There’s no such thing as a baccarat strategy that beats the house edge, but depending on which you choose, they can add a structure to your sessions, maximize winning streaks or minimize losses. What they won’t do is improve your odds of winning or guarantee profits over the long term.
Honestly, the best approach to playing is to flat bet on the banker, carefully manage your bankroll and to avoid the Tie bet at all costs.
Is There Actually a Winning Baccarat Strategy?
No Baccarat strategy can guarantee long-term profit. Even if it’s possible to hit winning streaks that could bring short-term gains, the house edge of baccarat will always put you at a mathematical disadvantage. At the end of the day, it is a game of chance, with every result independent from the last, so winning will usually come down to luck.
It’s easy to see the appeal of baccarat betting strategies and why so many players search for them, but the best strategy is actually quite simple and revolves around playing sensibly. Just make the right bets, set win and loss limits and avoid making the mistakes many others do, and your sessions will typically last longer to potentially bring in some profits.
The Best Bet in Baccarat
Although there’s not a whole lot between the Banker and Player bets, the best to make is on the Banker to win. It has the lowest house edge as it wins the most often on average.
| Bet | House Edge | Notes |
| Banker | 1.06% | There is a 5% commission on wins |
| Player | 1.24% | No commission but higher house edge |
| Tie | 14.4% | A high payout but the worst house edge |
Some players might avoid the Banker as there is a 5% commission payable whenever it wins. However, even with that taken into account, it is still the best baccarat bet mathematically. In most cases, you’ll still win more hands when betting on the banker than you would when not.
The Player bet is not a terrible bet to make either. It has a slightly higher house edge but is well worth using when you want to mix things up.
One bet you definitely want to ignore is the Tie bet. Its incredibly high house edge makes it one of the worst bets you can place across any online casino game. Even if it has not come in for a while, do not get tempted to use it.
Popular Baccarat Betting Strategies (And How They Really Work)
Even if they cannot change the odds of winning, there are several popular baccarat betting strategies that players use. They all require you to change your stake following specific results, with some designed to recover losses and others to maximize winning streaks.
Martingale Strategy
Easily the most popular baccarat betting strategy is the Martingale, which is a negative progressive system designed to recover losses. Following a loss, you continue to double your bet until a win comes in to cover the losses and bring a small overall win.
Here is how it might look over a handful of games:
- Bet $10 and lose
- Bet $20 and lose again
- Bet $40 and win
- Reset to bet $10 again
Now, while it seems a plausible strategy that should eventually put you up, there is an obvious flaw. The longer a losing streak goes on, the bigger the stakes needed to place each bet. Therefore, players can burn through their bankroll and no longer have enough to make the required stake. Furthermore, baccarat tables have maximum betting limits, so it’s possible the required stake could also exceed them.
Paroli Strategy
If you’re after a strategy with lower risk, the Paroli is about as good as it gets aside from flat betting. It does things the other way around to the Martingale, with you having to double your stakes after a win. The whole point is to benefit should you win a few hands in a row.
You can even reduce the risk further by putting a limit on how many times you double your bets. Most stick to three wins in a row before they reset back to the base bet amount.
For example:
- Bet $10 and win
- Bet $20 and win
- Bet $40 and win
- Reset back to $10
Fibonacci Strategy
Although not as popular as the other two, the Fibonacci is another strategy that some players use when playing baccarat. It is designed around the famous Fibonacci number sequence. We’d recommend this one for players who are looking for a strategy that is not as aggressive as the Martingale.
The sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and you move one step across it after a win and two steps back following a loss.
1-3-2-6 Strategy
The 1-3–2-6 strategy is another that requires increasing bets after a win. However, now you follow the sequence below:
- Bet 1 unit
- Bet 3 units
- Bet 2 units
- Bet 6 units
As soon as a loss occurs, you start again.
| System | Type | Bet Changes On | Risk | Beats House Edge? |
| Martingale | Negative progression | Loss | High | No |
| Paroli | Positive progression | Win | Low–Medium | No |
| Fibonacci | Negative progression | Loss | Medium | No |
| Labouchère | Negative progression | Win & Loss | Medium–High | No |
| 1-3-2-6 | Positive progression | Win | Low | No |
Baccarat Bankroll Management
As a player, the only thing you have full control over is how you manage your money. By implementing good bankroll management, you’ll generally last longer during sessions and will be less likely to make emotional bets.
- Only play with money you can afford to lose
- Set a session budget and stick to it
- Only bet between 1 and 5% of your stake
- Do not chase losses even if you experience a bad run
- Take regular breaks from the game to keep mental sharpness
If anything, following the above tips will serve you better than using any baccarat strategy. You’ll make your bankroll last longer and will not fall foul of bad betting habits.
Baccarat Tips & Tricks
There are no magic tips that can guarantee success on a baccarat table, but you can certainly increase your bankroll’s longevity by developing a few practical habits.
- Make sure you fully understand baccarat rules before playing
- Try to bet on the Banker more often than not
- Never bet on the Tie unless in very rare circumstances
- Remember there is a 5% commission on Banker wins
- Set a bankroll before you start and do not add to it
- Only play on tables with betting limits that suit your bankroll
- Practise in demo mode or at the lowest stakes possible
- Always have win and loss limits in place
Play Baccarat with Crypto at mBitCasino
Now that you have an idea of the most popular baccarat strategies but understand they’re no guarantee, you can put them into practice here at mBitcasino. We recommend testing them out at the lowest stakes or, ideally, using the free-to-play demos some software-based baccarat games have.
Simply create an account, deposit your preferred cryptocurrency, choose a table, and you can start to play baccarat with crypto. Just remember to gamble responsibly with money you can afford to lose.
Baccarat Strategy FAQ
What is the best baccarat strategy?
Honestly, the best strategy is just to flat bet on the Banker. As no strategy can beat the house edge, it’s safer to stick to one stake on the bet that mathematically wins more than any other.
How do you win at baccarat?
Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed strategy or formula you can use to win. Therefore, the smartest way to play is to bet on the banker at low stakes and stick to a budget.
What is the best betting strategy in baccarat?
None are guaranteed to work, so the best depends on what you’re looking for. The Martingale is good for loss recovery but also risky, and the Paroli is a good fit if you’re looking to maximize win streaks.
Should you always bet Banker?
Ideally, yes. It has the lowest house edge and wins more frequently than the Player and Tie bets. Just remember there is a 5% commission if you win from the bet.
Is baccarat 50/50?
No, as there are three different results that can occur. The Tie bet means the game can’t be 50/50, although tied hands are much rarer than Player or Banker wins.
Which is better between baccarat and blackjack?
Is baccarat better than blackjack? It depends. Baccarat will appeal to players who are looking for a simpler game, but in terms of house edge, blackjack is the better option.
