Baccarat gambling tips

There needs to be at least one player in the game to play against the banker, who also doubles as the card dealer. 

Similar to blackjack, the object of the game is to get as close as possible to 9 over the course of a 2 to 3 card hand. The player and the banker are both dealt 2 cards, starting with the player first. Whoever has the point total closest to 9 wins. There's no such thing as bust, so you don't have to worry about going over.

10's and face cards have a point values of 0, while the other cards of Ace to 9 are worth their face value. Aces, like other games, are worth 1 point. If the total of two or more cards is more than 10, the total point value is subtracted by 10. For example, say for instance you are dealt a 7 and a 6. The total, of course, is 13. Since this is over 10, 10 is taken from the point total, reducing it to 3 for the hand.

The betting is as simple as the rules are. All the player needs to do is guess which hand is going to win, then bet. In total, there's 3 betting options available. Each player decides whether their own hand will win, the bankers hand will win, or that there will be a draw (tie). A winning bet on the player's or banker's hand will result in a 2 for 1 win (minus 5% vig for the house). Bet on a tie and win and get paid out 9 for 1.

It is a good idea to avoid tie bets altogether, since they give the house a significant advantage, close to 20%, in fact. By sticking to only the banker and player bets, the house advantage will remain at a minimum, thereby maximizing your chances of winning.

Betting on the player gives the house a 1.36% edge

Betting on the banker gives the house a 1.17% edge

Either way, the house has the edge and should win in the long run.

Some baccarat players believe in streaks and will bet on whatever won the last hand. This strategy does not give you better odds though as each hand is like the flip of a coin.

The Martingale Betting System

This dangerous system can dig you into a deep hole very quickly should you have a long string of losses.

It is an easy system to understand. You attempt to win 1 unit ($1/£1, or $5/£5, or whatever) on every hand. Your first bet is 1 unit on player or banker. If the bet is won, you start again at 1 unit. If the bet is lost, you double the next bet to 2 units. Winning at this stage gives you a win of 1 unit (1 unit lost followed by 2 units won). Should you lose again, then you double your bet again, this time to 4 units. And again, a win at this stage is of 1 unit (1 unit lost, 2 units lost and 3 units won). And so on until you win. Given a 'normal' sequence it should not be too long before you register a win which covers your losses and provides a win of 1 unit.