Basics of winning at Baccarat – strategy, how to play, and more.

If you’ve never played online baccarat, you might be confused by it. But the fact is, Baccarat is dead simple. Ignition Casino baccarat offers you a basic choice of betting on the player or banker. The rest happens automatically. There’s a bit more to it, but the core idea is quite straightforward.

In this Baccarat betting guide, we’ll cover how the game works, what the rules are, and strategy tips for winning. You can find it in Ignition’s table games section if you want to dive right in. Otherwise, read on to find out more about this classic casino game.

What is Ignition Casino Baccarat?

The name “Baccarat” comes from the Italian word for “zero.” Back in the day, Baccarat was also sometimes known by a French name: Chemin de Fer. You’ve probably seen the famous scene of James Bond playing it at one time or another. Now, online Baccarat lets you get in the game from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere else you might play mobile casino games.

Ignition Casino baccarat offers very nice player odds. The house edge is only around 1%, which puts Baccarat ahead of even blackjack when it comes to games that give you a great shot at winning in a session.

As we said above, the game features a player and a banker. Neither one is “you.” Instead, you’re betting on what the dealer will hand out to these two opponents. Each one gets two cards, and the winner is the one with a score closest to 9 without going over.

How to play online Baccarat

Any good Baccarat betting guide needs to break down how scores are tallied up. Most cards have their face value. That is, a two is worth two. A five is worth five. Etc. Tens and face cards are worth zero, while an ace is worth one.

To find the score of a hand, add the cards together. If they add up to more than ten, the second digit is the score. That is, an eight and a four make 12, giving a score of 2. A seven and a six make a total of 13, giving a score of three.

If the player or banker gets an 8 or 9 on the first deal, it’s a “natural” win. If they both have the same score, it’s a tie. In that case, both the player and banker bets lose. There is the ability to bet on a tie, which is a longshot with a proportionally large 9:1 payout.

The player can also draw a third card. If the player has a six or seven, the player will stand. But with a score below that, the player will draw. What the banker then does is controlled by player’s score and third card, if one was dealt.

Kinds of Ignition Casino Baccarat

Online baccarat comes in two forms at Ignition (at the time of this writing): Classic and Modern

Classic Baccarat is our original version with our traditional table game look and feel. For players that have been around for a long time at our site, this will seem quite familiar. Classic chips are in the bottom right for bet selection. Click a chip and then click one of the bands to make your bet.

Modern Baccarat (seen below) features our updated color scheme and functionality. Here, you click a chip from the bottom row and then click or tap the circle in the center for your desired bet. It’s quite similar to the classic version, but offers some small differences.

The important thing to takeaway, for purposes of this Ignition Casino Baccarat betting guide, is that the odds and payouts are the same in both. Neither game offers an advantage. Speaking of which, let’s talk about strategy!

Strategies for winning online Baccarat

Ignition Casino Baccarat is like many other forms of Baccarat when it comes to the probabilities behind the game. The thing to remember is that the banker has a slight advantage. Here’s how it breaks down:

  • Banker wins 45.8% of hands
  • Player wins 44.6% of hands
  • They tie 9.6% of the time

To account for this imbalance, there is a small 5% rake betting on banker. This makes it close to a toss-up when you’re deciding which to bet on, especially when you consider that there are 1:1 payouts for both. The real answer for Baccarat is to go with your gut and have fun.

And remember: the tie pays 9:1, so if you want a rush, plop down a bet on the tie and cross your fingers. It’s almost a 10% chance!

Let’s go through some examples to make it clearer how online Baccarat works.

Example 1

Let’s say the player is dealt a 5 and 4. The banker receives a jack and an 8. The player’s score is 9. The banker has an 8. The player has a natural win. Bets on the player are paid while bets on the banker lose.

Example 2

The player has a 2 and a 3. The banker has a 7 and a 9. The player has 5 and therefore draws. It’s a king, which is worth zero and no help to the player’s score. The banker has 16, aka 6. The banker stands and bets on the banker win.

Example 3

In our final example, the player has a 9 and a jack. The banker gets an ace and an 8. Both tie with a score of 9. Bets on the player and banker both lose, while bets on the tie win a nice payday.

Hit the tables!

If you’ve never tried Baccarat, now’s the perfect time. Play in practice mode for free to get a feel for how the game works, and then swap over to real money when you’re ready to experience the real deal. Get a handle on this simple game and the next time you’re in the casino, you’ll be able to do a killer Bond impression over at the big boy Baccarat tables!

Try your luck at Baccarat!