Remember – As with any other casino strategies, there is no guarantee that any of the strategies listed will lead to wins 100% of the time. Utilizing a strategy can give you a play style to focus your betting behavior, but no strategy is bulletproof.
If your hand value is less than 5, you draw a 3rd card
How to Play Baccarat – A Quick Reminder
Before we get into the Baccarat play systems, here is a quick reminder of how a standard game of Baccarat is played:
- Choose your chip size and place your bets on Player, Banker, or Tie to win
- 2 cards are drawn to both the Player and the Banker and revealed
- The value of the two cards is combined up to a maximum value of 9, with the closest value winning
- If the value is over 9, then it resets to 0 and increases up to 9 again
- If the total value equals 5 or less, then a 3rd card is awarded, and the value matched against the opponent
If you want a more extensive breakdown of how Baccarat works, including the 3-card rule and how Banker/Player Pair bets are made and won, then check out How to Play Baccarat for all the top info on mastering the table casino classic.
Baccarat features up to 5 different betting options
Baccarat Bet Types
Here’s a little cheat sheet of the available Baccarat moves that you can use when applying your newfound strategies:
Top 10 Baccarat Strategies
#1 – The Baccarat Martingale
The Martingale is one of the most popular casino strategies worldwide and follows one all-important rule; every time you lose a round, you double your bet value. The idea behind this strategy is that when you win, it will offset the value of the lost rounds. Set yourself a betting style and stick to it religiously to follow this strategy. Upgrade the strategy by applying flexible min and max bet limits and keep within those limits to keep it manageable.
#2 – Side with the Banker
Statistically, the Banker has a slightly higher chance of winning on any given round and awards a payout of 0.95:1 as opposed to the Player, which awards 1:1. This strategy is pretty simple; bet on the Banker on every round. Despite the slight advantage over the Player space, there is no guarantee the Banker will win, so stick to it for multiple rounds to maximize this strategy.
#3 – Focus on Pair Bets
The Pair bets have the highest potential return on your initial bet with a payout of 11:1. This strategy focuses on making bets exclusively on Player Pair or Banker Pair bets to win. For every win, you will win 11x your bet value, with each win offsetting the potential losses from non-winning rounds. Stick to one type of bet or alternate between them to spice up the action.
#4 – Baccarat Fibonacci
Originally a strategy employed for Roulette, the Fibonacci can be modified to work with Baccarat. The strategy primarily focuses on Banker bets and follows a sequence of betting values on each round. Set yourself a minimum bet value and, whenever you win, move one step one the sequence. If you lose a round, return to the first step of the sequence and start again. The sequence to follow is:
1 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 13 – 21 – 34 – 55 – 89 – 144 – 233 – 377 – 610 – 987
As an example:
- You set a limit of £1 as your minimum bet
- The sequence would go £1-£1-£2-£3-£5-£8 etc.
- If you lose, start again with a £1 bet and repeat the sequence until the next losing hand
#5 – The James Bond
It’s the secret agent’s favorite game, and it would only be appropriate for there to be a strategy centered around the man who enjoys his martini shaken. You play each round at £200 and split it across 3 bets of:
- £140 on a number Banker
- £50 on a number Player
- The other £10 on Tie
The James Bond strategy can be heavily modified, so the values can be higher or lower depending on your budget. Set yourself a strict limit and don’t spend more than you would feel comfortable with; as long as the values can be split similarly to the above format.
#6 – The 3 2 System
This system bases its strategy on placing 5 chips of equal value split across 2 different bets. For Baccarat, the split is between either the Banker and Banker Pair bets or the Player and Player Pair bets. Once decided, follow this sequence:
- Place 3 chips on Banker/Player
- Place the remaining 2 chips on Banker Pair/Player Pair
- Repeat after each round and adjust chip values according to your budget
This strategy can be altered to alternate between Player and Banker at different intervals of rounds or mix and match with Banker/Player and Banker Pair/Player Pair.
#7 – The 1 3 2 6 System
This strategy follows a similar setup as the Fibonacci but increases the number of chips in play rather than the base bet value. Essentially, you set a chip size that becomes your base bet, and after every winning round, you follow the pattern and add chips accordingly. The sequence goes 1,3,2,6 before resetting after 6 if another win is achieved.
As an example:
You set your base bet at £1
- Stage 1 is played at 1 chip of £1, and if that wins, you move onto stage 2
- Stage 2 is played with 3 chips at £1 for a total of £3, and if that wins, you move onto stage 3
- Stage 3 is played with 2 chips at £1 for a total of £2, with a win moving onto stage 4
- Stage 4 is played with 6 chips at £1 for a total of £6, with a win resetting the sequence back to stage 1
All bets played on this strategy should be focused on Player/Banker bets as they have the highest likelihood of winning over the riskier Tie or Player/Banker Pair bets.
#8 – The Reverse Martingale
The Reverse Martingale is, as expected, very similar to the Martingale but with one distinct difference. Whenever you win a round, you double your bet value and decrease it on any losing round. Instead of using wins to offset losing values, the Reverse Martingale focuses on limiting the amount lost by lowering bets on losing rounds to limit the amount lost on each round.
#9 – Side with the Player
A similar strategy to Side with the Banker, but you place bets exclusively on the Player space. The Player has close to the same chance of winning as the Banker and pays a slightly higher amount at 1:1. There’s no guarantee of the Player winning on a given round, so stick to it and alternate your bet values based on your limits.
#10 – The Mix Up
Does what it says on the tin. This is a super flexible strategy with only one rule; don’t stick to just one bet type. Set yourself rules on the number of identical bets you plan to make and then, once you’ve hit that limit, alternate to a different bet until you’ve covered all 5 available bets. Once you’ve reached the end of the cycle, simply repeat. This allows you to get a chance with every bet type and never miss out on those all-important winning bets.
MrQ features a variety of Baccarat games, including live casino Baccarat from Evolution
Top Tips for Baccarat Strategies
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Practice makes perfect – As with anything, it takes time to learn and implement a strategy confidently, so take your time and practice. Try out a variety of different strategies and play at low stakes to get a hang of how the different playstyles work.
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Shop around – While sticking to one single strategy is the quickest way to pick it up, shopping around and trying out several different strategies can help you find the one that works best for you. Experiment with a variety of playstyles.
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Master your favorite – Once you’ve shopped around and tried a few strategies, find the one that works best for you and maximize it. Take the time to get comfortable with it and learn all you can to become a master. Lots of practice still applies here, so find your strategy of choice and make it the primary focus for practicing.
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Find the game for you – Once you’ve shopped around for the best strategy for you, try it out on some Baccarat variations and find what works best for you. Whether you favor the simplicity of a 2-card Dragon Tiger, enjoy the fast-paced nature of Speed Baccarat, or just want that classic experience; try a few out and see what takes your fancy.
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Set limits and stick to them – Set limits and stick to them to ensure you don’t spend more than you intended. If you need a hand with setting limits, including deposit limits and sessions, check out our range of Safer Gambling Tools that can be applied in seconds.
Top Baccarat Games You Can Play Now
Dragon Tiger is a popular Baccarat variation featuring just 2 cards
Ready to take your new skills to the table? Here are some of our personal favorite Baccarat games and variations to put your knowledge to the test.
baccarat method
