Best Online Casinos for Baccarat & How To Play
Online casino baccarat is one of the most popular casino games. It is offered in both digital and live versions - and it can be played with free cash bonuses in the world's best online casinos. I'll explain what is online casino baccarat, the key difference between live baccarat and its RNG counterpart, and where you can safely play it from home.
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What is Online Casino Baccarat?
Online casino baccarat is the online version of one of the most popular card games in the casino world. The game is offered in virtual form, courtesy of top companies like Iron Dog Studios, BGaming, and Betsoft, as well as in live casino tables hosted by world-class developers like Evolution, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play Live.
- Baccarat is played between the dealer and the player. Whoever gets closest to 9, wins
- The player may bet on himself or in favor of the house. However, if the player wins by betting on the house, a percentage of the player's win will be taken by the house as commission
- You can play online baccarat at almost any reliable online casino. It's one of the most popular card games, together with blackjack and poker.
What is Live Baccarat
Live Baccarat is usually a version of mini baccarat that you can play from home. Unlike the majority of casino table games that you play in online casinos, though, live baccarat will have you playing against a real dealer, which means that you’ll actually see how the cards are dealt and you won’t have to trust a machine, if you will.
Wizard Tip: Live baccarat goes at a slower pace than virtual baccarat. If you want to play more rounds per minute, opt for the virtual version of the game.
Baccarat Online Casino Rules & Betting Options
Baccarat is a very simple game where the player barely has to do anything other than place a wager and wait for the dealer to settle the round. As explained, you can either bet on the banker, on the player, or on the tie (never bet on the tie - the RTP is lower than 90% for baccarat tie betting). In any case, these are some key rules that you should know:
- The dealer will give two cards to the player and two cards to himself. Each card is worth face value, and whoever gets closest to 9, wins
- If two cards add up to more than 9, the first digit is dropped to determine the real value of the player or banker hand. For example, a 7 and an 8 would add up to 15, so hand value would be 5. A 7, an 8, and a 4 would make a hand value of 9!
- Both the player and the banker stand on 8 or 9. No more cards are drawn.
- If the player stands, the banker must hit if they have a total of 5 or less.
- The tie pays 8 to 1, but since it very rarely occurs, it is advised not to place these sorts of bets.
Types of Baccarat Game Online
Online casinos are home to a wide array of baccarat games, and although they aren't as varied as the blackjack variants that we see in modern casinos, you'll have the option to choose from more than 5 versions of the game. Let's take a quick look at which versions of the classic card game await in the world's best online casinos:
- Mini Baccarat - Version of baccarat with a limited number of players, with a table half the size of the original's;
- Classic Baccarat - Classic version of the game with standard rules;
- Zero-Commission Baccarat - Version of the game where there are no commissions on banker wins. Available live and virtually;
- Live Speed Baccarat - A live version of the game where cards are dealt face up to speed up round speed;
- Live Baccarat - Standard game of live baccarat with standard rules, offered in live casinos.
Wizard Fact: Live and virtual baccarat play very similarly and each version of the game has the same RTP regardless of whether it's live or virtual.
Baccarat Lingo & Glossary - Must-Know Baccarat Terms
Baccarat doesn't have as many compelx terms as games like poker and blackjack, but there are still some key words that I recommend knowing so you won't have to ask around or look elsewhere for the definition when you play. These are the most important baccarat terms:
Word | Meaning |
Baccarat | The word means "zero" and represents the worst hand in baccarat: two cards with a value of 10 |
Chemin de Fer | Variation of the game with one player acting as the bank, also called "European Baccarat" |
Commission | 5% fee charged by the casino to all bets placed on the banker when they are won |
Dragon Bonus | Side bets that involves wagering on the total number of points of difference between both hands |
La Grande | It means "The Big One" and refers to a natural 9, the best hand in baccarat |
Le Petite | A hand worth eight, the second best hand in the game |
Punto Banco | Popular version of baccarat. Mostly found in land-based casinos |
Live Baccarat VS Regular Online Casino Baccarat – The Differences
Playing live baccarat has its advantages over playing virtual casino baccarat.
Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference what the user wants to play, so I'm going to break down the pros and cons of each type of baccarat game to help you get a better idea of what you may like the most:
- The Safety of Baccarat - Live casino baccarat is operated by actual dealers, which means that you won’t have to depend on a random algorithm to determine the outcome of each round. If you’re playing baccarat on a digital baccarat table (the ones that you find in the “table game” sections of most online casinos), you would depend on the RNG to do the job for you. An RNG ensures legitimacy in the outcome of each round;
- Bets & Banking - There’s another reason why you might opt to play digital baccarat instead of its live casino counterpart, but it all depends on the type of gambler that you are. Live Casino games, as it usually happens, tend to require players to make higher wages (especially in the best live baccarat online casinos). In most cases, digital baccarat tables will allow you to place some very small bets;
- Game Pace - Since live casino baccarat is played with an actual, flesh-and-bone dealer, it is only natural for the game to have a much slower pace than digital baccarat. In digital baccarat, you can simply skip the rounds to see the results without having to wait for the deck to be shuffled;
- Bandwidth Demands - I suggest you play digital baccarat if you’re away from home. These sorts of games require much less bandwidth than a traditional live casino table game, as the latter requires you to stream the video on top of having to load the entire gaming interface. This can be very resource-demanding for your phone as well as a killer for your own data plan;
- Immersive Gameplay - Live casino baccarat is as close as you're going to get to real baccarat. If you want to feel immersed in the game, then live gaming is the way to go. Go for the virtual tables if you just want to play at your own pace.
Learn How to Play Baccarat and Ensure Bigger Wins
Baccarat might seem like a simple game to play at first. However, regardless of whether you’re going to opt to play digital baccarat or if you would rather visit the world’s best live baccarat online casinos, you’re going to need to master the game if you truly wish to save yourself the time and trouble of spending money on a lost cause.
- You should always learn about baccarat strategies and understand the rules of the game before you play
- I’ve written a full baccarat guide that is as friendly to beginners as possible.
- I recommend you not to dive into the high roller tables if you’re still new to baccarat. Practice, become good at the game, and then play live.
- The Casino Wizard team created a full guide to baccarat statistics that you may find helpful, too
Visit the World's Best Casinos to Play Baccarat Online for Real Money
This full guide will have taught you how to take full advantage of online casino baccarat games. IF you already know how to play and you're looking to do so at the world's best online casinos, choose whichever site suits you best and begin your baccarat journey in these safe and licensed online baccarat casinos.
Frequently asked questions
It’s impossible to win every time in baccarat, but the banker is at an advantage, so placing banker bets gives you a better shot of winning more often than not.
Yes, baccarat requires no skill and thus involves no strategy. Blackjack requires the player to make the correct decision more often than not.
No, baccarat is a simple game to play with only three types of bets. You will only find it a bit more complex if you opt to play baccarat with side bets.
Baccarat is a game of chance where the player depends entirely on luck to win or lose a round.
Baccarat is said to have been invented in the XV century by a man called Felix Falguiere, who called the name “baccara”, which means zero in Italian.