You will be hard pushed to find any online casinos that do not have some sort of baccarat offering. The game is one of the most popular among online gamblers, with new variations and versions regularly appearing.
So what makes it so popular? Part of the reason is no doubt its simplicity. Baccarat game rules don’t take long to get to grips with. The idea of it is easy to follow - get as close to the number 9 as you can with a combination of two or three cards. During the game, cards are counted slightly differently from how they are in other games.
If a card combination totals over 10, then ten is removed from the total. For example, if a player scores a 9 and a 5, this will count as 14, not four. Also, the number 10 itself simply counts as zero in the game. The rules of the game are straightforward, but if you want to find more and look into different versions, then check out the Mega Casino baccarat page for further information.
Baccarat Game Objective
As we’ve already mentioned, the aim of the game in baccarat couldn’t be clearer - get your hand as close to the number 9 as possible. Players are dealt two cards to start the hand, and will automatically be dealt a third if it is required. Whoever is closest to the number 9 between the dealer and the player, wins. Landing a nine from your first two cards is the ideal outcome and this is what is called a natural in the game.
How To Play: Starting with the Basics
- A call is made to place all bets - At the start of the game, you can bet on one of the three outcomes - dealer, player or tie.
- Cards are dealt - Once all the bets are made, the game will begin. At the start of the game, both the player and the dealer will be dealt two cards.
- Hands are revealed - Both players will then reveal their hands. If a natural has occurred, then that player will win. In certain situations, the player and dealer may be required to draw a third card.
- Waiting for the third card - The player’s third card determines whether the dealer draws or not. As you will see in a table later in the article, the outcome of the player’s third card will impact whether or not the dealer draws a third.
- The winner is declared - Once all cards have been drawn, the winner of the round is declared and the winnings are collected.
Betting Options
Player
In the game of baccarat, you can either opt to back the dealer, yourself, or a tie. If you back yourself (the player) then your hand will need to finish closest to nine in order for you to win. This bet pays out at 1:1 and is also sometimes referred to as a punto bet.
Banker
As we’ve mentioned, you don’t have to bet on yourself. Unlike other popular card games like blackjack, you can opt to bet with the dealer here. Due to the fact that the house has a slight advantage over the player, the odds are slightly reduced and the payout is 19:20.
Tie
Like a sport, you can also bet on a tie when playing baccarat. This is easily the rarest of the three outcomes, and as such, the pay out for this is 8:1. Tie bets are not advised though, as the house advantage in this situation is much higher.
Side Bets
There is more to baccarat betting than just choosing who gets the closest hand to nine. A number of side-bets can also be placed in the game.
Big and Small
Big and Small are both popular examples of a baccarat bet. This is a bet on the number of cards that will be drawn in a single round. If the number of cards drawn stays at four, then this counts as small, while if any more cards are drawn, this is considered big. Small pays out at 2:1, while big will offer 3:2.
All Red/ All Black
As its name might give away, this one involves betting on whether a hand, the player’s specifically, will be all red or all black. The payout for an all-red hand is 22:1, and the payout for all black is 28:1.
Bellagio Match
This is one of the more lucrative side bets to place. A Bellagio match involves betting on the player or dealer to get all three cards of a matching rank. If this happens, the dealer’s hand pays out 68:1, while the player’s offers 75:1.
Egalite Extra
An egalite bet is that the players and the dealers' hands will be a matching amount. There are different payouts for each card. The lowest is 6, with a payout of 45:1, while the highest is 2, with an impressive payout of 225:1.
Royal Match
This bet is that the player or banker will be dealt both a king and a queen in their opening hand. The payout is typically 30:1 if the cards are of different suits, and 75:1 if the cards are of the same suit.
The Third Card Rule
The third card rule is where baccarat can begin to feel a little bit daunting. This rule is used to determine whether or not the dealer will draw a third card or not. The dealer will always stand on 7, 8 or 9, but things get a little bit more complicated after that and will become dependent on the player’s third card. We have provided this useful table below to help see how it is determined.
Play Online Baccarat at Mega Casino
Baccarat is one of the most popular and enjoyable card games in the world, and at Mega Casino, we have collected a wide range of different online baccarat games for you to play. If you want to play online baccarat, there are plenty of choices at Mega Casino. We only work with the top developers in the industry, ensuring that all of the games you are playing are reliable and enjoyable.
