How to Play Baccarat Online

Before You Start Playing

Although playing baccarat is quite straightforward, ahead of diving in and placing bets, we believe it’s important to become familiar with some of the key gameplay terms you’ll encounter. We’ve listed some of these baccarat terms below, explaining what they mean:

• Baccarat – The name of the card game and also the worst hands in baccarat, which total zero points in value, made from Tens or face cards like Jack, Queen, or King.
• Banker – One of the three main betting options in baccarat. The Banker’s hand offers better odds but usually includes a commission percentage on wins.
• Player – One of the three main betting options in Baccarat. Represents the player’s hand and pays even money without commission if it wins.
• Tie Bet – Baccarat wager that both the Banker’s and the player’s hands will finish with the same points total. Pays higher odds but is rarer and riskier.
• Natural – Hands with a two-card total of 8 or 9 points in value, which usually ends the round in baccarat unless both the Banker and the player have natural hands.
• Commission – The small fee taken from Banker bet winnings to maintain a casino’s house edge. Usually 5% but not always applied in some online baccarat variants.
• Third Card Rule – In baccarat, this is a fixed rule set that dictates whether Player or Banker receives a third card, based on point totals under six with two cards.
• Shoe – The card dealing box used in baccarat, which typically contains six to eight shuffled decks.
• Bead Plate – Also referred to as Bead Road in some online baccarat games. A chart showing past results using coloured dots for the Banker, Player, and Tie outcomes.
• Monkey – The baccarat slang term for any 10, Jack, Queen, or King. They are all worth zero points in baccarat hands.

Regardless of how confident you feel while playing baccarat online, always try to be mindful of your wagering budget and gamble responsibly. Should you experience issues or have concerns, organisations such as GAMSTOP in the UK can help you control your online gambling activities.

Step 1: You Need an Online Casino Account

If you’re looking to play online baccarat with real money, first you’ll need to open an online casino account. This grants you access to the full range of gaming options available.

Important: We only recommend playing online baccarat at casino sites that are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. This ensures that the games are safe to play and have been tested to verify fairness.

Step 2: Choose a Baccarat Game to Play

Most online casinos have dedicated sections with baccarat games, offering players a wide variety of gaming options and variants.

Take your time when looking through the baccarat games available. Be mindful that each game can offer different gameplay options and payout rates, including live casino baccarat with real human dealers.

Step 3: Check the Baccarat Game Rules & Paytable

Before you dive in and start placing bets, take a moment to check the game rules and paytable. This is particularly helpful when you’re playing different baccarat variants, highlighting types of bets available, minimum and maximum bets, plus gameplay options and features that are specific to the game itself.

Step 4: Set Your Bet Amounts

Betting options available will often depend on the type of real money baccarat game you’re playing, including different minimum and maximum bet amounts. Be sure to check your bets are set to the correct amounts, and are within your wagering budget, ahead of playing each hand.

Be aware that some online baccarat games allow you to play multiple hands at once, requiring an individual bet amount for each hand. Likewise, the minimum and maximum bet amounts can vary. Don’t forget that you can always check bet amounts via the in-game information pages at any time.

Step 5: Enjoy Playing Baccarat Online

Once you’re comfortable and fully aware of the gameplay rules and betting options available, it’s time to start enjoying the baccarat game you’ve chosen to play. Although they might vary slightly in visual appearance, most online baccarat games feature similar gameplay options, including the same basic hand betting options for Player, Banker, and Tie.

Online Baccarat Variants and Special Rules

Worth noting before you choose which baccarat game to play, online casinos typically feature many gameplay variants you can try. These are a few of the most popular:

• Punto Banco – The most common baccarat variant. Participants bet on Player, Banker, or Tie.
• Chemin de Fer – French baccarat variant where players can act as the banker, with the option to choose whether or not to draw a third card.
• Baccarat Banque – Similar to the Chemin de Fer baccarat variant, but the banker is always the dealer and plays against multiple players.
• Mini Baccarat – Faster paced and lower limit version of Punto Banco, played on a smaller table with fewer players.
• Midi Baccarat – Mid-sized table version of baccarat, often found at online casinos with high-limit game rooms.
• European Baccarat – Variant of baccarat in which the dealer may choose whether to draw a third card or not, while players can also decline drawing a third card.
• Macau Baccarat – Popular Asian casino baccarat variant. Similar rules to Punto Banco, but with cultural styling and high betting limits.
• Three-Card Baccarat – Version of baccarat which uses three cards per hand instead of two, sometimes found at online casinos.
• No Commission Baccarat – Variant of Punto Banco rules in which no commission is taken on banker wins, but a 6-point win only pays at 1:2 ratio.
• Dragon Tiger – Simplified baccarat game, players bet on which of two drawn cards will have the higher points value.

When playing non-live online baccarat games, cards are shuffled and dealt using random-number-generator (RNG) software. By comparison, most live baccarat casino games tend to use real decks of cards, dealt from the shoe by a real human dealer.

Live Casino Baccarat Variants

Alongside the traditional baccarat variants, online casino games developers have also created a diverse range of live dealer baccarat variants to enjoy. These all have specific nuances and features that enhance overall gameplay. We’ve listed some of the most popular options below:

• Lightning Baccarat – Developed by Evolution, this fast-paced baccarat variant adds randomly multiplied payouts on winning hands.
• Golden Wealth Baccarat – Developed by Evolution, features a golden visual theme with higher payout multipliers on hand values.
• Peek Baccarat – A live baccarat variant developed by Evolution, where players get an early peek at some of the cards before placing final bets.
• Speed Baccarat – Developed by several different studios, this baccarat variant offers a suspenseful twist by revealing cards slowly, heightening anticipation before the outcome.
• Baccarat Squeeze – Developed by Evolution, this baccarat variant has the dealer slowly revealing cards, emulating traditional high-stakes games for increased drama.
• Salon Privé Baccarat – Developed by Evolution with high-limit tables, offering one-on-one VIP gameplay and dealer control features.
• Grand Baccarat Live – Developed by Playtech, featuring elegant studio sets with engaging live dealers, plus exclusive high-limit tables.
• Live Baccarat – Originally developed by Pragmatic Play, this baccarat version includes multiple betting options, roadmap visuals, and fast gameplay.
• Live Dragon Tiger – Developed by several different studios, offering quick and simple gameplay, betting on which of two drawn cards has the highest points value.
• First Person Baccarat – RNG version developed by Evolution, featuring high-quality 3D visuals and multiple camera angles, plus a “Go Live” button to switch game modes.

If you’re wondering how safe and fair live dealer baccarat games are, rest assured that when you’re playing at a licensed and regulated UK casino site, all the gaming equipment is monitored carefully and frequently tested. The same applies to dealers, who must be fully trained and qualified to work at the gaming tables.

Baccarat Gameplay & Tips

Different variants lead to different ways to play. Most feature the same basic gameplay, focused on backing hands that are closest to nine in card value. Check the gameplay images below, highlighting some of the different baccarat variants, with tips to help you while playing.

These are just a few gameplay examples you can discover when trying baccarat. Remember, there are many online baccarat variants, so it’s always worth checking the game rules and payouts for each game. Don’t forget to check which baccarat side bet options are available, plus any other features that are unique to the specific game you’re playing.