strategy or system. Your typical go-to is infamous card counting, which is actually not illegal. However, there are other online baccarat strategies that you should know about. The latter include:

• Martingale System - This infamous betting strategy involves starting with a small bet and doubling it after each loss. The idea is that you eventually recover previous losses with a solid win. Note that a long losing streak can destroy your bankroll.
• Paroli System - Occasionally referred to as the "Anti-Martingale" system, it involves doubling your bet after each win. It aims to maximize winning streaks, which can end horribly as waves of good luck rarely last long.
• Fibonacci Betting System - This system uses the Fibonacci sequence to determine bet sizes. Each win has you move two steps back in the sequence and each loss has you move one step forward. The idea is that you recoup losses gradually and make a small profit along the way.
• Flat Betting - This is the most straightforward betting system, as all it requires is that you place the same bet regardless of previous outcomes. There is no aggression involved, and it may help you control losses.