How to Play Live Baccarat
Live baccarat is a popular live casino game thanks to its easy-to-learn rules and engaging gameplay. The fun of baccarat is in the sweat; you don't have any influence over the game, but the reveal of each card adds to the tension, making for an engaging game. The presence of live dealers helps to build that excitement, as they can interact with the players and add tension by slowly revealing key cards.
What is live baccarat?
Baccarat is a casino card game where players must bet on the outcome of the hand. Unlike blackjack, baccarat is completely procedural, meaning that the dealer manages both the player's and banker's hands. This makes the game easier to play, but means that it lacks any strategic elements.
Live baccarat is played with a real casino dealer and professional equipment. This is done to recreate the brick-and-mortar casino environment, offering an authentic gaming experience from your home.
How to play live baccarat
Baccarat is one of the easiest games to play in the casino; the dealer does all the work for you, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the excitement. If you want to start playing live baccarat, you can follow along with our expert guide:
- Browse our list of recommended live baccarat casinos and pick your favorite.
- Create an account and make a real money deposit.
- Look through the list of live baccarat games and choose one to play.
- Read through the rules of the game to understand the specific rules and payouts.
- Click the chip symbols to select your bet size.
- Wait for the next round to begin.
- Place your bets by clicking one of the three betting spaces.
Once the round starts, the dealer will deal the cards and play the hand out according to the game's rules. If you win, your winnings will be automatically paid into your account.
While playing live baccarat, you can ask the dealer questions by using the live chat function. They can assist you with the rules of the game, ensuring that you have a positive gaming experience.
Live baccarat rules
The aim of baccarat is to pick the hand whose total is closest to 9. After the initial two cards are dealt, the dealer may give an extra card to either hand based on the game's rules. Each card has a set value; aces are worth 1 point, cards 2-9 are worth their face value, and all 10/picture cards are worth zero.
Once all cards have been dealt, the value of each hand is compared. The hand that is closest to 9 is the winner; if both hands have the same score, the "tie" bet wins.
3rd card rules
Both the player's hand and banker's hand have different rules regarding the drawing of a third card. The dealer addresses the player's hand first, using this set of actions:
| Hand value | Action |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 | A 3rd card is drawn |
| 6 or 7 | Stand |
| 8 or 9 | These are "natural" hands that do not require additional cards. |
After the player's hand has been played, the dealer addresses the banker's hand. The rules for this hand are affected by the player's hand. If the player does not draw an extra card, the banker uses the same rules as above. If the player does take an extra card, the dealer takes into account both the player's third hand and the banker's total and he acts according to this table:
| Player's 3rd card | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banker total | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| <3 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H |
| 3 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | S | H |
| 4 | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | H | S | S |
| 5 | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | S | S |
| 6 | S | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | S | S |
| >6 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
Once both hands have been addressed, the dealer will announce the winner.
Live baccarat bets
There are a total of three bets available in baccarat; you can bet on the player's hand to win, you can bet on the banker's hand to win, or you can bet on the hand being a tie. Let's take a closer look at these betting options:
| Bet | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Player | 1:1 | 1.24% |
| Banker | 1:1* | 1.06% |
| Tie | 8:1 | 14.36% |
As you can see, both the player and banker bets have the best house edge but offer lower payouts than the tie bet.
Live baccarat variants
The best live casinos will offer multiple variants of the game, each with its own set of rules and gameplay features. So far, we've covered the rules of the most popular baccarat variant – Punto Banco. To help you understand the differences between these games, we've explored the most popular variants in more detail:
- No commission baccarat – This version of the game eliminates the commission paid on winning banker bets, giving you a 1:1 payout when you win. However, to compensate for this, the payout is reduced to 0.5:1 if the banker wins with a 6. This actually increases the house edge of this bet to 1.46%.
- Lightning baccarat – This casino game from Evolution uses a multiplier mechanic that can be triggered by certain cards. At the beginning of each round, 1-5 randomly chosen cards will be given multipliers of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x. If one of these cards appears in your winning hand, your payout will be multiplied. Best of all, these multipliers stack, increasing your payouts if you find two or more. While playing this game, a 20% lightning fee will be added to your bet.
- Royal 9 progressive – This variant offers a side bet that gives you a chance to win a progressive jackpot. Each playing area will have a unique king-9 suit combination next to it; if both the player and the dealer are dealt king-9 in these exact suits, you'll win 100% of the progressive jackpot.
Pros and cons of live baccarat
Before playing live baccarat, we recommend familiarizing yourself with its benefits and drawbacks. This will allow you to make an informed decision as to whether it's the right game for you:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Live dealer baccarat allows you to talk to the dealer and the other players, giving you a more social gaming experience. | Some live baccarat games have higher betting limits which can prevent low-budget players from joining. |
| The best live casinos offer live dealer baccarat games that you can access on your mobile device, allowing you to play from anywhere. | Live baccarat is not available to play for free, requiring you to play for real money. |
| Baccarat is an easy casino game to learn, making it an appealing option for beginners. | These games are considerably slower than traditional online casino games, resulting in you playing fewer hands per hour. |
| The presence of a professional dealer and real casino equipment offers a more immersive experience than traditional online casino games. |
Conclusion
To sum up, live baccarat is a fun and engaging casino game. The game is popular thanks to its easy-to-understand rules and simple gameplay, making it a great option for beginners. The game has a relatively low house edge, depending on the bet, further adding to its appeal. Many online casinos offer a variety of live baccarat games, giving you plenty of options to choose from.
Live baccarat FAQ
