Online Baccarat Guide

Welcome to Metropolitan Gaming Online’s guide to Baccarat.

Baccarat, or Punto Banco, is a casino-based card game that involves no skill but is a game of luck. The objective is to bet on a hand you guess will be as close or equal to 9. A staple card game in most casinos, Baccarat has a rich history and is one of the most popular card games played in modern casinos today. 

History of Baccarat:

The first set of rules for modern Baccarat were devised by Italian creator Felix Falguiere in the 15th century. It is believed that Falguiere was influenced by games including Macao, today known as the Baccarat variant. Falguiere named the game Baccara (Italian for zero) due to the fact that the majority of the deck merit zero. When the game gained popularity and gained momentum in France, the French spelling Baccarat was widely adopted. 

Basic Rules of Baccarat:

• Players place their bets before the deck is dealt.
• The dealer (or the online software) deals two cards to the player.
• The player with both cards added up closest to the final value of 9 wins. 
• If the player’s hand is 0-5, they draw a third card. 6-7, they stand. 8 or 9 is what the game has coined as a ‘natural’. 
• If the player has 6 or higher, the banker will act just like the player: Draws a third card with hands 0-5, stands with 6-7, natural with 8 or 9.
• Each of the Tens (10s) and Face (also called Court = J, Q, and K) cards has a numerical value equal to zero (0).
• Every Ace card counts as 1 numerically.
• But if the player drew a third card, the banker acts according to the following rules associated with the score:
• 0, 1, 2: Banker draws a card, regardless of what the player’s third card is.
  3: Banker draws a third card unless the player’s third card was an 8.
  4: Banker draws a third card if the player’s third card was 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
  5: Banker draws a third card if the player’s third card was 4, 5, 6, or 7.
  6: Banker draws a third card if the player’s third card was a 6 or 7.
  7: Banker stands.
• In the case of a tie, land-based casinos will give you 8:1 if you guess the tie bet correctly. On the other hand, placing a bet on the player or banker will pay 1:1.
• Keep in mind that in this game the banker has a small advantage in that all winning bets on the banker will pay a 5 % commission to the house.

Tips and Tricks To Baccarat:

• Betting with the Banker: Betting with the banker is not only the simplest method but also the safest baccarat strategy. The theoretical house edge for betting on the Banker is 1.06%. By the same token, the return to player or payout percentage for Banker bets is a whopping 98.94%.
• The Martingale System: The traditional Martingale System suggests you should double down on the next wager if your previous wager is lost. For instance, if you place a £10 bet on the Bank hand and it loses, then you should follow up with a £20 wager on the next hand. The theory suggests that you should continue until you win. 
• The Fibonacci Strategy: This is a betting system in which the amount to bet after a loss is dictated on the Fibonacci sequence. This is a famous natural number sequence in which the next number in progression is determined by the sum of the previous numbers. The sequence looks something like this: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc. 

Side Bets:

• All Red or All Black: A bet on the colour of the card suits received. This usually pays between 22:1 and 24:1.
• Bellagio Match: Requiring a three-card game, all the same rank. The payout on this one is a huge 75:1 for the player and 68:1 for the banker.
• Royal Match: Only available at casinos in London, a Royal Match is a bet on both a King and Queen card appearing in the first two cards dealt. The baccarat RTP is 75:1 (K & Q of the same suit) or 30:1 (not suited).
• Big and Small: This is a bet on the total value of four, five, or six cards. Again, this can require a three-card game. Pays 3:2 (four cards) or 2:1 (five or six cards).
• 3-Card Six: If the player and banker get a total of six across three cards each, this side bet pays out 100:1. It only has a payout of 8:1 on a single three-card six, though.

Remember:

Baccarat is a game of chance and no strategy can guarantee consistent winnings. It’s essential to be responsible and enjoy the game to the utmost without compromising the entertainment. 

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