Basic Baccarat Strategy

Baccarat is a fast paced, exciting game that is enjoyed by people from around the world.  While many people are enjoying playing the game, you might be wondering if you should employ a basic baccarat strategy to reduce the house advantage and give you a better chance of winning.  So, what is the basic baccarat strategy that is going to help you win?

Probably the best basic baccarat strategy is to always bet on the banker.  This may seem contradictory to what you have been told or what you have believed, but when you look at the odds you will find that betting on the banker might be the best option for you.  In any game of chance your goal should be to reduce the house edge, and the way that you do this in baccarat is to bet on the banker.  Betting on the banker will not guarantee that you will win, but this is a step in the right direction as it will reduce the odds a bit, and every little bit counts.

Your basic baccarat strategy should be to always avoid the tie bet.  Many players are attracted to the tie bet but it is never the best option. The payout is what attracts a lot of players, but the house edge on this bet is usually at least 5%.  When you choose the tie bet you are actually increasing the house edge, putting yourself at an extreme disadvantage.  In short, your basic baccarat strategy should never include the tie bet.

Your basic baccarat strategy will never involve patterns.  Many players try hard to find patterns, and they will end up changing their betting habits to gain the advantage.  You should stay consistent and remember that there are no patterns as each hand is free and independent of the past and future hands.  Many players use score cards that are provided by the casino, why would the casino encourage this?  Because they know that it doesn’t help the player and it will actually increase their advantage.

A great basic baccarat strategy involves minimizing the number of decks you are playing with.  Ideally you will play with one deck which will reduce the house edge to about 1%.  This is a very low advantage and will really help you even the playing field.

You can combine all of these strategies and have one very well rounded baccarat game or you can use them individually.  The fact of the matter is that the more you are able to reduce the house edge the better your position in the game.  If you employ all of these strategies you may find that the playing field is about even, giving you the best possible chance of winning each hand.

Remember that there is not a basic baccarat strategy that is going to guarantee that you will win.  Many players feel discouraged when they employ these tactics and they still don’t win, so remember that this is still a game of chance.  You just need to stay consistent in your attempts to reduce the house edge and continue to have fun, because baccarat is all about entertainment.