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Generally, baccarat is one of the simplest games you can play in any casino. Once you’ve acquainted yourself with the game, you can play with little to no mistake. But if you’re a newbie, you’ll likely end up committing a few errors. The good news is that there are simple ways to avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat.
Why Is Baccarat so Popular?
Baccarat used to be strictly a high-roller affair. If you think you can sit on a baccarat table dressed in ordinary clothes with only a couple hundred dollars, just forget about it. Back then, if you want to avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat, you had to wear fancy outfits and wager up to $100 per hand or more. But luckily, that’s now a thing of the past.
Nowadays, casinos have a bunch of $10 tables. Even better, you don’t have to throw on evening wear to gain access to roped-off areas. The game is becoming more popular among the masses than ever before. And no region loves playing it more than Asia, specifically the Chinese.
Visit casinos in Malaysia, Macau, Singapore, and the Philippines, and you’ll find countless baccarat tables. Now that average gamblers and high-stakes players alike can play baccarat, it has become one of the most well-loved casino games. And in turn, casinos placed more small tables on their floors.
Also, the birth of online and live dealer baccarat has a lot to do with the game’s fame. They make baccarat easily accessible even to individuals who don’t typically play or have no access to physical casinos.
How to Avoid Embarrassing Yourself Playing Baccarat
Once you learn some tricks, you can efficiently minimize mistakes and therefore avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat. But if you’re new to playing the game, mishaps are bound to happen. Much to your delight, though, you can minimize errors by checking out everything the baccarat veteran knows.
For starters, it’s crucial to make sure you join the right game. Other than that, below are five ways to avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat:
Play Small Table Baccarat Only
Whether it’s a land-based or online casino, baccarat is played the same way at every table. However, game variations make a significant difference. When you’re at a big baccarat table, the gameplay could result in an embarrassing mistake. That is since the players at big table baccarat are more involved in the dealing and game mechanics.
As their names imply, the difference between big table baccarat and small table baccarat is the table size. The former is played on a table close to the size of a craps table, whereas the latter is played on a table the same size as that of blackjack. It’s advisable to start with small table baccarat and then move to a big table once you master how the game works. That way, you can avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat.
Know the Betting Options
Regardless if you’re playing small table baccarat or large table baccarat, you only have three betting options for the base game. While some baccarat variants let you place special side wagers, you won’t have to make a side bet to play the base baccarat game.
Your three baccarat betting options are banker, player, and tie. Truth be told, only two of these wagers are worth considering. You may ignore the tie wager option since, more often than not, it’s a terrible choice.
When you sit down at the baccarat table with your chips, all that’s left to do is wait until a hand is finished. You then place your bet in either the banker space or the player space and wait for the dealer to play the hand.
Learn How Commission Works
If you chose to bet on the player’s hand, there’s nothing else you need to know. When a bet on the player hand wins, you retrieve your wager along with a win equal to how much you bet. A bet on the banker’s hand is pretty much the same except that you need to pay a small commission (usually 5%) when you win.
The reason you have to pay a commission on the banker’s hand is that you have a higher chance of winning this bet. Without a commission charge, the casino would lose money. And apparently, they aren’t in business to lose money.
Needless to worry about making the correct pay outs or calculating the commission as the dealer will do that for you. It’s important to note that some casinos only collect the commission after you stop playing. In that case, you have to keep track to ensure that you can afford to pay it and avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat. It’s also best to go for a lower house edge baccarat game with a less than 5% commission fee.
Wager Small and Don’t Execute Side Bets
Playing baccarat for very long makes the house edge work in favor of the casino. Even though baccarat has a lower house advantage than most casino games, you can’t beat it in the long run. Meaning, the casino will keep a percentage of the amount you bet playing baccarat over time.
If you’re looking to minimize your baccarat losses, risk less. A little over 1% of the amount you risk playing baccarat goes to the casino. Each bet you place raises the amount you’re gambling. Some baccarat players wager more, thinking they can guess when they’re going to win. Note that this is a risky strategy since you can’t get an advantage playing this way.
Ultimately, never make a side bet when playing baccarat or any other casino games.
Play Mobile and Online Baccarat
Another way to avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat is to play it on your computer or smartphone instead of a physical casino. Gameplay is the same. However, mobile and online baccarat comes with perks that you can’t get from live baccarat play.
Mobile and online baccarat offer lower table minimums as well as bonuses when you play for real money. While they won’t help you win in the long run, they allow you to play longer.
How Do I Consistently Win at Baccarat?
When you start learning baccarat strategy, everything from tables to numbers to systems can seem daunting. You might be asking, can you really win at baccarat? Absolutely! Baccarat strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. Below are some simple tricks on how to win at real money baccarat.
Watch Out for the Banker’s Cut
As you already know, casinos get a cut of the proceedings during a game where you wager on the banker to win. If you’re wondering how to win at baccarat consistently, beware of that. The cut should be in and around 5%. However, some casinos take as much as 20% commission for banker bets. Always opt for the lowest commission.
You can learn more about this by studying the game terms and conditions. Alternatively, you can ask the customer care professionals. If you have any doubt, then don’t play at that particular casino.
Manage Your Bankroll Wisely
Consistently winning at baccarat starts with good money management. Regardless if you’re a novice or advanced baccarat player, it’s so easy to let your emotions get the better of you.
Proper bankroll management is more helpful than any baccarat strategy. It’s so tempting to keep going when you’re winning, but you should know when to stop playing. Take control of your emotions. Otherwise, you’re giving the house an opportunity to take back your winnings. Another baccarat bankroll management tip is to set a budget and adhere to it.
Have a Plan and Keep Your Emotions in Check
Nothing can destroy a winning baccarat strategy more than being overly excited and forgetting your plan. If you want to avoid losing and embarrassing yourself playing baccarat, stay sober. Let the excitement die down, regain your focus after a big win, and stick to your game plan. You might even need to take a quick break.
Take Advantage of Baccarat Bonuses
In case you didn’t know, a handsome casino deposit bonus lets you stack bets and accumulate hefty sums of money risk-free. But before you get excited, make sure that you’ve read the bonus terms. Some of them indicate that winnings aren’t cashable or require very high betting requirements.
Don’t Forget About Lady Luck
It doesn’t matter how well thought out or mathematically efficient your baccarat system is—every casino game involves luck. Ask anyone who plays baccarat for a living, and they will confirm that. No baccarat tips and tricks can beat lady luck. Remember that when thinking about how to win at baccarat.
The Bottom Line
Playing baccarat is simple, especially when you’re at a mini table. All you have to learn is how to place a bet, and the dealer will take care of the rest. It helps to understand how the commission works on your wager, but the dealer also takes care of this.
Always remember: keep your wagers as small as possible and avoid side betting options. Simply follow the said tips on how to avoid embarrassing yourself playing baccarat, and you’ll surely have a delightful experience.
