The Secrets of Baccarat: Essential Guide for South African Players
Baccarat is a simple game that can be a source of great fun online. It’s a fast-paced table game that’s loved especially by high rollers. But even if you play it for low stakes, you can enjoy it online. What’s best about it is that it has short rounds which makes it the perfect game to play on a short break. Let’s take a look at how and where you can play online baccarat at South African casinos!
Baccarat Basics
Baccarat is a French game invented around the 19th century. There are debates on where it came from - some say it’s a home-grown French invention, while others consider Macao, a similar game from Asia, to be at its origin.
It is a simple hand-matching game with simple rules:
- The numbered cards worth 2 to 9 are worth their face value
- Aces are worth 1 point each
- 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 0
The value of the hands is calculated by adding together the value of the cards. If the hand total is above 10, the 1 is taken away - so, if the total is 15, the hand’s value is 5.
How to Play Baccarat Online
Baccarat is a fast-paced game available at pretty much every online casino. It can be played both in a traditional RNG-powered variant and in a live dealer setting. The basic rules are the same for both. Quite often, live baccarat has side bets and other bonuses you can opt into.
In baccarat, the dealer does all the work:
- They deal a hand for the player and the house (banker)
- The total of the hands is calculated.
- If needed, a third card is drawn for the player or the banker, based on the “Third Card Rule”
- The two hands’ values are compared, and the one closer to 9 points wins.
The “Third Card Rule”
In baccarat, both players are dealt an initial hand of two cards. If the player or the banker has a hand total of 8 or 9, it’s called a natural. In this case, both stand.
Rules for the Player Hand
- If the player's hand has a total of 0 to 5, a third card is dealt to the player
- If the player’s hand has a total of 6 or 7, the player's hand stands
Rules for the Banker’s Hand
- If the player stands and the banker has a hand with a total value of 0 to 5, the banker draws another card
- If the player draws a third card, its value and the banker’s total determines whether the banker gets a third card:
| Player’s third card | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Banker total | ||||||||||
| 7 | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands |
| 6 | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Hits | Hits | Stands | Stands |
| 5 | Stands | Stands | Stands | Stands | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Stands | Stands |
| 4 | Stands | Stands | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Stands | Stands |
| 3 | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Stands | Hits |
| 2 | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits |
| 1 | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits |
| 0 | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits | Hits |
Baccarat Payouts
There are three possible outcomes in baccarat: the player’s hand wins, the dealer’s hand wins, and a tie (the two hands are equal). The payouts for the bets placed on these are:
- Bets on the player hand pay even money - if you bet R10, you get R20
- Bets on the banker’s hand pay less - the casino routinely retains a 5% commission on this one. So, for an R10 bet, you’ll get R19.5
- Bets on tie pay 8 to 1 or 9 to 1, depending on the individual game
Side Bets
Live dealer baccarat games often come with various side bets that promise bonus payouts for certain total or value combinations:
- Pragmatic Play’s live baccarat has two side bets:
- Any pair - if any of the two hands is a mixed or perfect pair, it pays 5 to 1
- Player pair or Banker pair - if the player’s hand or the banker’s hand is a pair, it pays 11 to 1
- Perfect pairs - if any of the two hands is a perfect pair (two cards with a matching suite and value), it pays 25 to 1
- Fortune 6 Baccarat from Pragmatic Play has the following side bets:
- Player Fortune Pair or Banker Fortune Pair: the first two cards in the player’s or the banker’s hand are a pair (matching values, suites, or perfect pairs) - pays up to 9 to 1
- Player 6: if the player wins with a total of 6 points. Pays 14 to 1
- Banker 6: if the banker wins with a total of 6 points. Pays 16 to 1
- Evolution Gaming’s live baccarat games have further optional side bets:
- Player Bonus, Banker Bonus, Either Pair or Perfect Pairs
- Two Pairs
- Prosperity Tree, where special cards are generated with multipliers
- Red Envelope, where a special multiplier - up to 88x - can be triggered
Play Live Dealer Baccarat At These South African Casinos
Versions and Variations
Like all other casino games, baccarat has its share of variants. Setting aside the rule variations available in live casinos, there are a few traditional ones that you can find in South African casinos.
Punto Banco
Baccarat Punto Banco is the most widespread variant of the game. It is played with six to eight decks of cards, and has both the lowest and the highest house edge in casinos, depending on your bet.
Speed Baccarat
As its name suggests, Speed Baccarat is just like the traditional game - only faster. On average, a hand of Speed Baccarat takes around half as long as the normal game.
Baccarat Squeeze
The opposite of Speed Baccarat. Here, the cards are revealed slower, by the dealer squeezing them first, adding to the anticipation and the excitement of the game.
No-Commission Baccarat
This version of the game removes the 5% commission applied to Banker bets. Otherwise, it has the same rules as the normal game.
Tips and Strategies
Baccarat is a game of pure chance - there is no skill involved. From this point of view, it is a lot like slot machines. The two lower-risk bets in the game - the player hand and the banker hand - may pay out less but you’ll win them more often.
Betting on a tie - and on any of the side bets available - is the riskier choice. While it may be exciting, and possibly rewarding, the probability of winning them is much lower. To play it safe, avoid these.
Make sure you play baccarat responsibly and within your means! practice Manage your bankroll wisely, and choose your bets so they allow you maximum fun and playtime with as little risk as possible.
You can give some betting systems a try - the Martingale might work, up to a point. But make sure you play with low stakes, and keep the table’s betting limits in mind before diving in. Be careful: when you bet using Martingale, your bets grow exponentially, so you might find yourself betting a huge amount very fast!
Choosing the Right Casino for Baccarat
How do you find the best South African online casino for baccarat? Start by reading our casino reviews. We look at all the pros and cons of the online casinos we review, pointing out every reason you have to play there - or not. Always choose a casino with a good track record, reliable support, and no payment issues reported by your fellow players.
Check out what our partners have to offer in terms of live dealer baccarat:
Baccarat FAQ
What is Baccarat?
Baccarat is a popular card game often played at casinos around the world. It's known for its simple rules and its association with high stakes and sophisticated players. The game involves comparing cards between two hands, the "player" and the "banker," with three possible outcomes for each round: player wins, banker wins, and tie.
How Does Baccarat Work?
In baccarat, the goal is to bet on which of two hands (the player or the banker) will have a total closest to nine. Each hand receives two or three cards, and the winning hand is the one with the highest remainder when its face value is divided by ten (known as the modulo operation).
How to Play Baccarat?
To play baccarat:
- Place a bet on either the player's hand, the banker's hand, or a tie.
- Two cards are dealt to both the player and the banker.
- Card values are added: face cards and tens have a value of zero, aces are worth one, and other cards are worth their face value.
- If the total exceeds 9, the second digit of the total is the new value of the hand.
- Depending on the total, a third card may be dealt to either hand based on specific rules.
- The winner is the hand closest to a total of nine.
Are RNG Baccarat and Live Dealer Baccarat the Same?
RNG (Random Number Generator) baccarat and live dealer baccarat offer the same fundamental game but differ in their experience. RNG baccarat uses a software-based algorithm to determine card outcomes, allowing for faster gameplay and often lower betting limits. Live dealer baccarat streams a real dealer from a casino studio, replicating the traditional casino experience with more engagement and transparency.
How to Win at Baccarat?
While largely based on luck, you can increase your chances of winning at baccarat by:
- Bet on the banker's hand, as it has a slightly higher chance of winning.
- Avoid tie bets due to their higher house edge.
- Manage your bankroll effectively to endure the variances of the game.
- You can try betting strategies like the Martingale but be careful - your bets can get out of control very fast!
Where Can I Play Baccarat Online?
You can play baccarat online at licensed and regulated online casinos. When choosing a casino, look for one that offers a variety of baccarat games, has fair gaming certifications, offers bonuses applicable to baccarat, and provides secure deposit and withdrawal options.