While hugely popular in the East, in the West the popular card game baccarat spent a long time living in blackjack's shadow. Thanks to improving technology and the huge popularity of online casinos and live casinos, baccarat has finally been able to make a name for itself and is now a staple and a firm favourite with many players. Join us in today’s entry of our Casino Strategy Guide and learn how to play live baccarat right here at Lord Ping.
Step 1: Choose Your Live Baccarat Game
First things first, complete the simple registration process at Lord Ping! Now you’ll want to head over to our live casino section and browse our exciting array of live baccarat games. All games on our site are fully optimised for play on all devices including mobile ones.
Baccarat is a straightforward game where the player and the dealer, or "banker," each have a hand. The goal is to predict which hand will win—yours, the dealer’s, or if the round will end in a tie. This simplicity is why the popular variant, ‘Punto Banco,’ is so well-known, with "Punto" referring to the player’s hand and "Banco" to the banker’s.
While most live baccarat games stick to the classic ‘Punto Banco’ format, some have introduced features like multipliers for added excitement. If you’re new to baccarat or unsure about playing, it’s a good idea to watch a few rounds first. This helps you understand the flow of the game without risking your bankroll. Always check the rules of your chosen game for any unique twists.
Step 2: Learn Gameplay Rules and Card Values
As we’ve learned the overall aim of baccarat is to correctly guess the outcome of the hand; but how are baccarat card values decided?
In baccarat, all cards are worth their face value (ace is 1, two is 2, etc) aside from the 10, Jack King and Queen which are worth 0. This is because baccarat employs a unique system when it comes to calculating hands; only the rightmost digit counts. Therefore, the number 10 has a value of 0 because we discount the first digit. This is a stark contrast to blackjack and means that a strong hand in blackjack such as a 16 made from 10 and 6, is only worth 6 points, while a weak blackjack hand of 2 and 7 is one of the strongest baccarat hands, totalling 9 points.
There are also specific baccarat rules the player should know. For example, each hand begins with two cards, but there are certain scenarios where a third card can be dealt such as if the players had totals 5 or lower. The way the banker operates is decided by the house rules presented to the player as a chart within the gameplay information.
Step 3: Know about Baccarat Card Dealing
The way cards are dealt can be the trickiest thing for new players to understand, and while in live dealer baccarat, the dealer can make clarifications, you’ll need to make sure you know how the typical round plays out:
- Players place bets on whether the banker’s hand, the player’s hand, or a tie will win.
- Both are dealt two cards; the player draws a third card if their total is 5 or lower.
- The banker draws a third card based on specific rules, depending on both their total and the player's third card:
- If the player’s third card isn’t 8 and the banker’s total is 3.
- If the banker’s total is 4 and the player’s third card is 2-7.
- If the banker’s total is 5 and the player’s third card is 4-7.
- If the banker’s total is 6 and the player’s third card is 6 or 7.
- The banker stands if their total is 7, regardless of the player's third card.
- The highest hand wins, and payouts follow the paytable.
- The next round begins.
Play the Finest Live Baccarat Games on Lord Ping
At Lord Ping, you can find a selection of the best live and online casino games including smash-hit live baccarat titles such as Lightning Baccarat, Baccarat Squeeze, and XXXTreme Lightning Baccarat. Sign up and play today.
