How to Play Baccarat Online in Simple Words
Most online baccarat games have the same basic rules and mechanics. You compete against the banker (dealer) to make the best hand, but you get to choose whether you want to bet on yourself, your opponent, or a tie. Once all the cards are in, the person with the highest score wins. That’s really all you need to know to play baccarat, yet check some additional rules and tricks below.
The Rules of Baccarat Online
Baccarat gambling is similar to other card games only in that you and the banker are competing to make the best hand. Anyway, unlike blackjack, the value of the cards is different in baccarat, creating the unique challenge that players love. Cards 2-9 are worth their face value (eg. 6 is worth 6).
- ✅ Ace is worth 1.
- ✅ 10 and face cards count as 0.
- ✅ Suits and colours don’t matter.
- ✅ Scores can’t go over 9, so if your hand adds up to 10 or more, drop the first digit.
The Third Card
Also unlike blackjack, players don’t have the ability to “hit” multiple times. Instead, a player or banker may receive a third (and final) card. There are some rules that prescribe whether this will happen.
- ✅ Both the player and banker stand when either has 8 or 9.
- ✅ The player stands on 6 or above and hits on 5 or below.
- ✅ Depending on the house rules, the banker will also stand on 5 or below.
The Different Bet Types Available in Online Baccarat
In every online baccarat game, you can place a range of different bet types. There are two main categories of wager:
- ✅ The main bets on whether you think the player or banker will win or whether there will be a tie.
- ✅ Side bets are wagers you place in addition to your main stake.
There are dozens of different options and their availability varies across different online casinos. The table below shows the three main baccarat bets, their odds, and the payout you receive if you pick correctly.
Bet type | Odds | Payout | House edge |
Player Bet | 45.86% | 1:1 | 1.36% |
Banker Bet | 44.62% | 1:1 | 1.06% |
Tie | 9.52% | 8:1 or 9:1 | 14.4% |
There are many side bets available when you play baccarat online, but look into some of the most common:
Side Bet | Explanation of bet | Payout | House edge |
Player Pair | The player’s first two cards make a pair | 11:1 | 11.25% |
Banker Pair | The banker’s first two cards make a pair | 11:1 | 11.25% |
Perfect Pair | The first two cards dealt to either the player or banker make a pair from the same suit (eg. two 5 of spades) | 25:1 | 17.07% |
Either Pair | First two cards dealt to either the player or banker make a pair (can be any suit) | 5:1 | 14.54% |
Big | The value of the cards dealt is 5 or 6 | 0.54:1 | 4.35% |
Small | The value of the cards dealt is 4 | 1.5:1 | 5.27% |
Take the Baccarat Slowly: In-Game Process Guide
The Best Online Baccarat Strategies Rated
Once you’ve mastered the basics of playing baccarat in online low wagering casinos, you might want to deep into some of the popular strategies. It’s important to know that these are not a guarantee of winning since baccarat is an ultimate game of chance. Yet, they can add structure to your game. Here are some of the most common ones.
1-3-2-4
The 1-3-2-4 strategy works by increasing the size of your wager almost every time you win, helping to stretch out your bankroll by insulating you from losses. The name comes from the fact that it prescribes the first four stakes in the sequence: $1, $3, $2, and $4.
One-Sided
The one-sided baccarat strategy is a simple one to use as it simply involves betting online on one side (either player or banker). It’s popular because it doesn’t require any mental arithmetic, just pick a side and back it all the way.
Paroli
The Paroli strategy is a positive progression system that sees your stake each time you win. You get to choose how much you increase by it, but the most common is to double the size of the stake.
Tips for Playing Online Baccarat for Real Money
Of course, when you play real money baccarat, you want to win. While we can’t give you a foolproof system that’ll get you a victory every time you play, there are some tips seasoned baccarat players stick to when they play.
Manage Your Bankroll
Baccarat is a fun game, so you’ll want to enjoy it. The best way to do this when you play baccarat online, as with any other casino game, is to follow the principles of bankroll management. This involves making smaller wagers rather than going all in on your first game.
Don’t Bet on Ties
Ties might offer a bigger payout than betting on the player or the banker, but the enormous 14.4% house edge makes it an incredibly unattractive option. Stay away from tie bets, it’s really that simple!
Back the Banker
On the flip side, betting on the banker offers you the lowest house edge. There’s not much difference between the 1.36% of a player bet and the 1.06% edge on banker bets, but that small amount adds up over the long run.
Remember: while there are no ways to get a guaranteed win, real money baccarat strategies can help to add structure to your game and also aid your bankroll management efforts.
What Makes the Best Online Casinos for Baccarat in Australia?
To determine which Australian casinos are the best for baccarat players, our team of gambling experts reviews each site for a great deal of factors. Only the best baccarat online casinos that tick all our boxes made it onto our list above.
Trust and Security
When you’re playing real money baccarat online, you (and we as well) want to be sure that the casino treats you fairly and keeps you safe. That’s why we will only ever include licenсed and regulated online casinos in our list.
Bonuses and Promotions
Practically every online casino in Australia offers a bonus bet offer of some kind to new players, so we always check out what each site has to give. Only the ones with juicy bonuses make the cut.
Choice of Games
If you want to play baccarat online, we bet you dream of a casino with multiple variants of any game. Choosing from our top, you can explore a promising difference of baccarat games. Only casinos with a wide choice of games make our list.
Mobile Gaming Options
Having an app or mobile-friendly casino website to enjoy card games is a must for online casino sites in the 21st century, so it’s something we pay close attention to.
Customer Service
Good customer care essentially improves the casino experience, so we always check out how the casino treats its players when we review one. Aussies deserve the best service only!
Payment Methods and Withdrawals
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals from online casinos, so we only list the sites that offer a range of options for their players.
The Difference Between Real Money and Free Baccarat
When you play baccarat in an online casino, you’ll have two options: real money games and free games. The experiences of both choices may look similar, but there are too many differences to ignore them.
- ✅ Real money baccarat involves making a deposit to the casino and using those funds to make wagers on the games you play. If you are successful, you can withdraw your winnings also as real money (provided you meet the wagering requirements of any bonuses).
- ✅ Free baccarat, on the other hand, is a demo of the real money version. The rules are the same, the mechanics are the same, and the graphics are the same. However, you’re not wagering your own cash and you can’t withdraw any winnings.
Both options are great and come down to personal preference, but many players choose to start with free baccarat to help them learn the ropes before moving on to the games at real money casinos.
Different Types of Online Baccarat Casino in 2024
Online baccarat comes in several different flavours. These variants keep the basic rules and mechanics the same but make a few minor tweaks that create a unique playing experience. Here are some of the most common baccarat variants.
- ✅ Punto Banco – Punto Banco is the main type most casinos offer, often considered as the standard version. It follows the rules we discussed earlier.
- ✅ Chemin de fer – Dating back to the 19th century, Chemin de fer is designed to be a fast-paced variant for when playing in groups. The main difference is that it’s played against other players rather than the house with each person taking it in turns to be the banker, similar to poker.
- ✅ European Baccarat – In European Baccarat, players can choose to stand on 5 rather than hitting. Additionally, the total number of player bets can not exceed the size of the banker’s wager. Pretty much everything else stays the same.
- ✅ Baccarat Banque – In Baccarat Banque, there are three hands dealt, rather than two. The banker gets one, as usual, but then there are two player hands on the table at the same time. Players can wager on either or both player hands in each round, but they can’t bet on the banker. The other rules usually remain the same.
Australian Baccarat Bonuses Are a Real Thing
We all love to get something extra, especially when playing baccarat in an online casino. Practically every gaming site offers players a bonus or other promotion of some sort but some are more generous than others. These offers come in a few different formats, here are the most common ones often featured in casinos from our list:
- ✅ Welcome Bonus – A promotion specifically for new players when they sign up and make a deposit, giving you the opportunity to try out the casino and its software.
- ✅ Free Spins – A bonus that lets you play slot games for free. Free spins can’t be used on baccarat but slots are also incredibly fun.
- ✅ No Deposit Bonuses – A small bonus offered by online casinos just for signing up. You don’t need to make a deposit, just create an account and claim the promotion.
- ✅ Cashback Bonuses – Aussie online casino sites offer cashback as a way to offset some of your losses, helping your bankroll go further.
A Brief History of Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games you can play today. While the exact origins are disputed among historians, it definitely originated in Europe, most likely around the 15th century.
- ✅ Its name originates from France where the game became popular by the early 19th century.
- ✅ As Europeans crossed the Atlantic in search of a new life in the late 19th century, they took card games like baccarat with them.
- ✅ In the mid-20th century, the rise of casino culture in the USA helped to make baccarat popular among a whole new generation of gamblers.
- ✅ In the late 1990s and early 2000s, online casino sites began springing up across the internet, bringing new ways for players to enjoy baccarat.
- ✅ The release of the iPhone in 2007 and the proliferation of smartphones helped to make baccarat even more accessible.
- ✅ Faster internet connections in the 2010s made live baccarat possible, bringing the online and land-based games together for the first time.
Key Baccarat Terms & Definitions for Beginners
If you’re new to baccarat, it can be tricky and hard with so many new words and phrases thrown in. Don’t worry, you’ll be speaking the lingo in no time! Here are some of the most frequently used baccarat terms to help you pick it up.
Word or Phrase | Definition |
Banco | Banco means ‘bank’ in Italian. In baccarat, banco refers to wagers bet on the banker’s hand. |
Bankroll | This is the money that you have set aside for making bets on baccarat and/or other casino games |
Burn | When starting a new shoe of cards, the first card or few cards are discarded (burned) to prevent cheating. |
Down card | A playing card that has been placed face down. |
Face card | This refers to kings, queens, and jacks as they contain faces. In baccarat, these cards are worthless. |
La grande | French for “the big one”, in baccarat, it refers to a natural hand of nine. |
La petite | Contrasting with la grande, la petite means “the small one” and refers to a natural hand of eight. |
Natural | A two-card hand in baccarat that is worth either eight (la petite) or nine (la grande). |
Punto | The player and a bet on the player’s hand, the opposite of banco. |
Shoe | The box where the banker draws cards from. |
Standoff or Tie | A standoff is a tie, with both the player and the bank having the same hand. You can also bet on a standoff. |
Up card | A card dealt face up, the opposite of a down card. |