Winning Baccarat Strategies
The game of baccarat has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over recent years. One reason for this is the fact that baccarat rules make this a game based on luck rather than strategic skill and experience. This means that new players or casino novices stand as good a chance of winning as those who have been playing for years. However, it can be cool to sit down at the virtual table with a baccarat strategy, and there are a number of them to choose from.
A little like roulette, strategy in baccarat is concerned with how and where you place your bets. Baccarat strategy is typically based around betting progressions, and often, the mathematics gets bound up with superstition. At Refuel Casino, we prefer to work with facts, so here, we run through three of the most popular baccarat strategies to try out with our online baccarat games, or perhaps at one of our live dealer baccarat tables.
Never back the tie
This is not so much a baccarat strategy as a golden rule among players. 9/1 odds look more attractive that the 1/1 or 19/20 for backing Player or Banker, but the mathematics show that this is a bet to be avoided. While the Player and Banker bets each have a house edge of just over one percent, the house edge for the tie is 14 percent.
The only time it might make sense to consider backing the tie as part of your baccarat strategy is if you are playing an online baccarat game that incorporates an extra reward or jackpot, meaning that the true return is superior to the standard 9/1 odds.
One-sided baccarat strategy
This is the easiest strategy you can get, and to draw a roulette comparison, it is a little like always betting on red. The strategy is simple, in that you decide on either Player or Banker and then stick with your choice for the entire shoe of 60 hands.
It might seem overly simplistic, but sometimes simplicity works best. Also, there is more going on here than first meets the eye. Even seasoned players like this strategy, because it exploits the fact that eight out of 10 baccarat shoes see either the Banker or Player gain a tangible advantage.
Some players advocate using a “stop-loss” – this means that if you lose three hands in a row, you stop playing till “your” side wins again. It looks like a compelling safety net to guard against a disastrous run, but the mathematics show that it does not actually give you any greater advantage.
Oscar’s Grind
This baccarat strategy is a little more advanced than the one-sided betting strategy, but it is still quick to pick up. The additional complexity also means that you feel more involved in the game than when simply backing the same result every hand.
It is all about betting in cycles, and your objective is to end each cycle with a win of one betting unit. Each hand, you back the underdog from the last three hands, so whichever out of Player or Banker has won one of the last three. If there is no underdog, meaning either Player or Banker has won three or more consecutive games, you sit back and wait for the streak to end and an underdog to appear.
Once you are “in” the game in this way, you bet one unit. If you win, you “reset” and again bet one unit on the last three underdog. If you lose, you double your bet. Keep doing so till either you win or a streak begins such that there is no last three underdog to back.
As the name suggests, this method typically allows you to “grind out” gradual wins. The “last three underdog” rule acts as a stop loss and prevents you from falling victim to a long losing streak, which is usually the main risk with this sort of “double when you lose” strategy.
A winning strategy at Refuel Casino
The above baccarat strategy tips are ones you can try out either online or at a real casino. But perhaps the most important tip of all is that when you play in cyberspace, you should come along to Refuel Casino.
As well as offering a range of different baccarat tables and variations, we have a simple payment system that lets you get straight to the gaming without filling in endless forms. It gives you all the more time to develop a winning baccarat strategy!