Baccarat Online at Bovada Casino
Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games played at the online casinos. At Bovada you can play the classic version of the card game or bet on Player's hand, Bankers Hand or Tie in our Live Dealer Baccarat section.
History of Baccarat
With a history dating back to the 1400's, Baccarat is one of the oldest card games still played in casinos today. The word "baccara" is Italian for zero, which is the value of tens and face cards in the game. Although the origins of the game are still up for debate, it's believed to be invented by the Italian gambler Felix Falguerein, who used a deck of Tarot cards in the initial design which were later replaced with a standard 52-card deck. The game grew in popularity when it made its way from Italy to France, where it became known as Chemin de Fer, and not long after, an offshoot called Baccarat en Banque started. The game spread through Europe, and different countries developed their own versions. America was first introduced to Baccarat in the late 19th century, but the game struggled to gain popularity because of the prevalence of Blackjack. A casino player and writer by the name of Tommy Renzoni brought the game from Cuba to Las Vegas, where it finally stuck.
How to play Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games and the version played online is punto banco. It involves a battle between the Player and Casino Banker that other future players witness. After you place your bet in any of the games, the Player and Banker will each receive two cards, face-up. Each of the players will try to play as close to nine points as possible – not unlike Blackjack, where you’re trying to make 21. There are some very important differences in the strategy how to play. In Baccarat games, only one more card can be drawn, and it doesn’t happen all the time. Rather, it depends on which cards have already been dealt. The decision whether or not to draw that third card will be made automatically for you, but we’ll explain the drawing and standing rules in more detail shortly to give you the best idea on strategy.
Card Values in Baccarat
Tens and face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) are worth zero points, Aces are worth one point, and all other cards are worth face value. If one side gets more than nine points, the first digit in the score disappears.
Here’s an example of this one of many playing rules: You get dealt a Five and a Seven. These two cards add up to 12 points, so you throw out the “1” and you’re left with a score of 2. Then you get dealt a third card; it’s a Nine, which gives you a running total of 21 points. That means your score is 1.
The Baccarat hand that finishes closer to 9, wins. If the Player and/or the casino Banker get dealt either a 9 or an 8 right away, that’s known as a natural, and both people stand; whichever one has the higher score wins in the game. If no one is dealt a natural, then it’s time to look at the tableau – the chart of rules that shows you who gets to draw, and when.
Drawing and standing rules
Some drawing and standing rules apply during the game. The Baccarat Player goes first. If their total is between 0-5 points, a third card is drawn. If the total is 6-7, the Baccarat Player stands. Easy enough. Then it’s the casino Banker’s turn. If the Baccarat Player didn’t draw a third card, the casino Banker will also draw with 0-5 and stand with 6-7. If the Baccarat player did draw a third card, here’s what the Baccarat tableau of rules says what's best to do in casinos:
- 0-2: Draw
- 3: Draw if Player has 0-7
- 4: Draw if Player has 2-7
- 5: Draw if Player has 4-7
- 6: Draw if Player has 6-7
- 7: Stand
That’s it – both the Player and the casino Dealer now have their final holdings in this game. Which Baccarat hand finished closer to 9 or rather, which was the best? The in-game software will do the counting for you as well as the drawing, but it’s nice to know the Baccarat basics at all casinos, so you can follow along with the casino game action.
How to Win at Baccarat
There is a good reason why Baccarat is a favorite game among the super high-rollers. This game has one of the lowest house edges in any casino game. You can bet on either the Player or the Banker to win during games, and you can also bet on a Tie between the two hands.
Player’s Hand
If you bet on the Player and you win, you’ll be paid out at even money, generating a very low house edge of 1.24% (online Baccarat uses a six-deck shoe, shuffled automatically between hands).
Banker’s Hand
When you bet, on the Banker’s hand in Baccarat and you win, you’ll be paid out at even money – minus a 5% commission. This actually produces an even lower house edge of 1.06%, since the Banker’s hand will win 45.9% of the time compared to 44.6% for the Player. This is a decent amount of money you are playing for.
The Tie
The remaining 9.5% of Baccarat hands will end in a Tie. At our casino, you’ll be paid at 9/1 if you bet on the Tie and it wins, for a house edge of 4.85%. That’s still a bargain compared to American Roulette at 5.26%. Many live casinos only pay out 8/1 for the Tie, generating a massive house edge of 14.4%. Playing the lower house edge strategy pays to play online at Bovada.