Baccarat may instantly be associated with the fabulously famous fictional spy, James Bond but it’s the game of choice of high rollers. It is also a firm favorite of players at Stakes Casino who are astute enough to bet on the Banker.
The Simple Comparative Card Game
As a comparative casino card game, baccarat is simplicity at its best. It is a table game in terms of layout but other than that it happens to be a bit of an anomaly. Along with its closet cousin roulette, baccarat is a pure game of fortune. That essentially means there is no strategy that you can employ to influence the outcome of the game.
All that is required to win money playing baccarat at Juicy Stakes Casino is a smattering of knowledge and that elusive element referred to as luck! If you want to play baccarat like a pro, keep reading as there’s a mine of useful information here…
The Rules of Baccarat
Before we get into the tiny triumpherate of bets that form the backbone of the game, here is a quick refresher course on the rules of baccarat. The objective when you play baccarat at Stakes Casino is to bet on one of two hands - the Banker or the Player - that you think will have a collective value of 9 or, as they say in tight baccarat circles, a ‘natural’. You also have the option of betting on the so-called Tie Bet.
Once you have placed your chips on the layout, two cards are dealt to the Banker and Player positions on the table. If the value of either or both the hands is 5 or less, a third card is dealt. Hands of 6 or 7 automatically stand and 8 or 9 is considered a natural. The software then weighs up the hand values to determine the winner - Banker, Player or Tie.
Calculating the Hand Values in Baccarat
In this casino game aces count as 1; 10 and face cards as 0 and 2 to 9 reflect their face value. As a result, the highest possible score is 9. Many new players initially find the scoring aspect of baccarat the most difficult to master. If you have found scoring a challenge, the easiest way to calculate the hand value is to add the first two cards you are dealt together.
When the total exceeds 9, simply subtract 10 and you will have the correct baccarat score - and one that hopefully pays off for you at Stakes Casino. Here are a few examples. If you are dealt 4 and 7, the total is 11 minus 10 to give you a grand total of 1. Similarly, 8 plus 6 totals 4 (14 minus 10) and so on.
How to Gauge the Best Baccarat Bet at Stakes Casino
Now to the betting options and why you should always bet on the Banker. As we have already mentioned there are three available bets - the Banker bet, the Player bet and the Tie bet. How do you gauge the best bet in baccarat? By looking at the odds, probability and advantage to the house.
When it comes to the odds the Player bet pays out at 1:1 and the Banker bet at 2:1 but there is a 5% commission charged on the winnings of the Banker bet. The Tie bet has comparatively sumptuous odds of 8:1. Although it may seem like a no-brainer to bet on the Tie, nothing could be further from the truth.
Why? The odds are a reflection of probability or the theoretical chance of that particular outcome actually happening. You may be able to hit the big baccarat bucks when you bet on the Tie at Juicy Stakes Casino but the likelihood of matching hand totals cropping up is nominal at best!
Baccarat Bets - House Edge and Average Payout Rate
Another key factor when weighing up the betting options in baccarat is the built-in advantage to the house. Each bet has its own unique edge and by association average payout rate. Baccarat pros always base their betting activity on the edge and you would be well advised to follow suit. What is the house edge for the respective baccarat bets at Juicy Stakes Casino? Here is a comparison of the edge and average payout rate ascribed to each bet:
| House Edge | Payout Rate |
Banker Bet | 1.06% | 98.94% |
Player Bet | 1.24% | 98.76% |
Tie Bet | 14.36% | 85.64% |
What do these statistics reveal? The Banker bet is the best bet in terms of the theoretical payout rate. However, when you add the 5% commission into the equation, there is very little difference between the Banker and Player bets. That of course means you can mix things up a bit and bet on the Player every once in a while, especially when you have a gut feeling the hand will win!
The Tie bet on the other hand should be avoided at all costs. If you bear these facts and figures in mind there is a better than average chance you will win a few dollars here and there playing baccarat at Juicy Stakes Casino!
Sign Up and Play Baccarat Pro Right Now at Juicy Stakes Casino!
Why not sign up at Stakes Casino and scroll through the casino games listed under the Tangente tab? You will find Baccarat Pro along with a host of other superhot table games, video poker variants and money wheel games that are yours for the taking!
