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Baccarat remains one of the most popular table games in Asia. Its popularity has crossed the online sphere with tons of online casinos offering live baccarat. This new immersive and authentic experience gives players the opportunity to play this well-loved game at the comfort of their home. Playing live baccarat gives players a touch closer to the real deal, along with its curated atmosphere, excitement, and ambiance given by land-based casinos and real dealers.
Live Baccarat Casinos
Many of the live baccarat casinos available today offers awesome welcome bonuses depending on where they are accessed from. Japanese live baccarat casinos have different bonuses and daily promotions from casinos catering to the Korean or Vietnamese market but all in all key features are the same.
Live Baccarat Online Key Features
Traditional baccarat uses a random number generator, however, live baccarat games often tweak their rules to enhance and spice up the game. Common key features in live baccarat include:
- Live Experience: Live baccarat’s gameplay uses a high-definition video stream and is managed by a human dealer. Each user’s betting options are available on the digital screen. As the action is played out by the dealer, players can experience immersive baccarat complete with interchangeable cameras and optional side-bets.
- Commission or No Commission Baccarat: Some live baccarat games have different rulings. Check whether the game you are playing requires a commission. Oftentimes, a 5% commission is paid out to winning banker's hands but there are also online casinos live baccarat games that do not charge commission fees.
- Super 6 Baccarat: Super 6 Baccarat is a variant of live baccarat and is played the same way. The difference is in the payout. A player’s winning bet on a Super Six hand will have a payout of 12:1.
- Live baccarat has many variants and some casinos, as mentioned, often tweak the rules so watch out for that. Other notable features of live baccarat include VIP stakes, short delays between hands, and side bets. Make sure to explore your options when playing live baccarat in Japan.
Live Baccarat Variants Popular in Japan
Japanese baccarat players love to tinker with their games so it is not surprising to know that several baccarat variants are commonly played in Japan. This includes:
Live Baccarat
As mentioned, this live version of baccarat is extremely popular in Asia. In comparison to other live casino table games, live baccarat does not limit seats at a table. Almost every player can try their luck by placing a wager on the banker’s hand, player’s hand, or a tie.
Note that some live baccarat games come with adjustable cameras and provides information about past gaming history. Players from Japan often stream from Macau and Philippine casinos.
Speed Baccarat
Several live casinos in Asia also offer Speed Baccarat. This speedy variant of the game allows players to make quick bets, usually half the time from the usual live baccarat. Speed Baccarat often allow betting to around 27 seconds, with betting time in-between of only 12 seconds. Additionally, speed baccarat does not feature random shuffling and are more commonly streamed from Eastern Europe.
Mini Baccarat
Live Mini Baccarat is a unique variant of the game. This game uses 8 decks and offers random shuffling, similar to traditional live baccarat but they are different because they only offer minimal seats at the table – a maximum of 7 players for each table.
Squeeze Baccarat
Live Squeeze Baccarat is among the baccarat variants that are also popular among players from Asia. This variant allows the players to “squeeze” the cards before they are turned face-up. Squeezing of the cards is done using a close-up camera shot. Games usually use up to 17 cameras to capture the card squeezing.
Some casinos offer mobile gameplay for live baccarat and other table games. For instance, Live Casino House does not require users to download a casino app. They can simply use the browser and log in to their account and play. The casino offers games for Asian players, with Chinese, English, Japanese, Thai, or Vietnamese as the language. Most of the games are streamed from top casinos in Asia.
Options While Playing Live Baccarat
To maximise live casino experience, online casinos provide users with a variety of on-table options as they play. This includes:
- Adjustable cameras
- Side betting
- Interactive tools
Betting Options of Live Baccarat
Depending on the online casino, players can choose from a variety of betting options such as:
- Banker’s Hand. Players have the option of betting on the hand of the banker. However, doing so may require you paying a 5% commission in case you win. This means payout for a banker’s hand bet is 0.95:1.
- Players’ Hand. Odds for betting on the player’s hand will give you winnings of 1:1.
- Tie. Players can also choose to bet on a tie. Since it is least likely to come out of all the betting options, it has a higher payout worth 8:1.
- Side-Bets. Side-bets are placed before starting each game. Perfect Pair side bets pay if the first two cards of either the banker or the player is a suited pair. Wins can reach up to 25:1. Check payout table for side-bets before wagering.
Live Baccarat RTP
Live baccarat RTP (return to player) depends on the bets carried out by the players. For example, the RTP rate for a player hand is 98.76% whilst for the banker's hand, it is 98.95%. They dramatically drop to 85.64% on ties, making it a non-profitable bet for players. Side bets also come with different RTP. Perfect Pair bets have an RTP of 91.95%.
Playing live baccarat in Japan must be done with caution as the country has strict gambling regulations. Make sure you are playing in a licensed online casino before engaging in any form of betting whilst in Japan. Research first if the casino is among the top live casinos in Japan so you can really maximise your bets.
Live baccarat is one of the easiest games to play in online casinos. It is enjoyable and has high RTP that makes it a worthwhile pastime.
