If you are ready to start playing baccarat online for free, or for actual cash, MrCasinova will show you where to invest your time and money. We have used our vast industry knowledge and have visited all new online casinos as real players, to review the sites, so you don’t have to.
You can find our selection of Baccarat online casinos below. Choose one you like, or play our free game to sharpen your skills before playing real money baccarat.
Best Blackjack Strategy
In the video below, our casino expert Kash Kingston explains how this strategy works and why it’s the best baccarat strategy.
MrCasinova’s list of the best online casinos for baccarat consists of options where you can play for free and for real money. To top our list, sites pass a rigorous review process and are approved for their strict licensing, security, regular audits, and use of renowned software and payment providers. We also judge their customer experience and last but not least, a variety of real money baccarat tables to join immediately. For those who are ready to start playing baccarat, head over to any of our recommended casino sites, otherwise keep reading for an exclusive guide on how to play.
How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is a sophisticated card game favoured by the likes of James Bond in Casino Royale, but don’t let that fool you, because it’s one of the simplest online casino games to play and it is ideal for beginners. It’s a casino game of luck, and while it requires little skill to play, it’s always advisable to have a strong understanding of the rules. Below you will find instructions on how to play a basic version of Baccarat which can also be applied to live online dealer games if you are craving a genuine casino experience.
➡️ The object of Baccarat is to bet on the hand that reaches the closest to 9. The face cards and the 10s count as zero (0), and Aces through 9 are taken at face value. Ex. Queen + 5 equals 5, or King + Ace equals 1. If the value of your hand goes over 9, the total gets reduced by 10. Ex. 6 + 6 = 12, so your total becomes 2. The highest hand in Baccarat is a 9 and is called a “natural”. Contrary to Blackjack, you cannot go bust in Baccarat, so don’t worry.
➡️ The Player and the Bank (also known as the dealer) are each dealt 2 cards face up from the shoe, which contains 6-8 decks. In real money baccarat, a 3rd card will be drawn to the Player if the hand is a 0 through 5, and if you have a 6 or 7 you will stand. Whoever has the hand that’s the closest to 9 wins.
Bank's Hand
Bank's Move
2 or less
Takes a third card
3
Takes a third card, unless the player's third card dealt was an 8
4
Take a third card, unless the player's third card dealt was a 0, 1, 8, or 9
5
Take a third card, unless the player's third card dealt was 4, 5, 6, or 7
6
Take a third card, unless the player's third card dealt was a 6 or 8
7
No third card is taken
Choose a Baccarat Game, Wager & Place your Bets
1️⃣ Decide whether you want to try playing baccarat for free or at a casino for real money. Then find a baccarat game from one of our preferred casino sites, most of which can be accessed directly through your browser, or on the device of your choice.
2️⃣ There are many live baccarat games that you can choose from, some free, and some of which enable you to play with low wagers. There are also high roller tables where you play Baccarat for the biggest stakes on the internet. All you need to do is chose a table based on your preferred buy-in from the casino lobby.
3️⃣ Typically, there are 3 betting options for baccarat and real money baccarat. You can choose to place your bet on the Player hand to win, the Banker hand, or that the two hands end in a Draw/ Tie. You can place your bets at the bottom on the screen before the dealer draws the cards.
Baccarat Betting and Payouts
When betting real money in Baccarat, there are three ways that you can bet, specifically, in favour of the Bank, the Player, or if the hands end in a Draw/Tie. Basically, you are deciding which hand you think will win.
💸 If you bet on the Player hand getting nearest to 9, and win – Player hand pays an instant payout of 1 to 1.
💸 A winning Banker hand pays 0.95 to 1 (1 to 1 minus the casino’s typical 5% commission).
💸 If you bet on the hands ending in a Draw/ Tie, the payout is 8 to 1, and since odds of winning are very low, it isn’t recommended.
What’s Next? Your winnings will be paid out at the end of each hand. If you are feeling lucky, you can choose to double your bet, repeat your original bet, or clear out and start over.
Top Tips to Improve your Online Baccarat Game
Practice for Free. Most casino sites will have play money baccarat games to try out so you can get comfortable with the layout and see how the game works.
Check out where the bets go, the various online statistics, and all the betting histories.
Check the odds, because not all baccarat tables offer the same odds.
Bet Smart. Statistically, betting on the banker is the best bet you can make.
Don’t look for patterns. Despite what you may observe as a winning streak, treat each hand uniquely.
Avoid temptation, and forget the Tie bet. The odds are enticing, but a tie bet is very rare and should be avoided.
Set limits that you are comfortable with. It’s easy to get carried away when playing online, so keep track of your bets, your wins, and obviously your losses.
Follow your instincts, have fun and play responsibly.
Best Baccarat Strategy
Baccarat is one of the best casino games for beginners as almost no strategic knowledge is needed. All you have to think about is placing your bets and the dealer will take care of the rest. When you play, you choose whether the player’s hand wins or the banker’s hand wins. Of course, you can also bet on a tie in baccarat, but you should never do that. The best thing about baccarat is the casino’s low house edge: 1.06% for Banker Hands, 1.24% for Player Hands and 14% for a Tie.
When it comes to strategies, there are a few different ones you can follow such as The Shoe, The Chop and Betting the Trend. They’re all perfectly fine systems, but our favourite strategy is The Fibonacci Mirror System.
Play Online Baccarat for Free
If you want to play online baccarat for free before having to deposit any real money on baccarat, you can play our free game below:
This is considered to be one of the easiest casino card games to learn for beginners. It is very similar to blackjack. Baccarat features a banker and a player, each dealt two cards.
💡 Do you need skill to play baccarat?
No, baccarat is based purely on luck. You just need to place a bet on either the player or the dealer hand. With every round you have a decent chance of winning.
💡 Which bet is the best?
A bet on either the player or the bank is most likely to win. Although a bet on the bank has a slight advantage over bets on the player, there is a commission that must be paid on winnings made from a bet on the bank.
💡 Can you count cards in baccarat?
Yes, this is possible however it is considered to be difficult and the advantage will only be gained towards the very end. When playing online, casinos will always use an RNG to randomly generate cards every time a hand is dealt, making card counting impossible.
💡 Can I play baccarat for free?
Yes. Most casino sites will give you the option to play a free version of the baccarat games offered. You can also play a free baccarat game on our site. Scroll above and click ‘Play Now’.
💡 Are there any online casinos that offer Baccarat bonuses?
Yes, there are some Baccarat casino bonuses available. In most cases, you have to make a deposit to get them.
About the author
Sarah Mae BezzinaContributorsarah@mrcasinova.com
With years of experience in the gambling industry, Sarah is knowledgeable in the field of the casino world. She is responsible for most of the content that is written on MrCasinova and her main goal is to provide casino players with the best information and recommendations to help users enhance their experience. Recently, Sarah graduated with a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing.
In the media:
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Receive latest offers, bonuses & much more in your inbox.
Subscribe
If you subscribe you confirm you are 18+ and you accept to receive marketing material.