As I mentioned above, there are only 3 betting options in real money baccarat. By eliminating the tied bet, you effectively have to choose between the banker’s hand and the player’s hand on each hand.
The player’s bet has a house edge of 1.24%, almost as good as playing the basic strategy in blackjack. The banker’s bet slightly exceeds the player’s bet with a house edge of 1.06%.
Yes, there is a 5% commission on the banker’s bet, but that is already accounted for in the house edge.
There are a few betting strategies that players use at the baccarat table. If you’re familiar with my style at all, I tend to stay away from most betting systems.
Let’s look at the common systems to exhaust all possible angles.
The most common betting strategy you’ll see in any casino is the Martingale System. The Martingale is a negative progression system where after any loss, you immediately double your bet for perpetuity.
There are some disadvantages to this betting system. Still, the most glaring one is that just 8 consecutive losses can quickly wipe out your entire balance. Let’s assume you have an unlimited bankroll; it is entirely possible that the table limit will be reached before you get another win.
Baccarat Strategy 1324 is another of the betting systems that promise you will never lose again. Unfortunately, casinos would simply close all baccarat tables and install coin slots in their places if that were the case.
Last but not least is the Paroli System. Paroli aims to take advantage of hot sequences and maximise your profits.
While the Paroli System is more apt to profit than the other two, it also carries a much higher volatility. That volatility is reason enough for me to stay away.
What about strategies that will actually allow players to leave the table with a long-term profit?
Here are my 5 baccarat tips that generate a profit.
1 – Bet with The Banker
Many players sit down at the baccarat table and intuitively accept the player’s bet. Their intuitions are leading them in the wrong direction.
It seems to go against every fibre of their being to bet in the ‘casino’. How does one look around at the massive structures in all their luxury and opulence and bet against it?
The banker’s bet carries a small commission that scares some players off, but it seems like 5% a small price to pay when you are almost certain to win.
In fact, the banker’s bet will win just over half the time. It is the 5% commission that eliminates the differences in the player’s bets.
If you stick to the banker’s bet at the baccarat table, you are guaranteed to see more profits from the game, which brings me to my next point about baccarat table betting.
2 – Avoid The Tie Bet
Casinos are full of bad bets. Most casino games actually have fairly equal odds when played conservatively.
Of course, the house always has an advantage, and because of the advantage, they never have to worry about losing money.
Even if the house only takes 2% of the plays, spins or hands. That 2% is a tremendous number and basically gives the casinos a license to print money.
Now take into consideration all the total sucker bets, and the profits skyrocket. Baccarat is actually very friendly; it only has one true sucker bet.
The tied bet pays out at 8: 1. The casino can offer such a high payout because it has a big advantage.
The house edge on the tied bet in baccarat is over 14%. To put that in perspective, penny slots on the strip, which are known to be a spectacularly bad investment, have a house edge below 12%.
Avoid the tied bet in any way necessary; this will greatly increase your chances of profiting.