BACCARAT: A GAME OF CHANCE OR STRATEGY?

Whether the game of Baccarat is a game of chance, or one of strategy has been contested among many professional gamblers for quite some time with no clear-cut winner. Most players assume that Baccarat is based solely on chance and they (rightfully) avoid the game like the plague. However, the idea that a game based on chance is unwinnable is a complete fallacy and should not be given a second thought. Once you learn the rules of Baccarat and learn how to exploit any and all advantages presented before you, making a profit in the game of Baccarat is possible.

The truth about Baccarat is that it is simply a game of chance, although there are steps you can take to improve your chances. Just like most casino games, you cannot base your bets on the previous hands as the cards have no memory. The goal of Baccarat is simple; you bet on which hand you believe is the best. Any system that tells you that they have a winning strategy that can’t fail is flat out misleading; the best you can hope for in the game of Baccarat is that you bet the right way.

All Baccarat strategies that have any legitimacy are based on how well you manage your money and how well you are at choosing the winning hand. The reason many people fall for Baccarat strategies is that so many other casino games have legitimate strategies that can improve your odds of winning as well as decrease the house advantage, and that leads many players to falsely believe that all casino games have a winning strategy. Don’t be fooled by a winning streak into believing that you have a no-fail system; stick to what you know about the game and work advantages where you find them.

The decision in Baccarat always comes down to betting on the banker or betting on the player and while there is a slight difference in the house edge between the banker and the player, neither is more likely to be a winner than the other. Many so-called Baccarat systems require you to keep a running total of how many times the banker has won as well as how many times the player has won. This method is meant to fool players into believing that there’s a magic number of times that one side will win before the other has a “chance” to win. Again, the cards have no memory and although sometimes the player or the banker will win multiple times in a row, you cannot ascertain when that ideal time to bet will arise.

There are just a few ways that you can apply skill to the game of Baccarat to improve your chances of winning and those mostly rely on your ability to stick to your game plan. If you want to improve your chances, here are your options:

  • Choose games that play with the fewest number of decks.
  • Manage your cash. Determine how much you want to bet for each hand and how much you want to bet for the day. It should give you enough money to play for most of the day without busting. Stick to this plan faithfully.
  • Choose the banker, because the house advantage for the Banker is 1.17%.

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