Online Baccarat: discover classic games and variations

Played in casinos all over the world, Baccarat is one of the most popular card games available. In this table game, you will not be required to play your hand as you would in poker or blackjack. Instead, you will be betting on two hands that are universal for all players. These two hands are called the Player and the Banker.

Although Baccarat had originated in France, it also carries traces of Italian and even Asian heritage. Up until the 20th century, Baccarat was mainly played by high rollers, but in this day and age, it's now available to all players online. The rules are also quite straightforward, and you can learn them in a matter of minutes.

It is imperative that you understand well the rules of Baccarat prior to playing for real money online. Our guide will be focusing on the classic version of the game, but as you begin to explore other variants of the game at Royal Panda, you'll already be equipped with a basic understanding of the base game, ready to take on bonus rounds and extra features.

You'll start off with two cards being dealt to either hand. In some cases, a third card may also be dealt. The winning hand is the one with the higher value, determined by the value of the cards it holds.

Because of its minimalist gameplay, Baccarat appeals to players who like an engaging and fast-paced game. Waiting times for you to get a result are no more than a few seconds, which means that this is the ideal game if you're strapped for time. Moreover, you can play both RNG and Live Baccarat games on your mobile device, which means you can enjoy Baccarat wherever you are at any time of day.

You'll probably recognise the Baccarat table from the ones used in blackjack and other similar card games. In the live version, you'll find the dealer sitting behind the table, with a spot for the Banker's and Player's hands to be shown. Each player sits at the table, where they can bet on either hand or a tie.

When it comes to RNG Baccarat, there will not be a dealer present or other players around you. All you'll have is a virtual Baccarat table where you'll be placing your own chips, as well as spots for the Player and Banker hands to be dealt.

If you want to get acquainted with Baccarat at your own pace, you might want to try playing a few rounds of it on an RNG-powered game.

Go through our guide to learn how to play Baccarat online. We'll be following the classic version of the game:

• Throughout Baccarat, players are invited to place their bets at the start of every round. You can select the value of your chips and place a bet on the Player, Banker or Tie from the graphic interface.

• Once the betting timer runs out or you're ready to go ahead with your wager, the dealer or computer will begin to deal the cards. The Player hand receives the first and third cards, whilst the Banker gets the second and fourth cards. All cards are dealt facing up.

• The values of each hand are tallied by the dealer or computer. Third cards are dealt if applicable.

• The winning hand is determined, and any bets placed on this hand are automatically paid out. In the case of a draw, any bets placed on a Tie are paid out and all other bets lose.

Even if you've never played Baccarat before, you can get the hand of it by observing a few rounds before playing with real money. In a live Baccarat game, you can ask your questions directly to the live dealer who'll talk you through the rules, and the game options will also outline the instructions for you.

Depending on the cards that are dealt to either the Player or Banker, a third card may be dealt to one or both hands. There are very strict rules that govern if and when this can happen, as listed below:

• A third card will be dealt if the Player's hand has a value of five or less.

• If Player has not gotten the third card, the Banker's hand is dealt a third card, but only if the value of the hand is five or less.

• If the Player receives a third card, then the banker will also receive a third card if any of the following conditions apply:

1. The hand has a value of two or less.

2. The hand has a value of three, a third card is drawn unless the Player's third card is an 8.

3. The hand has a value of four, a third card is drawn unless the Player's third card is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.

4. The hand has a value of five, a third card is drawn unless the Player's third card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7.

5. The hand has a value of six, a third card is drawn unless the Player's third card is a 6 or 7.

The cards held within the hand are added up in order to determine which of the hands is the winner. Essentially, the hand with the higher value wins, but there's a bit more to it than simply adding up the points.

An important part of learning how to play Baccarat is to understand the different values of the cards. Unlike Blackjack, aces always carry a value of one. Numbers 2 to 9 retain their face value, whilst 10, Jack, Queen, and King have absolutely no value whatsoever.

On top of this, when adding up card values, you will need to ignore any double-digit values, and instead focus on the right-hand number of the total. For example: 

If a hand is dealt an Ace and a 2, this means that the hand value is three. However, if another hand is made up of a 10 and a 5, this means that the hand value is actually 5, since 10 has no value in Baccarat. If, for instance, a hand is dealt a 6 and an 8, together, these cards have a value of 14. But in Baccarat, only the 4 is counted. Therefore, in this game, the highest value a hand can ever have is 9.

There are three possible outcomes on which you can bet in Baccarat. You can either bet on either the Player or Banker hands to win, or for them to tie. The is a different potential payout for each one of these bets:

1. A winning bet on the Player pays out 1:1.

2. A winning bet on the Banker pays out 1:1, but there is also a 5% commission on this.

3. A winning bet on the Tie pays out between 8:1 and 9:1.

Here is an example of how it works:

If you were to bet $25* on the Player and your bet wins, you'll receive a total of $50. An identical bet on the Banker would pay out $48.75, since you'd need to pay a $1.25 commission. Meanwhile, a winning bet on a Tie would pay out between $225 and $250.

(*Please note, you can select alternative currencies depending on your location).

There is actually a way for you to evade this 5% commission. All you have to do is opt to play in No Commission Baccarat mode. This is a variant that is based on the classic version of the game, but pays out evenly when a Banker's hand wins.

However, there is a different payout rule to compensate for this feature. When the Banker hand wins with a hand value of six, payouts are subject to a 50% commission.

When compared to the other two potential payouts, the Tie seems to be a very favourable path to take, but, statistically, a bet on a Tie is extremely unlikely, but this also explains its high potential payout.

When you bet on a Tie, the house's edge is equal to 14.4%, whilst a bet on the Player carries a house edge of 1.24%. The house edge on Banker bets is the lowest, at 1.06%, and this is the reason for the 5% commission. 

Although many Baccarat players would advise against betting on the Tie because of its mathematical rarity, Baccarat is essentially a table game of chance that could lead to many possible results with every round, and this is what ultimately makes the game so thrilling to so many players.