As with any casino game, many people have tried to come up with playing systems for Baccarat. Is there a good system? Yes and no. Any system is technically good if you enjoy playing it. And no system is perfect.
Many have suggested that you should just walk up to the Baccarat table, bet on Bank, pay your commissions and go home. Having done this strategy, I can tell you that it’s ridiculous. First of all, it’s boring as heck. Second, who say the Bank will win more during your playing session?
As you may know or have guessed, Baccarat lends itself to streak system players. When you walk up to the Baccarat table there’s usually a hand tracker (computerized or paper form). You’ll soon find yourself noticing trends, such as the Bank has never won four consecutive hands or this shoe seems to be back and forth.
One thing I like to do is to walk up and start playing the Bank. Once I hit three wins in a row, I’ll switch to the Player for a bit. When I hit three wins consecutively on the Player, I’ll swap again-and back and forth. Is there any thought to this strategy? No, not much. However, it’s fun and it has worked.
Another strategy is to play as you want, but pay attention to streaks. Has the Bank never won four hands consecutively this shoe? If not and it just won three, jump over the to the Player. With this strategy, you’re hoping that history repeats itself.
So, what are the probabilities of either side winning? It depends on the number of decks being used. Almost all shoes use 6 or 8 decks.
With an 8-deck shoe, the Banker has a winning probability of 45.8% and the Player has a winning probability of 44.6%. The probability of a tie is roughly 9.5%.
Should the game use a 6-deck shoe, the probabilities are just about the same. In fact, the difference is extremely small. For instance, the actual winning probability on an 8-deck shoe for the Banker is 45.859. Go down to a 6-deck shoe and the probability only increases to 45.865.
Since we know the probability on any hand, we can conclude that the probability of the Banker winning four times consecutively is roughly 4.4%. It’s this low number that makes many Baccarat players-who know probabilities-to play against streaks.
If Bank/Player has won three hands consecutively, the probability of Bank/Player winning a 4th is low, therefore bet the opposite.
Whatever you do, don’t progressive bet. In other words, don’t double up your wager after each loss (1-2-4-8-etc). That’s a recipe for disaster.
Baccarat can be exciting, just keep things in moderation. And if you find a playing strategy boring, don’t play that way. You can win at Baccarat using many methods. Pick the style that’s most fun to you.
