Let’s get one thing straight – there is not one single surefire Baccarat strategy guaranteeing you wins. Anyone who claims they have cracked the Baccarat code is either a Trump supporter who yells at kids to get off their lawn or a self-righteous and self-proclaimed “expert” lacking the bankroll to back up him boasting his uncanny skill and technique. And although there’s not really one foolproof strategy per se, considering how much based on the chance the game is, there are some rules you can follow to ensure a pleasant time at the Baccarat table.

How to Play Baccarat – The Rules In a Nutshell

First and foremost – learn the mechanics of the game. Make sure you know the rules, how the cards are dealt and what their value is. It can be boring learning all the intricacies like when the player stands and when the banker hits but if you’re betting your money, you need to have a complete understanding of what’s going on.
Despite the fancy suited high-rollers we’ve come to associate with Baccarat, it doesn’t take the intellectual prowess and deductive reasoning of a British Secret Service agent to ace it. In fact, this is probably the most straightforward game you can play at a casino. Despite all the prestige surrounding the game, it’s really nothing more than a coin toss, so once you’re familiar with the terms and bets, you’re all good to go. To prep you up for a night at a glitzy land-based casino or a game at an online live table, here’s a crash course on how to play Baccarat.
Baccarat is played at large kidney-shaped tables that can sit 12 players and two dealers, plus a caller. In front of every player, there are two fields – Player and Banker. Each player places their bet before the cards are dealt and chooses whether their wager goes to the Player hand or the Banker hand. There is also a third option – Tie if the Player and Banker’s hands have equal value. The version of Baccarat played at American casinos is called Punto Banco which stands for Player and Banker. After all players have placed their bets, the Player and the Banker are each dealt two cards. The hand that wins is the one that’s closer to a total of 9. So, if the Player hand is 8 and the Banker hand is a 3, the winning one is the Player and all punters at the table who have placed bets on the Player hand, win. If the hands are equal, it’s a loss for everyone who has bet on Player / Banker and a win for all that have bet on a Tie.

Players from Germany accepted

The Baccarat Prediction Software access takes 1 hr around to get set up an access for you. N.B: This baccarat pattern predictor works upon our research on various baccarat tables worldwide. This BEST Prediction Codes never ask anyone to bet anywhere. It depends upon you, whether you want to bet or not. Jul 22, 2017 Baccarat Score Boards Introduction. Baccarat is a game steeped in superstition. The vast majority of players keep careful track of the shoe history, either on paper or with the aid of screens that show every hand since the shoe began.

*T&Cs apply

The Good, the Bad and the Player – Baccarat Bets to Make and Avoid

The first step towards winning is to avoid the Tie bet. Not that we don’t like it or anything but if you’re in it to win it, then wagering your money on a bet with a 14-percent house edge is not exactly a surefire winning strategy. Next, you need to know the odds – although it seems pretty straightforward having only two options to bet – either Player or Banker, there are slightly different odds for the two as follows:

• Banker – 45.843%
• Player – 44.615%
• Tie – 9.543%

*There’s also a commission on the Banker bet so make sure you’re familiar with these before placing a wager.

The Banker Bet

With its higher odds, the Banker bet seems like the most reasonable choice when designing a Baccarat winning strategy. Experts will advise you to bet your money on it because it has been estimated that it will win more than 50% of the time – one of the reasons casinos add the 5% commission on it. Despite this being added, it’s still a preferred choice for many players – both newbies and seasoned pros who swear by it. Experts will also recommend that you keep betting on Banker until it loses as it has a better chance for winning streaks and that you wait for at least one bet after a Banker loss before switching to Player.
A good thing to always keep in mind is that hot/cold tables and winning/losing streaks are pure myths born by the gambler’s fallacy that in even odds bets after many consecutive outcomes of the same results, the opposite one is just bound to happen. There’s absolutely no mathematical or any other proof of such co-dependency so we advise that you don’t employ such practices.

*Baccarat Odds

The Player Bet

Although the Banker bet is typically assumed as the better option, it’s a bit different when you’re using a strategy. Considering the commission on the Banker bet, it will be less lucrative when you’re using progressions. Let’s say, you’re playing Martingale – you are doubling your bet after every loss. After four consecutive losses at a 10-unit wager, you’ve lost 150 units (10 + 20 + 40 + 80).
You bet on Banker again and this time you wager 160. Finally, you win and the total payout is 304 units. That’s the 160 stake plus the 160 win, minus the 5% commission. The total amount wagered was 310 (10 + 20 + 40 + 80 + 160) which means that even though you’ve won, you haven’t covered your losses and due to the negative progression and the bet commission, your net loss is 6 units. A similar streak of losses while betting the Player hand would have given the expected 1 unit of profit, that is 10. Despite its lower odds, it’s the better option when playing with systems.

The Tie Bet

Baccarat is known as the casino game with the lowest house edge, however, the Tie bet can definitely tarnish its reputation. The Banker is recommended for its low edge of 1.06%, the Player is also a good option with a house edge of 1.26% and then there’s the Tie bet – standing at the staggering 14.4% house edge, defying logic and critical thinking. Naturally, it’s not a good call to place your money on a bet that has less than 10% odds and the possibility of paying back only 14 units per very 100 units wagered. That’s why the most logical thing would be to avoid it and play as if it doesn’t exist. A tie is a push, so your wager will just wait for the next round. If you’re following a streak and you get a Tie, simply don’t count it and keep playing accordingly.

Practice Baccarat for Free

You can test this experts’ advice in our demo game and see for yourself whether betting successively on Banker yields the highest winning potential. Play for free Baccarat by Pragmatic Play and use its features to hone your betting strategies. The game follows standard baccarat rules and has payouts as follows:

• Player Win – 1:1 (Even Money)
• Banker Win – 0.95:1 (with 5% commission)
• Tie – 8:1 (in case of Tie, Banker Bet and Player Bet are Push)

Played with eight decks, this version keeps history of the last twenty results indicating B for Banker, P for Player, and T for Tie. You have also options to rebet or place different bets before each new deal. With a betting range of 1 – 100 and 500 free credits, the game will also allow you to test out some of the progressive betting systems described below.

Using Betting Systems in Baccarat – It’s Not Stupid if it Works

Some practices used in other table and card games can also be applied to Baccarat. Both simple strategies like the D’Alembert and more sophisticated ones like the Labouchere system can serve your purpose of beating the odds at Baccarat. Positive progression systems like the Parlay and Paroli or negative progressions are also applied by players. To find out how you can use popular betting systems like the Fibonacci progression or the 1-3-2-6 system, read more details about Baccarat betting systems on our dedicated page.

Positive Progressions

Using a positive progression system means that you increase your bet every time you win and reduce it after a loss. Positive progressions are considered to be less damaging to your bankroll than negative progression betting systems. They are supposed to help you maximize your winnings if you go on a lucky winning streak and keep your losses to a minimum if you end up having consecutive losses. In theory, they do make sense and it is possible to win more money if you get a series of winning outcomes and soften the blow to your wallet in case of several consecutive losses. Positive progressions do not influence your chances of winning or losing a bet and are generally no risk at all.

Negative Progression Systems

Negative progressions are just the opposite of positive progression systems and can actually be harmful to your bankroll. In essence, they postulate that you should increase your wager after every loss and reduce it after a winning bet. At first glance, they seem logical and it’s easy to see why some gamblers will be tempted to try them. The theory behind them is that when you increase your bet, eventually your win will be big enough to cover your losses.
A closer look at how they work will reveal all the problems about such betting practice. There’s a very real risk that you will eventually run out of money, especially if you’re doubling your bet. Besides, there’s the bet limit of the house you need to consider – even if you have enough money to keep betting, the cap of the bet amount will prevent you from placing a wager big enough to cover your losses. Unless you’re very experienced and know exactly what you’re doing, such systems can be a recipe for disaster.

Flat Betting Strategy

Unlike positive and negative progression systems where you have to alter the amount of your bet, a flat betting strategy for Baccarat means that you will be repeatedly placing the exact same wager in successive rounds of play, regardless of whether you lose or win. This approach is considered advantageous due to the lower risk in case of a losing streak. But how can you win more using a flat betting strategy? The best way to profit from the flat betting strategy is to determine correctly which hand will win, Banker or Player, with the accuracy higher than 50 percent. Using the flat betting strategy means that you will place the same amount of bet on every hand. While this is an effective way of minimizing the risk, it doesn’t guarantee big wins. It’s useful if you’re still getting used to the game and not very certain of the rules.
What are the benefits of using the flat betting system instead of the negative or positive progressions?

• Flat betting offers higher chances of actually making a profit.Since you don’t double or increase your bet in flat betting, there’s a smaller risk of overspending. Not adding more money to your wager reduces the risks of bigger losses and presents a better chance of making a profit.
• You can bet more. Flat betting gives you the option for more bets at a lesser value since you don’t double the wager neither after a win, nor after a loss, the way you would in progression systems. You can bet more money because you won’t make big losses due to doubled bets.
• You can use it if you’re not very well versed in the rules. Flat betting is suitable for beginners because of its simplicity and lower risk. You don’t need to make calculations and you can apply it even if you’re not familiar with the rules like drawing additional cards.

If you’re interested in utilizing a betting system, flat betting is the only way to do it without the risk of losing more money than you can afford. Experts advise against using negative progressions and are sceptical about positive progressions as well, so it’s not a good idea to chase after other strategies if you can gain an advantage over the game by using the flat betting system. It doesn’t guarantee a sure win but it is an effective way to increase your odds if you manage to predict the outcome of the round. Even if you don’t, you don’t risk losing a lot of money.

*Flat betting example

Card Counting in Baccarat – Close to Impossible but Still an Option

Card counting has gained enormous popularity at Blackjack ever since Edward E. Thorp published his 1964 bestseller Beat the Dealer. It’s a method that has proven to be lucrative for players who have used it successfully to beat blackjack. But of course, it’s not just the players that caught on to it – the casinos are well aware of it and now blackjack tables are the most closely watched ones, with suspected card counters often being barred from betting or asked to leave the premises. But gamblers won’t let their practice go to waste so they turn to the next best thing where they can continue to hone their skills – Baccarat.
Yes, Baccarat card counting is a thing and might as well be the reason why Baccarat is likely to replace blackjack as the most popular casino game. Although theoretically, you can beat Baccarat by counting cards, the edge you get will be so small that it might not actually be worth your time, considering how much more complicated than card counting at a game of 21 it is. Still, if you have the time and dedication to try and learn it, we have the complete Baccarat card counting guide to help you.

Money Management Is Crucial

If you decide to use progression systems, you need to exercise strict control over your budget. Any system that requires you to increase or double your bet is a pitfall that you’ll have hard time getting out of. Whatever systems you’re using to play online baccarat at the best online casinos, be it the Paroli, Martingale, Parlay or any other, never spend more money than you set out to. Baccarat is a chance-based game, you can never predict with certainty whether you will have a winning or a losing streak. Don’t go chasing your losses and remember the golden rule – quit while you’re ahead.

• MasterCard
• Visa
• Skrill
• PayPal
• ApplePay
• PaySafeCard
• Neteller
• Entropay
• Fast Bank Transfer
• Bank Wire
• Cheque

Plan your budget – decide on your wager and put a limit on the total sum you’re willing to bet. If you decide to make your wager $10, allow yourself a $200 bankroll and if you lose it all, simply walk away. Take time until the next session. It’s nice to leave the table a winner, but gambling is inherently unpredictable. The worst strategy would be to start chasing your losses or fall for some of the erroneous motivators behind gambling like:

• near misses: being very close to winning but not actually winning and continuing to wager with the assumption that the next round is due to be a win.
• the illusion of control: being able to roll the dice, spin the ball at roulette, or squeeze the cards in baccarat will give you a false sensation of exercising control over a game purely based on luck.
• the gambler’s fallacy: the wrong and unsupported conviction that after a series of the same result or a losing streak, the next one will be lucky and with the winnings, you’ll be able to even out.

Having Fun and Staying in Control Is the Best Strategy

All of these are misconceptions that are actually the first signs of compulsive gambling. We have an innate aversion to loss but we have to accept that in a tight game like baccarat, the chance is the deciding factor. Stop playing when you’ve spent your budget, regardless of whether you’re winning or losing and give yourself some time before you go back to playing. If you’re winning, split your win in half and use only that to keep playing. Even if you lose it, you still walk away with a profit. Remember that gambling is an entertaining activity – enjoy the fun and social aspects of it and stay in control of your bankroll. Now, that’s a strategy that always works.

*T&Cs apply

Baccarat isn’t typically known as a target for casino cheaters. Instead, blackjack, craps, roulette, and slot machines grab the headlines regarding cheating.

But you may be surprised to find that baccarat also draws its fair share of scammers. Baccarat cheats use a variety of means to gain an edge on casinos and win big.

But I still find any type of casino cheating to be an interesting subject. The same holds true with baccarat, which has its own unique cheating methods.

I’m going to discuss each of these techniques below. I’ll also cover baccarat edge-sorting incidents involving famed gambler Phil Ivey and why the courts felt that he was cheating.

False Shuffle

Richard Marcus, a former baccarat dealer and all-around casino cheat, introduced false shuffling to the gaming world.

The gist is that the dealer shuffles the cards so that they follow a pre-arranged order.

The accomplice can then raise or lower their wager based on the upcoming order. Here are the steps to performing a false shuffle:

1. The accomplice(s) records a group, or “slug,” of cards during a baccarat shoe. The slug will feature 40-60 cards that are recorded in the order that they’re played and put into the discard tray
2. When the 6- or 8-deck shoe has been dealt, the dealer will fast shuffle the cards. The idea is to keep the slug together through a series of convincing but fake shuffle actions
3. The accomplice uses the list of recorded cards to spot the slug cards as they’re dealt. They signal other players (if applicable) at this point
4. The cheaters can accurately determine 8-10 hand results once they identify the slug coming into play
5. They’ll bet on either the banker or player hand, depending upon what cards are coming next
6. Players often bet the table max to take full advantage of their insider knowledge

False shuffling is harder than it sounds because a perfect mix of factors must come together. But a dealer and their accomplices can develop a solid system with enough practice.

Here are some pointers on making sure each facet of a false shuffle works:

• Recording cards– The accomplice marks down a group of winning hands (slug) on a baccarat scorecard. Casinos encourage players to keep track of winning hands, allowing cheaters to use this as a guise while they’re tracking the slug
• Choosing a card slug– The slug is almost always at the beginning or end of a shoe. This way the dealer knows exactly what group of cards to false shuffle and keep intact
• False shuffle– It doesn’t take a world-class dealer to pull off a false shuffle. But they do need to practice this technique to both keep the slug intact and avoid drawing casino suspicion
• Identifying the slug– With the slug recorded from the previous shoe, a cheater can look for a specific group of cards to come out in reverse order. For example, K, 6, 9, 10 would be dealt as 10, 9, 6, K after the false deal
• Making big bets– The recorder can either bet solo or signal a group of players to place larger wagers. Acting as a group is more profitable because there are extra players to take advantage of the positive expected value (+EV)

A cheating group can wager on the same outcome, whether it be the player or banker hand during the slug. They can also stick around after the slug and make offsetting bets to continue selling the scam.

Offsetting bets only cost the cheaters the 5% banker commission each hand if there’s equal action on the player and banker.

False Shuffling with Electronic Devices

Baccarat players can use a more advanced method of false shuffling that includes devices. The devices give cheaters a discreet way to communicate with each other about the slug and when to bet more.

A group of cheaters known as the Tran Organization used this technique to win millions from casinos in the mid-2000s. The Tran Organization also bribed dealers to perform false shuffles in mini-baccarat games.

This group worked like other false shuffling cheaters, including having someone record card slugs. But where they differed is by using a hidden transmitter (microphone) and mobile phones to relay the card slugs to the group.

The information is also relayed into a computer program to ensure more accuracy in identifying a slug. Players can then hear the slug order through an in-ear cellular communicator.

Involving electronic devices makes this a more complex operation. But it paid off, because the Tran Organization made $7 million over a five-year span. One occasion saw them earn $868,000 in just 90 minutes.

The Tran Organization also used techniques to avoid drawing attention to themselves. For example, most of the group members would cash out less than $10,000 to avoid having to report winnings to the IRS.

The group was eventually caught when trying to bribe an undercover agent in 2006.

19 members of the Tran Organization were charged with counts of conspiracy to steal money and conspiracy to travel in interstate in aid of racketeering.

In all, 31 defendants pleaded guilty to either directly participating in the ring or aiding and abetting.

Swapping Cards

Big baccarat tables give players the chance to handle cards, which makes for the possibility of swapping cards. This scam can be pulled off by a group or solo player.

In either case, a player needs to obtain a card from the deck when it’s their turn to cut. They can do this using double-sided sticky tape underneath their sleeve, allowing them to take a card off the top without everybody noticing.

Another way to do this involves putting a thin container inside of a long-sleeve shirt. A cheater can take their cards, conceal the hand, and then slip one into the container with precision.

Anybody using a container must also take a card from the deck during the cut. They then rotate the card into their hand and remove one when it benefits them.

Card swappers must be good at cupping their hand to conceal the hidden card.

Card Marking

Marking cards is one of the oldest cheating techniques in gambling.

This is used to define baccarat card values, so you know what’s coming next when looking at the card backs. An example would be if you marked all the 8s and 9s in the shoe.

An advanced method of card marking involves using special contact lenses and invisible ink. This ensures that the cheater can see the markings, but the dealer can’t with their naked eye.

Casinos have caught on to this technique, though, and they use special equipment to check for invisible ink. That said, marking cards is risky no matter how complex your system may be.

Chip Dumping

Chip dumping is another old cheating technique that can be used in baccarat or any other card game. This requires a player(s) and dealer to work together.

Here are the steps to pulling off chip dumping:

• The accomplice makes their bet worth $10
• They win their bet
• The dealer discreetly places another $10 chip on top of the winnings
• The accomplice wins the double their bet

This method works best when the dealer is working with an empty table, or at least one with 1-2 players. Fewer players cuts down on the chances that somebody will notice the dealer giving their accomplice extra chips.

Past Posting

Past posting, which involves adding chips to your bet after a winning hand, is another simple way to cheat baccarat games. This technique can also be used by a solo player or a dealer working with an accomplice.

But the cheater must also be good at sleight of hand to avoid drawing suspicion from others.

Baccarat Macau Pattern Horse

Like with chip dumping, a dealer and their accomplice stand a better chance of pulling this scam off when there are few players at the table.

Baccarat Macau Pattern Guide

Card Cutting

A card-cutting scam requires technology to spot card values as a cheater is cutting the deck. This is another technique that can be used with one or more players.

Here’s how to cheat when cutting the deck:

1. The scammer is offered the plastic baccarat cut card
2. They have a small digital camera located inside of their sleeve or on a ring on their finger
3. The cheater places the plastic cut card into the deck
4. The player fans through a portion of the deck with the cut card, separating the edges
5. The camera films the card values as they’re separated
6. This info is relayed to a computer program, which processes the information
7. The processed info is sent to the cheater and their accomplices through in-ear cellular devices

This scam is exclusive to baccarat because this game follows a strict set of rules on when the player and banker hit for more cards. In contrast, the number of cards in a blackjack hand vary based on the actions players take.

Therefore, information relayed from the computer program tells baccarat players exactly how to bet based on the upcoming card order.

Like false shuffling, the advantage of card cutting as a group is that you can maximize +EV. More players betting with a built-in advantage means more overall profits.

This also allows cheaters to pull their money together and create a bigger bankroll. They can then play for higher stakes while knowing the order of upcoming cards.

Dealers can combat card cutters by holding the shoe in a manner that makes it difficult for cheaters to fan through cards. If a scammer can’t properly fan with the cut card, then the camera can’t record and relay the values.

Placing a Digital Camera in an Automatic Shuffling Machine

One more baccarat cheating method involves placing a digital camera inside of an automatic shuffling machine. This relies on the same technology used in card cutting, where the camera relays card values to a computer program and returns the analyzed data to cheaters.

A digital camera inside of a shuffling machine is more lethal to casinos than card cutting or false shuffling. After all, the cheaters are receiving info on the entire upcoming 6- or 8-deck shoe, rather than just a portion of it.

But a solo player or group can also place the camera inside of an automatic shuffling machine when the perfect opportunity arises.

This is especially the case during later hours when fewer tables are running and less personnel is on the floor. A cheater(s) can come back the following day when the table is running.

The cameras must be small enough to where they can’t be noticed with ease. Of course, casinos can still find a camera if they become suspicious and look hard enough.

Such was the case in Macau in the early 2010s, when several casinos couldn’t figure out why they were taking heavy baccarat losses. They discovered that players had installed mini cameras inside of automatic card shufflers.

The cheating ring, which consisted of 7 Chinese nationals, won US$3 million before they were busted.

Edge Sorting – Cheating or Legitimate Advantage Play?

Baccarat Macau Pattern Free

All the baccarat cheating methods that I’ve covered up to this point are explicitly illegal. No gambling jurisdiction or courtroom accepts any of these techniques as advantage play.

But edge sorting, or the process of identifying flaws on the edges of card backs, is ambiguous.

Edge sorting has many characteristics of legal advantage play, making it comparable to card counting, shuffle tracking, sequencing, roulette wheel bias, and video poker (on +EV games).

Here are steps on how to effectively use edge sorting in baccarat:

1. Some card decks have small irregularities on the long-side edges
2. Study card decks to identify these irregularities and how they relate to specific card values
3. Example: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have full-diamond patterns on the edges; 6, 7, 8, and 9 have half-diamond patterns
4. Train yourself to spot these irregularities
5. Realistically, you need the dealer to rotate cards 180 degrees to spot the imperfections
6. This requires asking the dealer to rotate cards for you out of superstitious reasons (possible in high stakes baccarat)

Baccarat Macau Pattern Game

DeadSpin notes that a skilled edge sorter can gain a 20.8% edge over the casino. This means that you’ll theoretically make a $20.80 profit when betting $100 per hand.

Baccarat Macau Pattern Meaning

The most famous instance of edge sorting involves poker pro Phil Ivey, who worked with Cheung Yin “Kelly” Sun to beat casinos out of over $20 million.

Sun analyzed a specific Gemaco card deck and found design flaws on the card backs. She and Ivey used this info to crush Crockfords casino and the Borgata in baccarat.

They were gambling anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 per hand. Therefore, casinos allowed them to make special requests, including the following:

• A Mandarin-speaking dealer, so that Sun could make requests without the casino understanding them
• Rotating the cards at 180-degree angles
• Using a purple Gemaco deck
• Only allowing this specific deck during the game

Crockfords reviewed the matter and withheld Ivey’s £7 million ($11m) in winnings as a result. Ivey sued the London casino and lost the case.

The Borgata originally paid Ivey $9.6 million in winnings. But they later sued and won the lawsuit.

Judges in both cases deemed that Ivey didn’t knowingly break the law by creating an advantage for himself. But they believed that the methods Ivey and Sun used – notably requesting a Mandarin-speaking dealer and asking for cards to be rotated – constituted cheating.

Furthermore, making requests in a language that floor supervisors don’t speak isn’t considered reasonable advantage play.

Ivey argued that both Crockfords and the Borgata agreed to the requests. And he felt that they turned a blind eye to the matter, knowing that they would either keep his losses or sue if he won.

The edge sorters convinced the judges in both cases that they weren’t nefarious baccarat cheaters. But they couldn’t convince the courts that they deserved the winnings.

Conclusion

Baccarat Macau Pattern Set

One reason why baccarat cheating isn’t as prevalent as in other table games is because there’s not much equipment involved. It’s not like roulette, where you can track wheel velocity with devices, or craps, where you can load the dice.

Combine this with how mini-baccarat players don’t touch their cards, and you can see why it’s hard to cheat baccarat. But there are still ways for motivated individuals to cheat.

Some of these methods are as simple as past posting, chip dumping, and swapping cards. Others incorporate technology, like card cutting and placing cameras inside of automatic shuffling machines.

Certain cheating methods offer both simple and complex methods, including card marking (with or without contacts/invisible ink) and false shuffling (with or without devices).

Baccarat Macau Patterns

These aren’t advantage-play techniques like card counting or shuffle tracking. Instead, you’re using technology, dealer cooperation, and/or sleight of hand to remove random chance and guarantee yourself profits.

Edge sorting is the only advantage-play technique that courts consider cheating without being illegal. But given that both Ivey and Sun lost court battles over the matter, it hardly seems worth learning edge sorting if there’s nothing to be gained.

I don’t recommend that you use any of these cheating techniques in a casino given the legal consequences. But I still think that it’s cool to learn about how far cheaters will go to beat the casino.