How to Play Baccarat – Rules, Strategy, and Crypto Games

Baccarat has been around in one form or another since it was invented in the 1800s in France. Now, thanks to modern blockchain technology, players can enjoy crypto baccarat in a convenient blend of old and new.

You will find many variations of this classic card game, ranging from the standard version to titles offering increased prizes through random multipliers. Before you shuffle up and deal, browse this article to ensure that you understand how to play, what bets you can place, what the odds of winning are, and lots more.

Is baccarat easy to learn?

When you’re just getting started learning how to play baccarat online casino games, you might be a bit intimidated at first. Rest assured; this is unnecessary. The game is quite simple and is among the easier casino games to understand. By the end of this article, you’ll know everything you need to know. Then, you can head off and try some baccarat games in demo mode and play for free. It’s a no risk way to learn the game.

In just a few minutes of play, you’ll have the basics down pat.

How is the game baccarat played? Learning baccarat rules

Baccarat card rules are fairly straightforward. The main decision in the game is to bet on whether the player’s or the banker’s hand will be closer to 9. Whichever is closer is the winner.  Of course, there’s more to it than that, but this is the basic choice for you to make.

It would be a lot more easier to learn the rules by seeing a video – check out the How to Play Baccarat video from mBitcasino!

Note: Players are not in charge of the “player” hand. Both the player’s hand and the banker’s hand are automatically dealt according to established rules.

What are the basic rules of baccarat?

Card values

• Aces are worth 1 point.
• 2-9 are worth their face value.
• 10s and face cards (e.g. Jacks, Queens, Kings) are worth 0 points.

Tallying a hand

• If a hand total is a single digit number, that is the hand value. That is, a 4 and a 5 give a hand a total of 9.
• If a hand total is a double-digit number, you only read the second digit in the “ones” place. A 5 and a jack make 15, which is a baccarat hand with a value of 5.

Dealing cards in baccarat

1. The player and banker each get two cards.
2. If either the player or banker has a total of 8 or 9, it is called a “natural” and no more cards are drawn.
3. If the player’s hand total is 5 or less, the player draws a third card.
4. The banker’s decision to draw a third card depends on the player’s third card and the banker’s total. These rules get complicated, so let’s put them in their own section.

The banker’s third card

Baccarat dealer rules regarding the banker are hard to remember. Here’s a baccarat rules chart that shows how it works.

• Banker total 2: banker draws a card.
• Banker total 3: banker draws a card unless the player’s third card is an 8.
• Banker total 4: banker draws a card if the player’s third card is 2-7.
• Banker total 5: banker draws a card if the player’s third card is 4-7.
• Banker total 6: banker draws a card if the player’s third card is 6-7.
• Banker total 7: banker stands.

Betting and payouts

• The player bet pays 1:1 (i.e. if you bet $1, you get $1 in winnings).
• The banker bet pays 1:1, minus a small commission (often about 5%).
• The tie bet typically pays 8:1 or 9:1. If hands are tied, bets on the player or banker are returned.

Check out any of our baccarat how to play resources if you’re still confused about the rules of the game.

House edge in baccarat

The house edge for the banker bet is around 1.06%. For the player bet, it’s around 1.24%. The tie has a high house edge of 14.36%.

How does baccarat work?

If you know how to play baccarat casino game versions already, you know how to play crypto baccarat too. The main difference between traditional online casinos and a crypto site like mBit Casino is the source of funds for player accounts. Traditional operators take in transfers from bank accounts and credit cards, which can be quite challenging and slow due to numerous regulations. As a result, many modern players opt to purchase cryptocurrency and deposit that into their casino player account instead.

This offers a number of advantages. The first is speed of transactions, which often take place in minutes, not hours and days. They offer a far more reliable method of transfer as well because traditional payment networks often cannot approve such transactions. Crypto transfers can be done securely and anonymously (i.e. at mBit Casino, players can register their account using just a verified email). When you add in generous crypto bonuses like deposit matches and free spins on slots, the advantages of crypto baccarat become quite clear.

So, how does baccarat work when you’re playing with crypto? The steps are simple:

1. Register your casino site account.
2. Create a digital wallet.
3. Convert some traditional currency to a crypto coin of your choosing, like Bitcoin. At mBit Casino, you can also use a variety of other supported coins like Litecoin, Ethereum, and even Doge.
4. Transfer crypto to your casino account.
5. Play a baccarat variation of your choosing.

Are there any baccarat strategies that work?

Wondering how to play baccarat and win? The good news is, you don’t have to work very hard to learn complicated strategies (as with poker or blackjack) because there aren’t any. Baccarat is based on random chance and the way cards are dealt is controlled entirely by the rules described in the section above. There’s no baccarat strategy that will influence your chance of winning. In fact, there are no decisions to make during play. You place your bet and then play occurs without further choices by the gambler.

There are, however, some betting system strategies (e.g. the Martingale or d’Alembert) that people use in order to manage their bankroll and the sequence of wins and losses. Using those strategies, it is possible to have a plan in place to recoup any lost wagers and bank profits as they accumulate. That said, these systems will not optimize your chances of winning in any particular round of play.

Baccarat variations

Smooth running versions of baccarat have been developed by leading casino game makers like Betsoft, KA Gaming, and Platipus. These games feature classy green felt tables, light music, and even talking dealer lines. There are, however, versions of crypto baccarat that offer some changes to the game.

One example is Baccarat PRO. This game spices things up with a number of side bets. Four of them are pairs bets, including player pair, banker pair, either pair and perfect pair (matching suits). There are also bets called “big” and “small.” The small bet wins if only 4 cards are dealt in the round. The big bet wins if the total cards dealt are 5 or more.

Another variation is meant for people who like to play on the go. Baccarat Mini is a mobile-optimized version of the game that runs quite well on the small screen.

Live dealer baccarat – a lifelike casino experience

Many of the roughly 60 versions of baccarat available at mBit Casino are live dealer games. These games are streamed live from a gaming studio facility with real human dealers. You still play online, but after you click to make your wagers, a dealer will play out the hand in real-time. Your winnings/losses will automatically update as if you were playing an electronic version of the game.

All the while, the dealer will be hosting the game and chatting it up with you and your fellow players. If a chat window is available, you can keep it social and join in the discussion with the others. It’s a great way to blend the feel of a night out at the casino with the convenience of online gaming.

Baccarat history – a game for the ages

Baccarat traces its origins back to France in the 1800s. The game is believed to have evolved from a combination of Italian and French versions, eventually taking on a distinct form in French casinos.

One of the earliest and most prominent versions was called “Chemin de Fer,” meaning “railway.” This is a variation where players bet against each other, with one player acting as the banker.

Another notable version, “Punto Banco,” emerged later and became particularly popular in the Americas. Unlike Chemin de Fer, Punto Banco involves players betting against the house rather than each other. In this version, “Punto” refers to the player, and “Banco” refers to the banker, with the game relying more heavily on chance than on player strategy.

Today, baccarat remains a staple in casinos worldwide, known for its elegance and high-stakes excitement. This is perhaps due in part to the “James Bond” effect, where famous James Bond baccarat scenes from films like Dr. No and GoldenEye have been etched into our memories.

Believe it or not, by some measures, baccarat is the most popular casino game in the world.

Give it a shot

If you’re feeling comfortable with the concepts, you can try baccarat at mBitcasino!