List of Casino Table Games
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Best Baccarat Sites
Baccarat is a card game that is considered a tough casino game to learn, which is why it isn’t played very often by beginners, who often tend to focus more on games such as Roulette, Blackjack or slots. Baccarat is yet a very fun and thrilling game and offers huge payouts which are some of the reasons why we’re very much into this game. Luckily, there are also a lot of casinos available that have a separate Baccarat lobby and in this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about the game — including basic game rules, how to play it, and which strategies you can best use.
By reading this guide you’ll have a clear idea about the best baccarat sites available for British players while we will also touch upon both the free play mode and the real money baccarat wagers and the main differences between them. As we’re here to help you make a smooth start in your baccarat adventure, we will also give you the latest bonuses. All of these promos are valid for UK based baccarat minded players. We believe that all this together should make it possible for most of our readers to maximise their experience.
Best Baccarat Sites For 2024
Although Baccarat is available in most online and live lobbies, some of them manage to stick out from the rest. The following baccarat sites are what we consider the best options for this month if you’re looking for a well balanced catalogue and the best bonuses:
[sc name=”casinos-row-short”][/sc]Why Are These the Best Sites For:
In addition to enough baccarat games and interesting promos, there is a large list of other performance metrics we take into consideration as well when we evaluate the newest baccarat websites on the market. The best baccarat websites are those that score well on a number of metrics, including, but not limited to:
Games on offer
Most websites offer multiple baccarat games, but most players would be looking for some other casino games as well. This is why we don’t limit ourselves to what’s on offer for baccarat fanaticos, but we take a look at other casino games as well. Ideally, a casino offers a well balanced mix of all sorts of games, including table games, slots, and live dealer games.
Mobile play
Most of these titles should be available on mobile too. The experience should be optimised for mobile either via a separate mobile website or a dedicated app. Mobile availability doesn’t limit itself to the game catalogue, but also stretches to the overall usability of the website. Everything should be accessible on a mobile device, whether it’s the homepage, lobby, or banking page. Our recommended Baccarat sites either have a mobile site or a mobile app. Most websites nowadays tend to work well on mobile devices anyhow.
Payment solutions
The banking page is an important part of an online casino’s service as every experience ideally starts with making a deposit and withdrawing a winning. This is why proper banking solutions are crucial for any online casino, or even for any online business. It also says a lot about the overall service of a casino. If it works with trustworthy banking platforms, low or no transaction fees, and reasonable withdrawal limits, it can be considered a convenient casino. If the opposite is true, you might need to start considering other casino options.
Bonuses
When you stick to our recommended online baccarat casinos, you can expect to find the best bonuses. In the end, it’s our job to find the best baccarat websites and that includes the promotions on offer and the terms that come with them. When going through our list of top baccarat sites, you will most likely find the following bonuses:
- Welcome Bonus: virtually any online casino in the United Kingdom will have a welcome package. This promo package is meant for new customers to join them and spend money on the casino site. You will usually find a welcome package made of a deposit match bonus and free spins. The free spins won’t be very useful for baccarat oriented games, but the match bonus will give you some additional bonus money that can lead to a huge amount if you’re lucky.
- Deposit Bonus: this is perhaps the most common bonus available at online casinos, also as part of a welcome package as mentioned above. The online casino of your choice will reward you with a percentage match of your deposit. For example, a £50 deposit on a 100% deposit match will give you an additional £50. This will lead to a total of £100 in bonus funds.
- Cashbacks: in addition to the regular welcome bonuses, some casinos also give you cashback bonuses. The name says it all, you receive cash back after you have lost your money. This does require a deposit and you making a wager, which is basically the opposite order of most other bonuses that reward you before you have made your bet. Normally this bonus is a certain percentage of your losses, usually between 5 and 25%.
- Other bonuses: while these are the most common promos for baccarat games, they aren’t the only ones. Other frequent deals you can find are prizes and referral bonuses. A lot of baccarat websites will also have a VIP or loyalty program that takes the money you play with as a way to reward you for your loyalty, basically meaning that the more you spend, the more benefits you will gain.
Casinos place terms and conditions on promos and they tend to be a lot more stricter for table games like baccarat. The most known terms are the wagering requirements, also referred to as the playthrough requirements, or roll-over requirements. These stand for the number of times you must bet through the bonus amount before you will be able to withdraw your funds. Wagering requirements are the major obstacle when it comes to claiming your wins.
Compliance
The online baccarat sites we recommend at CasinoWebsites.com are fully licenced by one or multiple recognised gambling authorities, with the most reputable clearly being the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). While not a 100% guarantee of reputability, a licence does show that an online casino follows regulatory standards. Moreover, most gambling authorities are governmental organisations that follow the rules and laws of that jurisdiction.
Websecurity
People who make online wagers usually do this with real money explaining the importance of a website where people’s data is safe. This concerns financial data, but also personal data. This also implies that a secured connection is used at all times and that the operator works with trustworthy partners when it comes to games, banking, and web design.
Customer service desk
The way the customer service desk takes care of any inconveniences is one of the most significant ways to tell whether a casino is willing to invest in long term relationships or not. Good customer service means that a casino will need to be both professional and prompt. Ideally, they should also be available 24/7 via a number of channels such as live chat and email, at the very least. Our reviews about the best baccarat sites always include a test of the customer support desk after which we will share our own experiences in terms of professionalism, friendliness, and responsiveness.
How to Play Baccarat?
Baccarat is a game between a banker and the player. The rules of baccarat are fairly easy to learn because the player doesn’t have to make any decisions. According to the baccarat rules, the dealer automatically deals the cards based on the value of the hands. Two hands are dealt and players can bet on whether the banker or the player wins. The objective is to draw a hand of two or three cards that is closest to 9 points. The most popular form of Baccarat is called Punto Banco, a simple table game, where you don’t need to have strategic knowledge to make the right decision. Punto Banco will also serve as an example for this guide. In a game of Punto Banco you can bet on 3 different options:
- Bank wins.
- Player wins.
- Draw.
Basic Rules
The basic rules of Baccarat are a little more complicated than other popular table games. Any player, including the dealer, can bet.
- You can place a bet on the player, on a draw or on the bank.
- You can choose to skip a round, after which the turn is passed to the next player.
- Each hand consists of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 cards. The one dealing places 2 face up cards under the shoe and gives 2 other face up cards to the player who has bet the most on the player. The player then looks at the cards and hands them back to whoever is dealing. The cards are shown face up to each of them.
Natural
If one of the two hands manages to reach a total of 8 or 9, this is called a ‘natural’. No additional cards are dealt. If there is no natural, the dealer determines which card should be drawn on the basis of the total number of points. This is mainly due to the rules set by the casino. After the third hand is dealt, the player or bank with the highest number of points wins.
Card values
A game of baccarat is played with a deck of 6 or 8 sets of cards. All face cards and the number 10 have the value 0. The cards 2 to 9 use the same value as the number shown on them, the Ace is worth 1 point. The suit of the card is irrelevant. If the sum of 2 cards exceeds 10, only the number on the right counts. For example: 15 counts as a 5, 18 as an 8. After making a bet, the dealer gives the banker and the player two cards. The objective of a game in baccarat is to estimate which hand has the highest value and who wins: the banker or the player. When you bet on a draw, you basically bet that the banker and the player have an equal number of points. After the first two cards, a third card may be drawn. In the online casino, the cards are automatically drawn at the right time.
Baccarat third card rules: the player
- If the player or the bank has a total of 8 or 9 on the first two cards, no further cards are drawn. The hand with this result is called a “natural”.
- If the player’s total is less than or equal to 5, he or she draws a third card.
- If the player does not draw a third card, the dealer’s hand remains. With a 6 or more, the bank draws a third card for a total of 5 or less. If the player draws a third card, the bank’s ‘third card rule’ (see below) will decide whether the bank draws a third card or not.
Baccarat third card rules: the bank
- If the banker’s total is 2 or less, the bank draws a card — regardless of what the player’s third card is.
- If the bank’s total is 3, the bank draws a third card, unless the player’s third card is an 8.
- If the banker’s total is 4, the bank draws a third card, unless the player’s card is a 0, 1, 8 or 9.
- If the bank total is 5, the bank draws a third card, but only if the player’s third card is a 4, 5, 6 or 7.
- If the bank’s total is 6, the bank draws a third card, but only if the player’s third card is a 6 or 7. If the bank’s total score is 7, the bank passes.
Payout and odds of winning at Baccarat
Baccarat works on the same principle as betting on Black or Red in a game of Roulette. The payout is also about the same. Only in a draw you usually get paid 8:1 times your bet. The difference between betting on the banker or on the player is that when the banker wins, the player owes a 5% commission to the casino.
- Bank 1,17%
- Player 1,36%
The banker wins in 45,8% of the bets, the player in 44,6% of the bets, which means that a draw occurs in 9,6% of the cases. Because the bank charges a 5% commission on the bank’s winnings, this gives us a margin of 1,1% for the casino. When you bet on a draw, the casino has a margin of 14%.
RTP
The RTP, the Return to Player, in Baccarat partly depends on your style and strategy and what bet you decide to make. Because you can bet on three different outcomes, there are also three different RTPs that can be determined leading to the following options:
- Bank wins: 98,94%.
- Player wins: 98,76%.
- Draw: 85,64%.
How to Get the Most out of Baccarat?
Now you’re familiar with the basic rules of a standard game of baccarat it is time to get the most out of it and start playing yourself. Most players will do this because they want to get make real money win which is we recommend you to follow the following steps:
1. Learn the rules
First of all, it is extremely important to really learn the rules of Baccarat well as it isn’t as easy as a game of Roulette or even Blackjack. You’re not fully left to randomness when you play baccarat which we believe is a major advantage. Learning all the ins and outs by going through our guides will give you a much better understanding of the game. In addition, it is important to mention that players are bound by some rules. The card values are also different from the card values that you’re used to in other casino games. To avoid confusion, it is important to read the rules carefully. An effective way to test what you’ve learned is to play online in a free casino. That way you can get acquainted with the rules and you can better understand the game, without having to come up with real money bets.
2. Avoid betting on a draw
A draw gives you 8 times your stake. This seems very interesting at first, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the end: the chance of a draw in a game of baccarat is only 8% which is relatively low. This is mainly because the bank has a wider range of choices than the player and the fact that the bank is always last to make a move.
We’ll explain this with an example:
Let’s say the player and the bank both have 6 points after the first two cards. For the player this means that he or she is no longer able to ask for a new card. At the same time, the bank still has the option to draw a card and will always do so. If the bank draws a card with a value of 1, 2 or 3, the bank has a higher value than the player and the bank wins. For example, if the bank draws a 6 and it has 2 points (card value of 12). As a result, it loses 1 times the bet of everyone who has bet on the player, but doesn’t have to pay out 8 times the bet. As a result, the bank leads a lower loss than it needs to pay out for a draw.
3. Bet on the banker
As the example above shows that it’s not advisable to bet on a tie because the bank has multiple playing options, this is also the reason that betting on the bank can be very quite a smart move. Although you will need to pay a commission when you bet on the banker, the bank has a lot more chances to win. This makes it much more lucrative to bet on the bank instead of betting on the player. The player is in fact bound by the standard game rules which makes it more difficult as a player to influence the outcome of the game.
4. Think with your head, not your heart
It is very important to think with your head and not with your heart. This counts for any game of chance, but especially to baccarat. If you lose a lot of money in a short period of time, it can be tempting to bet a large sum of money to compensate for all previous losses, but this type of emotional decision making is never advised. Gambling should always be for fun and done in a responsible way. And if we’re talking about responsibilities we’re talking about consciousness.
5. Stick to a strategy
This brings us to our next point. Sticking to a strategy also keeps you from making emotional decisions. You can stick to a strategy that has been proved to be successful on the basis of mathematical rules. The fact that there is mathematical support for the strategy also gives you the reassurance that a strategy can indeed turn out to be profitable. Try to find strategies that are considered successful and fit your preferences, skills, and budget.
Live Dealer Baccarat
Live dealer games give you the same baccarat game, but does so in a setting that includes a human dealer and is streamed to your screen in real-time from a land based studio location. As you might expect, live dealer baccarat has turned out to be one of the most popular ways to play online baccarat as it’s highly interactive and realistic. You get the convenience of an online baccarat casino games with the authenticity and drama of a land based casino. Our review team therefore scours the top baccarat websites to find the best liver dealer lobbies with games from the main providers. We recommend trying live dealer baccarat because they offer players a lot more convenience, a real human dealer, and still give you the same fun as you’re used to from any brick and mortar casino.
Real Money Baccarat
What is even more fun is making real money wins. This is more likely to happen if you’re skilled enough as experience does make a difference in a game like this. Real money baccarat has gained a lot of popularity in recent years as the options for players have increased significantly. Live dealer casinos are one of the main triggers for the rise in real money baccarat bets and this is clearly due to absence of demo play in live casinos, but also because the potential maximum wins have reached very respectable levels. In addition to real money bets there are still free options available in online, RNG baccarat.
Play Baccarat for Free
This brings us to the free baccarat titles which are widely available as long as you stick to online baccarat, not to be confused with live or live dealer baccarat. A lot of online baccarat games do include a free demo mode which is usually included on the same game page by most operators. Even if your intention is to engage in real money play we advise you to always start with free baccarat games first as they give you a chance to gain some familiarity. Once you’re fully aware of how the game works you might want to think about starting with small bets before you move your way up. Free baccarat games are widely available and give you the chance to play without risking your own money.
Real Money Baccarat vs Free Baccarat
This brings us to a head to head comparison between the two: real money baccarat vs. free baccarat. Both have their own advantages and we would say that any baccarat player should try to get the most out of the two and actually combine them. There are a few ways that the one can be used in addition to the other and we would say that the best players start with free baccarat before they move on to real money baccarat. Here are what we consider the main advantages of each of the two variants:
Advantages free baccarat | Advantages real money baccarat |
|---|---|
| For practising patterns, tactics, or strategies, free baccarat is perfect | You won’t find the same level of excitement of real money games in a free demo game. |
| Demo games allow you to test new games and variants before committing your bankroll | Winning money is always a good thing |
| Playing for fun is a lot less stressful than playing with your own money | Bonuses, VIP programs, and loyalty programs only accept real money wagers |
| Available in both online and live casinos | |
| Live dealer casino games are usually only available for real money and not for free. |
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