Baccarat Online Guide

Why Play Baccarat Online?

You may not be a pro yet, but you can be well on your way after reading our informative baccarat guide. Baccarat has a few things going for it:

• A simple game to learn and enjoy
• Available in a wide range of casinos
• Optimized for smartphone and desktop gameplay
• Small house edge

The Top Baccarat Online Games

Americans will find plenty of baccarat games from major software providers, including Betsoft, Realtime Gaming, Microgaming, and more. We’ve got online Baccarat that’s free to play or for real money.

The Best Online Casinos for Baccarat

Choosing the right mobile online casino is not as easy as simply selecting the one with the highest welcome bonus. That would be the best way to have an experience that will make you regret ever having signed up. Consider the following before signing up at a casino.

Casino License

Not all casinos are made equal when it comes to safety and security. For this reason, the single best thing you can do is register and play at a licensed casino where possible. The safest jurisdictions, by no coincidence, happen to be the ones with the strictest regulations. These include Malta through the Malta Gaming Authority or the United Kingdom through the UKGC. It is these jurisdictions that stress player protection, fairness, transparency, and anti-money laundering. Unfortunately, for American players, these players cannot accept them.

So what is an American to do? Fortunately, there are other gaming regulators, such as Curaçao, which happens to be one of the oldest in the world. Although not known for being as stringent, they represent a step up from other jurisdictions. Montreal, Canada based Kahnawake Gaming Commission licenses casinos is another alternative.

Nowadays, it’s not difficult to do a google search without finding information on a casino, including comments from other players in the community. A frequently heard complaint from disgruntled players is that their casino does not pay out their winnings, or stalls.

While there may be valid reasons for this, it may also be that the casino cannot or will not honor their obligations.

Security Encryption

Today’s modern online casino protects sensitive data like payment details and personal information using 128-bit SSL encryption technology. All information in transit between your browser and the webserver is protected from prying eyes.

The Game Selection

Of course, an online casino is nothing without games, so you need to consider what games you may want to try. While you may be interested in Baccarat today, your focus may shift to slots, casino games, live dealer games, or sportsbook tomorrow. Also, consider that the choice of baccarat games may be more limited at one online casino, then it may be at another.

Payment Methods

Look for an online casino that accepts Bitcoins, or US$ deposits using credit cards like Mastercard or Visa. When making a US$ withdrawal, you may have the option of a check couriered to your home or transfer. If you deposited in Bitcoins, then you should also be able to withdraw in them.

How to Find the Best Online Casinos to Play Baccarat

We promote several USD and Bitcoin casinos that offer Baccarat. New players to these casinos may qualify for a welcome deposit bonus applicable to slots and possibly even online casino games or live dealer games. These casinos may also offer regular weekly or daily promotions such as cashback bonuses, free spins, or others when you deposit BTC or USD.

Getting Started at an Online Casino

1. Visit the website and look for the ‘SIGN UP’ or similarly labeled button to start the registration process.
2. Follow the steps on screen, which will ask you to provide your first and last name, email address, user name, password, home address, birthdate, smartphone number, and more.
3. You’ll likely need to verify your account by clicking on the link in an email sent to you. Once done, you can claim a welcome bonus, deposit USD or Bitcoin, and start playing online Baccarat or Live Baccarat for real money.

How to Play Baccarat Online

Online Baccarat (Punto Banco) and Live Baccarat are not tricky games to play, and it will only take minutes to get the hang of it. The game’s objective is to get as close as possible to 9 without going over, not unlike 21 in blackjack. There’s not a lot of strategies involved outside of the timing of your bet.

1. We begin with the baccarat table divided into the player, the bank, and a tie. Place a bet on who will win for a 1:1 or 9:1/8:1 (tie) payout. Don’t be confused by the names ‘Bank’ and ‘Player,’ as they do not represent the House or you.
3. The bank and the player will both receive two cards, summed together. Cards 1-9 are worth their face value, but the number 10 and face cards (jacks, queens, and kings) have a value of 0. If the sum of the cards is greater than 9, then 10 is subtracted to arrive at your hand value. We’ve included the following simple examples.

1. If the player’s two cards are <=5, then it draws a third card, but if the bank is holding a total of 8 or 9, then it will automatically win. The bank may also draw a third card depending on the value of the player’s third card and the bank’s total hand. See the table below for scenarios for which the bank draws a third card.

Punto Banco House Edge

The House always maintains an edge regardless of how you bet. The punto (player) edge is 1.24%, banco (bank) edge is 1.06%, a tie edge (8:1 payout) is 14.4%, and a tie (9:1 payout) edge is 4.85%. The high house edge for an 8:1 payout is why you shouldn’t take the bet.

Variants of Baccarat Online

Although Punto Banco is the most popular variant, there are a few others like EZ Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Super 6 or Punto 2000, Chemin de fer, and Macao.

Closing Thoughts on Baccarat Online

Baccarat is a popular online and live dealer game available for Windows desktop and Android/iOS mobile devices. With a long history, it’s popularity comes from its relative simplicity, which relies mainly on chance, and to a far lesser degree strategy.

You can find variants of online Baccarat and live Baccarat, at US$ and Bitcoin casinos, which you can find here, from developers like Betsoft, Realtime Gaming, and Rival Games. New players from the United States can collect a welcome package, which may include a deposit bonus. At the same time, existing players may benefit from other regular promotions.

FAQs on Baccarat Online

Why should I play at a licensed Baccarat casino?

The best reason to play at a licensed Baccarat casino is that you reduce the chances of playing at an unfair or opaque casino that refuses a legitimate payout or acts in an unethical way.

What is Baccarat?

Baccarat is a simple card game that began as a tarot card game in Italy, before migrating to 16^th century France. The objective is to predict a tie or the winner (Bank or Player) who comes closest to a total hand of 9.

Is Baccarat easy to play?

Yes – Baccarat is one of the simplest online table games that you can play since there is minimal strategy involved and rules to learn.

Is Baccarat Online fair?

Yes – The outcome of any round is determined by a random number generator (RNG), meaning that a casino cannot ‘fix games’ to make you draw losing cards.

Can I use a strategy to win at Baccarat?

There is very little strategy involved in Baccarat. Still, you can better your odds by betting on Banco since it has the lowest House Edge.

Can I play Baccarat with dollars (USD) or Bitcoins (BTC)?

Yes – You can play all your favorite baccarat variants like Punto Banco at casinos that accept USD and Bitcoins.

Can I get a welcome casino bonus to play online Baccarat?

Yes – you may be able to receive a welcome bonus that can be applied to Baccarat as well as other games like online slots. You should read the T&Cs carefully before opting-in, however.