Why Baccarat is the Perfect Game for Beginners

Baccarat is one of the most popular games at both land-based and online casinos in Australia. While particularly popular with high rollers, the game is also perfect for beginners due to its simplicity and fast pace of play.

Today, you’ll learn all about Baccarat, including how to play the game, why it’s popular with beginners, and some of the best variants of Baccarat to play at online casinos in Australia.

Baccarat Basics – Simple Rules and Fast Gameplay

Baccarat is a simple card game where the objective is to pick the hand you think will make a hand the closest to nine. There are three options to bet on for traditional Baccarat games – Banker, Player, and Tie.

Next, both players are dealt two cards. The cards are then given a point value as follows:

• Tens – 0
• Face Cards – 0
• 2 – 9 – Face Value
• Aces – One Point

The two card values are tallied, and if the total is 10 or more, the second digit is dropped. For example, if you get a 9 and a 5 for 14, your total is 1. After points are tallied, if either the Player or Dealer has a total of eight or nine, the hand is over. This is known as a Natural hand.

If there is no Natural hand, the Player’s hand will have the option to draw a third card or stand. If the Player total is 5 or less, they will draw. Otherwise, they stand.

If the Player draws a third card, the Dealer can draw cards based on the third card drawn by the players. Here’s a rundown of when the Dealer draws a third card.

Once all cards are drawn, the winners are determined, and payouts are made. Many Baccarat games require a commission to be paid for all winning Banker bets. This is due to the slight advantage that the Banker has over the Player in the game based on the drawing rules. The commission is 5% of winnings.

Here’s a standard Baccarat payout table:

• Banker – 0.95 to 1
• Player – 1 to 1
• Tie – 8 to 1

Once payouts are made, you can play your next hand.

Wait – Didn’t You Say that Baccarat Was Simple?

We know what you’re thinking. The rules of Baccarat sound a bit complicated. Here’s the catch – you don’t need to know them. You will never interact with the cards in any fashion for online baccarat games. All decisions to draw or stand are made automatically for you.

The only thing you need to know when playing Baccarat is how much you can bet. After that, it is a matter of placing bets on the board.

It is important that you know the odds and house edge of Baccarat bets so you can make the best betting decisions.

Baccarat has one of the lowest house edges at online casinos. The Player bet has a 1.24% house edge, while the Banker bet has a 1.06% house edge. The lower house edge is why many games require a 5% commission to offset the edge.

The Tie bet is the “sucker bet” for standard Baccarat games, as it has a house edge of 14.36%. Online pokies have an average house edge of just 5%, so the Tie bet is not worth playing.

Since your only actions are betting, Baccarat games have a fast rate of play, with many hands taking less than 30 seconds. You don’t need complicated play strategies, making the game very appealing to new online casino players.

Why did we just go through the rules of the game? So you know what’s going on when you play the game. Also, in traditional brick-and-mortar casinos, some Baccarat versions require you to interact with cards and make drawing decisions if you pick the Player option. Knowing the rules will help you if you play in these games.

Why Baccarat is Great for Beginners

Baccarat is often associated with high-stakes gamblers, but the reality is that it is a perfect option for beginners. Whether you’re new to gambling in general or a pokies players looking to expand your gaming, Baccarat is a great choice. Here are some top reasons Baccarat is an excellent game for beginners.

• No Complicated Strategies – Most table games require some form of strategy if you wish to dramatically improve your odds. With Baccarat, you don’t need elaborate strategies, and the simplest strategy is often the best. Since the Banker has the best house edge, you can’t go wrong long-term by always betting the Banker.
• Lowest Basic House Edge – Blackjack is often touted as the casino game with the lowest house edge, but that is if you use perfect strategy. In reality, Baccarat has the lowest house basic house edge at just 1.06% for the Banker bet and 1.24% for the Player. Beginners have the exact same odds as high rollers, evening the playing field.
• Lower Stake Options Available – One advantage of online Baccarat over other table games is that you’ll often find lower stake options. Games like Mini Baccarat will offer table stakes for as little as .20. That’s the same as many online pokies, which is perfect for beginners or those with a small bankroll.
• Fast Gameplay – The average hand of Baccarat takes under 30 seconds for standard RNG games and less than a minute for Live Dealer options. This allows a player to realistically play 50 to 100 hands per hour. That’s like playing many modern online pokies.
• Simple Game Layout and Graphics – One advantage of playing Baccarat over online pokies and many table games is that the game’s layout and graphics are simple. This allows the game to work smoothly on all platforms and devices. For those who like a barebones approach to gambling, Baccarat is the game for you.

Best Baccarat Games

Like all other popular table games, there are multiple variants of Baccarat that you can play at online casinos in Australia. Let’s look at some of the most popular variants of online Baccarat.

• Punto Banco – Any game simply listed as Baccarat is Punto Banco. It is also referred to as American Baccarat. In traditional casinos, many forms of Baccarat require that you interact with cards and make determinations on whether to draw. Punto Banco is structured like traditional online Baccarat, requiring no player interaction.
• No Commission Baccarat – This game is the same as traditional Baccarat, but you don’t pay a commission on Banker bets.
• Baccarat Mini – This game is the same as standard Baccarat but has lower minimum bets than other games. For example, if the average game has a $1 minimum bet, Baccarat Mini might have a .20 minimum bet.
• Dragon Tiger – This is a Baccarat variation where you bet on whether the Dragon or Tiger will win. A single card is drawn for both. Also, if you bet Dragon or Tiger and there is a tie, you get back half your bet. Additionally, there are side bets that you can make that pay from even money up to 50 to 1 on a Suited Tie.
• EZ Baccarat – This is a No Commission Baccarat game with two side bets. The first is a Dragon 7 side bet which pays 40 to 1 if the Banker get a three-card seven. The Panda 8 side bet pays 25 to 1 if the Player gets a three-card eight.

Alternative Online Baccarat Variants to Try

The online casino market is constantly evolving, and new casino games are continually being developed. Several top developers have come up with fun and innovative takes on traditional Baccarat games, offering massive prizes on side bets. Here are some alternative Baccarat variants to try if you don’t mind a little extra risk.

• Dragon Baccarat – This is a standard version of Baccarat but with three side bets. You can bet on a Player or Banker pair paying 11 to 1. There is also a Fortune Six bet that pays 11 to 1 on a two-card Banker 6 or 20 to 1 on a three-card Banker 6. Lastly, you can place a Dragon bet that pays up to 30 to 1, with the top payout occurring when your selected side makes a non-natural nine.
• Lightning Baccarat – This is a Live Casino version of Baccarat from Evolution Gaming. This game assigns multipliers to up to five cards in the deck from 2x up to 8x. This will increase your winnings based on the multiplier. If both your winning cards have multipliers, they will be multiplied together to make potentially massive wins. However, every bet will have a 20% Lightning Fee added to each bet placed.
• XXXTreme Lightning Baccarat – Similar to Lightning Baccarat, this game assigns four to eight cards with a multiplier up to 10x. Three matching Lighting Cards will give multiplied wins up to 1,000x. This game adds a 50% fee on every bet.

Common Mistakes Made by Baccarat Players

While Baccarat doesn’t require players to make in-game decisions, players still make mistakes that cost them money. Let’s look at some of the most common mistakes made by Baccarat players.

• Betting on a Tie – The house edge on the tie bet is 14.36% or 14x that of any other bet in the standard game. This is a long-term losing bet and one of the worst standard bets you can make in casino games. Don’t bet on the tie.
• Trying to Bet Patterns – Some people will suggest that you look for patterns in Baccarat games and try to bet the patterns. The reality of online casino games is that they use Random Number Generators that cannot be predicted. There’s no pattern, and trying to bet one will cost you money.
• Not Practising Bankroll Management – When playing Baccarat, or any online casino game, it is crucial that you practice bankroll management. Set limits on your play, including loss, wager, and time limits. This helps you control your losses and keeps you playing for as long as possible.
• Playing Baccarat on a Bonus – While most sites will recommend using online casino bonuses, you should largely avoid them when playing Baccarat. That’s because Baccarat games generally don’t contribute toward the wagering requirement. At best, they contribute 10%. In other words, you’d have to wager 10x as much on Baccarat as pokies to get the same credit on a rollover. It’s not worth the effort.
• Playing Too Many Side Bets – It is generally a bad idea to play side bets on online casino games, and the same applies to Baccarat. The house edge on side bets vary wildly from 2.65% for the Player Dragon side bet to as much as 29.98% for the Super 6 side bet. This is on top of the house edge for the bet. Unless you like giving money away, it is best to avoid side bets.

Best Ways to Get Started With Baccarat

If you want to give Baccarat a try, there are many online casinos in Australia that allow you to play the game for free. Most online casinos offer demo options for Baccarat games where you can play for free with no risk to your bankroll.

Alternatively, many casinos offer low-stake options for Baccarat with minimum bets of $1 or less for standard RNG games. Some casinos have Live Dealer options starting at $1.

If you would prefer to watch someone else play the game before jumping in, most Live Casinos allow you to observe gameplay without sitting down at the table. This lets you get a feel for the game and see how the rules mentioned above play out in practice.

The best way to get started with Baccarat is to get into the game. Whether you play for free or real money, there’s nothing like jumping in and playing a few hands. If you’re looking for a place to play, we encourage you to visit our casino reviews site. There you will find top-rated Australian online casinos, all offering o