How to Play Baccarat: The Complete Guide (Rules, Odds & Best Bets)

[00:02] among high rollers? You might think either roulette or blackjack, but in reality, it's neither. The true favorite among high rollers is baccarat, one of the most ancient games. Macau, the Asian Las Vegas, is known to be focused on

[00:17] baccarat with Asian VIP players betting millions on it. However, many beginners discard it thinking it has complex [music] rules and it's very hard to play. In reality, it's actually very simple. Today, we're diving deep into

[00:31] this beautiful game and by the end, you'll know exactly how to play baccarat, including a few simple strategies that can help you win. Welcome to Ninja Gamblers, where we break down the smartest strategies for

[00:44] baccarat. If you're into table games, join our free community. You'll get all the charts we use, exclusive content, discussions with fellow ninjas, and member-only bonuses. It's free, private,

[01:00] and takes 10 seconds to join. Link in the description and first comment. We've already covered baccarat in previous videos, but here I want to put everything together in one clear, simple

[01:14] walk-through. I'll be using a verified casino with a strong license, and if you're going to play later, you should do the same. There are plenty of shady offshore casinos that often rig games, delay withdrawals, or even block your

[01:27] account by claiming suspicious activity after a big win. Some of them simply disappear without a trace, taking your money and your sensitive data with them. That's why we've put together a country-by-country list of licensed,

[01:42] legal casinos with tested RNGs, fast withdrawals, and guaranteed payouts. You can find that list in the description or pinned in the first comment. Remember, it doesn't matter how well you know know rules if you're playing in the wrong

[01:57] place. Now, before diving in, I just wanted to share something very cool its origins are linked to an old Etruscan legend. A young woman's fate was going to be decided by nine gods using a nine-sided

[02:12] If it landed on eight or nine, she would become a priestess. If it landed on seven or below, she would be exiled. And if it landed on five or below, she would be sacrificed to the sea. If you know the rules of the game,

[02:27] you'll find this legend fascinating. If you don't, you will in a few minutes. you don't, you will in a few minutes. Let's start.

[02:42] the layout of the felt. There are three possible bets in baccarat: banker, player, and tie. As a matter of fact, that's the only decision you'll have to The banker and the player are two different hands that compete against

[02:56] each other. Both get two cards. Once the cards are dealt, you add the value of those two cards together to get the hand's total. The hand that ends up closest to nine wins. Usually though, this is not the end. It starts a series

[03:10] of mechanisms that are already set when new cards will be drawn. This is what confuses beginners, but actually, you don't really have to know exactly what's do anything.

[03:22] >> [music] >> There's no decision you need to make. You only bet on one of the three possible outcomes: the banker wins, the player wins, or a tie. The rest is done automatically.

[03:36] Let's talk about the banker bet first. The rules of the game slightly favor this hand, which makes it the best bet at the table in terms of odds. In fact, in the long run, the banker wins about 45.8%

[03:49] of the hands, a little more often than the player. That's also why every time you win a banker bet, you need to pay a 5% commission to the house. In other words, this bet effectively pays 0.95

[04:03] to 1. For example, if you bet $10 and win, For example, if you bet $10 and win, you'll not win $20, but $19.50. Now, let's look at the player. This bet pays 1 to 1, and in the long run, the

[04:17] player hand wins about 44.6% of the time. That's slightly less often than the banker, and that small difference is why this bet comes with a slightly higher house edge, which is around 1.24%.

[04:30] It's still a reasonable bet, just not quite as good as the banker in terms of pure math. And that's why it pays a clean 1 to 1. So, if you bet 10 and win, you win 20. Finally, let's talk about the tie. If

[04:45] both hands end with the same total, you win this bet. In the long run, a tie tie happens about 9 and 1/2 % of the time, so it's not very common. On most tables, the tie usually pays 8 to 1, and that comes with a terrible house edge, around

[04:59] 14.4%. As you can see on this table, the tie pays 9 to 1. In this case, the house edge is lower, dropping to around 4.8%. That's better, but let's be honest, it's

[05:12] That's better, but let's be honest, it's still bad. Great payout, terrible idea. In the long run, it's still a losing bet and basically a waste of money. So, do yourself a favor and don't bet here. One last thing, if you bet on the banker

[05:26] or the player and the result is a tie, it's a push. get your bet back. All right, technically, that's all you need to know about baccarat to be able to play, but because we want to make you

[05:39] baccarat experts, let's dive more deep and understand the mechanics of what happens when you press play. Let's start with the value of the cards. Here they are. You can download this graphic by joining our free community,

[05:52] link in the description. The rules here are very simple. Aces are worth one. Tens, jacks, queens, and kings are worth zero. And cards from nine to two keep their face value. In baccarat, you add the value of the

[06:08] [music] the hand's total. For example, if the cards are a four and a three, the value of the hand is seven. If you have an ace and a four, that adds up to five, so the value of the hand is five. And if you have a nine and a king,

[06:24] that adds up to nine, because the king is worth zero. It's like in blackjack, but with different counting system for the face cards. Another thing to keep in mind is that if a hand adds up to more than nine, you drop the first digit, and

[06:37] than nine, you drop the first digit, and only the last digit counts. For example, if a hand has an eight [music] and a seven, that adds up to 15, but the hand's value is a five. Another example, a hand has two nines, which adds up to

[06:50] a hand has two nines, which adds up to 18, but the hand's value is eight. Once you know this, you can tell the value of any hand in baccarat. Now, let's talk about the situations where a third card can be drawn. Here it

[07:02] is. You can also download this graphic by joining our free community, link in The first thing to know is this. If either the player or the banker gets an eight or a nine with the first two cards, that's called a natural,

[07:16] >> and no third card is drawn. In that case, the winning hand is simply the one with the higher value. Of course, a tie can also happen at this stage, since both hands can be dealt an eight or a nine at the same time.

[07:29] >> When there is no natural, the player's hand is always resolved first. If the player has zero to five, it draws. If it has six or seven, it stands. After that, the banker's hand reacts. If the player didn't draw, the banker draws

[07:45] with zero to five and stands with six or seven. If the player did draw, the banker follows fixed rules based on its own total and the player's third card, just like you see on the chart. These rules might seem overwhelming, but once

[07:59] again, there's not really much to worry about because the dealer does all the work for you until the hand is over. So, basically, the only decision you ever have to make is whether you're betting on banker, player, or tie. And that's

[08:13] really [music] it. No choices, no guessing, the game just follows the rules. And if you're playing at a live casino, you can always ask the dealer for the printed rules. They should have them available and it makes it much

[08:25] easier to follow what's happening in each hand. All right. Now, let's play some hands and dissect exactly what happens. By now, you know the essential approach in baccarat. Follow the banker and stay away from the tie. There are

[08:39] more advanced ways to play this game using systems like Oscar's Grind, Macinello, or D'Alembert, and we'll cover those in future videos. But for now, we're keeping it simple. So, here's the plan. I'm betting on the

[08:52] banker because it has the better odds in the long run and I'm avoiding the tie. Yes, [music] it pays high, but the math is terrible and in the long run, it's [music] And remember, just like in any other

[09:05] casino game, luck plays a big role and there is always a house edge that can't first hand. I'll be placing a five euro bet on the banker and go from there. As you can see, the hand always plays

[09:19] out fast and the dealer handles everything. Here's what happened. The player gets eight and seven, which is 15, so the value is five. The banker gets a jack and a three, so the value is three. Because the player has five, it

[09:34] draws a third card, a nine. That makes 24, so the value becomes four. Now, the banker must also draw. It gets another jack. Nothing changes, and the player wins with the higher value.

[09:49] strategy like Oscar's Grind could help recover the loss, but we'll cover that in another video. Let's go for another round. I'll do the exact same bet. In this hand, the player starts with

[10:02] and six. 8 + 4 is 12, so the player's value is two. 9 + 6 is 15, so the banker's value is five. Since the player has two, it must draw a

[10:16] The third card is an ace, which is worth one. >> So, now the total becomes three. With that result, the banker wins with the higher value. I win here, but because of the 5% commission, the profit

[10:30] is 4.75 instead of five. That's the trade-off for betting on the hand with Let's play the last hand and see what happens. The player has a four and a three, which adds up to seven.

[10:43] According to the rules, the player always stands with seven. The banker has a nine and a three, which adds up to 12, so the hand is worth two. When the player has seven and the banker has two, the banker must draw a third

[10:57] card, which is a 10. So, the hand is still worth two. The player wins, and I lose 5 euros. On the left side of the screen, you can see the history of the previous hands. This helps you keep track of what

[11:10] happened before, especially if you want to switch bets. Okay, so now you know all the mechanics and rules of baccarat. As you've seen, because the dealer takes care of everything.

[11:23] Basically, you just place your bet, sit back, and let the hand play out on its own. That's what makes baccarat so simple and straightforward, and that's >> [music] >> If you're interested in more advanced

[11:35] subscribe to the channel because there'll be more videos coming soon.

[11:49] simple and there's nothing to be afraid of. It also offers one of the best house >> [music] >> which makes it a great option if you decisions after placing your bet. Remember, luck is always a huge factor

[12:03] and no game gives you guaranteed winnings. So always use your mind and only play with money you can afford to lose. Before closing this video, [music] let me give you two ways you can upgrade your skills and improve your chances of

[12:15] winning. First, join our community. It's completely free and it only takes about 10 seconds to join. You'll get access to exclusive content and bonuses and you'll be able to download the tools and charts of all the strategies we explained,

[12:29] including these baccarat ones you've seen in this video. You'll be able to chat with other fellow ninjas. You'll find a link in the description. Second, always play at verified casinos so you don't get scammed. You'll find our

[12:42] country-by-country list in the description and also pinned in the first comment. Thanks for watching ninjas and see you at the tables.