Live dealer baccarat is a version of the popular casino game that you can play online for real money with a human croupier and physical cards. The action is broadcast in real time from a dedicated studio, and you can wager on each round. As with all live dealer casino games, live baccarat is a game of chance, and getting good entertainment value for your gambling budget depends on knowing the odds and rules.
What Is Live Dealer Baccarat?
Live baccarat is a physical card game that bettors can wager on through an online casino app or website. The game’s croupier will deal the cards on a table to reveal the outcome of your wagers. Each round of play in live dealer games like baccarat is based on the standard rules of the game that you would find at a brick-and-mortar casino, although some games will alter those rules to create new play patterns.
How Does Live Dealer Baccarat Compare to Other Baccarat Games?
Live dealer baccarat is similar to baccarat at a brick-and-mortar casino and even online games without a live dealer component. When playing live dealer baccarat, you may come across some common live casino terms that you may not be familiar with at first, and some games will feature rule changes.
How Did Live Dealer Baccarat Become a Fixture in Online Casinos?
The history of baccarat shows how this game has evolved into a staple in modern casinos. However, the important elements to note are that the game’s simplicity, pace, and low house edge are some of the reasons why baccarat games have been a fixture of live dealer selections since the early 21st century.
How Do You Play Live Dealer Baccarat?
Playing live baccarat online typically requires a simple six-step process. If you get confused or don’t understand the gameplay, part of how live dealers work is answering your questions when time allows.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Sign in to your account on the online casino app or website.
- Deposit funds to wager with if necessary.
- Search for live dealer baccarat in the game menu.
- Select a title and check out the game rules.
- Pick a bet and decide how much money you want to risk.
- The cards will be dealt and wagers will be settled.
Game developers design games to make the live baccarat table experience intuitive and simple. All the interactions you need to play the game are available through the online casino platform.
You can learn more about the mechanics of the game below.
What Are the Basic Rules of Baccarat?
Baccarat rules consist of the game procedures, hand rankings, and a scoring system for card values. The aim of baccarat is to bet on whether the Player or Banker will have the higher-value hand, with the top score being nine. Baccarat assigns face value to number cards 2–9, one point for aces, and zero points for all other cards in a standard 52-card deck. If the total value of the hand is worth 10 or more, the first digit is dropped. For example, a hand value of 13 is worth a final value of three. The hand with the higher score wins.
When the Banker and Player receive their first two cards, a hand with a score of eight or nine is classified as “natural.” The strongest is the natural nine, followed by the natural eight. A natural nine instantly wins except when the opposing hand is also a natural nine, which results in a tie; a natural eight also wins except if the other hand is a natural nine, which results in a loss, or if the other hand is a natural eight, which results in a tie.
What Bets Can You Make in Baccarat?
Standard baccarat bets focus on which of the game’s two hands will have the higher score, or whether the two hands will have identical scores. The Banker bet, for example, is a wager that the banker hand will have the superior score.
Here are the house edge and payout for each of the standard wagers in baccarat:
| Bet | House Edge* | Payout* |
| Banker | 1.06% | 1:1 minus 5% commission |
| Player | 1.24% | 1:1 |
| Tie | 14.36% | 8:1 or 9:1, depending on the game |
*=for games with standard rules. Alterations may change these statistics.
What Side Bets Are Available?
Baccarat side bets are a common part of how to play live dealer baccarat. Side bets include wagers on hands containing pairs, along with bets on the margin of victory for the winning hand.
It’s important for players to understand the risks associated with side bets, such as the Dragon Bonus side bet and other options, as they typically carry a far higher house edge than the standard betting choices in baccarat.
How Do You Read Baccarat Scoreboards?
Scoreboards for online live baccarat games record past results of games. The scoreboard will display the final scores for each hand. However, it’s important to keep in mind that past results aren’t guarantees of future outcomes as you learn how to read baccarat scoreboards.
What Types of Live Dealer Baccarat Can You Play?
Traditional live baccarat games are abundant, but there are also interesting types of baccarat with rule tweaks that people enjoy. Here are some of the variants that you can try:
- 3 Dice Baccarat: A version of baccarat that incorporates a roll of three dice to decide a winner instead of cards.
- Baccarat Banque: In this version, bettors bid to act as the Banker and compete against players.
- Chemin de Fer: Bettors take turns acting as the Banker in this version and can set the stakes of the hand while in that position.
- Mini Baccarat: Mini-baccarat tables usually accommodate fewer bettors and have lower betting requirements than standard baccarat tables.
- Punto Banco: Bettors only wager on the fixed-stakes action in this version rather than having an opportunity to act as the Banker.
Top Strategies for Baccarat Players
An important aspect of trying to get good value from your wagers is risk management.
Some believe baccarat betting systems can help you plan your wagers to address this. For example, the 1-3-2-6 betting system is a straightforward plan for even-money bets on successive rounds of baccarat. The numbers correspond to the number of units you risk in succession if luck favors your plays. However, players should remember that betting systems can’t overcome elements of chance.
As a game of chance, the only recommendation (apart from playing online casino games responsibly) is to consistently wager on the Banker. The Banker has slightly higher odds of winning, but this is also why the house charges a 5% commission on any winning wagers players make on the Banker.
How Should You Manage Your Baccarat Bankroll?
Baccarat bankroll management consists of creating a detailed betting plan within the confines of your gambling budget. This plan should allocate your budget according to your tolerance for risk and the number of bets that you would like to place. From there, the management comes down to following your plan regardless of how your bets resolve, including a personal rule for when to stop playing.
What Makes Live Dealer Baccarat Authentic?
Live dealer baccarat games at BetMGM bring authenticity to the experience with professional game components and casino staff that are trained to administer the game successfully. The sights and sounds mimic what you would hear and see at a land-based casino while you play baccarat. The game rules and payouts are normally similar to those available at tables in physical casinos as well. You can also banter with the dealer and other players via text chat.
A big difference is that you don’t need to worry about any dress codes when you play baccarat on the BetMGM Casino app, as some casinos have those policies for baccarat tables.
Are There Expectations Around Live Baccarat Etiquette?
Standard baccarat etiquette norms for live dealer games involve courteous and respectful interactions with casino staff, plus placing your bets promptly. Bettors who cause unnecessary delays or are rude detract from the experience.
Can You Play Live Baccarat on Your Phone?
Online baccarat at BetMGM is accessible through the casino’s Android and iOS apps, including live dealer versions of the game. These are the same games you can access on the website and contain full functionality for gameplay.
Playing Live Dealer Baccarat at BetMGM Casino
When you play live dealer baccarat games at BetMGM, you can earn BetMGM Rewards points with all of your real-money wagers. Those benefits come with signing up, as does access to tools for setting time and money limits to help you play responsibly.
The best way to get started earning those benefits is to register for BetMGM and make a qualifying deposit, giving you access to BetMGM’s incredible casino welcome bonus for new players. While your live dealer baccarat bets might not win, you can always take the win of having fun while playing live dealer baccarat at BetMGM Casino.
Live Dealer Baccarat FAQs
Does BetMGM Casino Offer Special Bonuses Specifically for Live Dealer Baccarat?
Using casino bonuses on live dealer games like baccarat at BetMGM may be an option depending on the specific terms of the promotion you’re considering. It’s important to read all the conditions to identify whether live dealer baccarat titles are part of the offer.
Is Luck or Skill More Important in Live Dealer Baccarat Games?
Baccarat is a game of luck rather than skill, as the random draw of the cards decides whether bets settle as losses or wins. Player decisions on which bet to place and how much to wager play a large role in the overall results of your baccarat sessions, though.
What Are the Most Common Live Dealer Baccarat Mistakes?
One of the most common baccarat mistakes that players make is overvaluing the Tie bet. That wager has a substantially higher payout because it wins so infrequently compared to the Banker or Player bet. Another mistake is failing to read the rules of each game, as you may come across changes in some variants that you didn’t expect during gameplay.
What Are the Odds of Winning in Live Dealer Baccarat?
Baccarat odds and payouts can fluctuate with rule changes, but in standard games, the Banker bet wins in 45.86% of hands while the Player bet wins 44.62% of the time. The Tie bet hits in fewer than 10% of rounds.
What Baccarat Myths Should Bettors Try to Avoid?
The most problematic baccarat myths involve “patterns” in game results and the classic gambler’s fallacy. These misconceptions falsely hold that past results will replicate themselves in predictable fashion and that if the Banker/Player/Tie bet hasn’t hit in a certain number of rounds, it must be “due” to do so on the next play. However, the randomness of the card draw nullifies these beliefs.
Why Do Some Baccarat Players Bend Cards?
Baccarat players bend cards out of superstition and some casinos will allow it to a degree. This isn’t a concern in live dealer games, as bettors won’t be able to handle the game cards in that format.
