Online Baccarat

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The most popular game in Macau and Asian-focused online casinos, baccarat is an elegant yet very simple game, regardless the seemingly complicated table layout. In fact, betting in baccarat is just as simple as betting on which sports team will win. The point is that all baccarat rules are determined beforehand, meaning a player cannot affect the outcomes with his actions or inactivity. This further means both edges (the casino’s and player’s) are fixed at certain levels with no possibility to override them.

This is a pure game of chance in which no strong knowledge of maths or formal logic can help the player win. And this approach reflects perfectly the Oriental contemplative philosophy and lifestyle. Old ancient philosophers in Asia believed a person cannot change anything because he follows the predetermined whims of fate. In online baccarat, a player just has to enjoy the game process, relax and make only one of three decisions, whether bet on the Player, Banker or Tie – no strategies are possible inherently. The game is truly great in its simplicity, calming and almost meditative course. Besides, many online baccarat tables are available on mobile devices.

Online baccarat basics and card values

Before playing for real money and spend nairas, a Nigerian user is recommended to complete reading this guide in order to come to grips with the major rules of this elegant casino game. The game is normally played with 6 or 8 card decks. The digitally created table normally has three marked areas on which the user is invited to place a bet – these three areas are Player, Banker and Tie, each denoting a possible outcome of the round that follows. When the bet is down, the software deals two face-up cards, each to Player and Banker. The user’s aim is to predict correctly which hand, Player or Banker, is going to win. The winning hand should exceed the losing hand (the ideal score and undeniable winner is 9).

Best online casinos to play Baccarat

Now that the bet is placed and there are two cards on Player and Banker table areas, the software decides whether there is a need in the third card on the Player and/or Banker hand. In this case, a strict third-card rule applies. A user who plays online baccarat in Nigeria does not have to make any decisions or click any button because the third card is dealt (or not dealt) automatically based on the built-in rules. If Player’s hand is 5 or less, one more card is dealt to the Player. If Player’s hand is 6 or 7, the Player stands (no more cards are obtained). Third-card rules for the Dealer’s hand are a bit complicated to memorize, yet there is no need to do this because the computer (or mobile device) on which the game runs will do everything by itself. So at the end of one baccarat round, there can be 4 to 6 cards in total on the table (2 or 3 on the Player area and 2 or 3 on the Dealer’s). The round finishes and the NG user can bet again for a new game iteration.

Online baccarat winning odds

The probabilities of the Banker and Player bet to win are 45.8% and 44.6%, accordingly. Either bet pays out even money but in case of a Banker win, the player will have to pay a 5% commission, so in fact the Banker bet awards 0.95 to 1. The house edges for Player and Banker are 1.24% and 1.06%, accordingly. So given the five-percent commission, it is still a better choice to bet on Banker as it will render more winnings in the long run. As for a tied outcome when playing baccarat online, experts recommend that users avoid it because the house edge for a Tie is 14.44 % (or a bit lower), and this is really unacceptable, especially if playing for real money (Tie pays 8 to 1, if won).

Side bets in online baccarat

The game is famous for the abundance of side bets. If a Nigerian user wants to find a baccarat game with many side bets, which are placed in addition to main bets, they should try games from Playtech, NetEnt, RTG and some other providers (these are also accessible on major mobile devices). Every single side bet has a lower player’s advantage than Player or Banker bets, however placing side bets adds fun and animate the gaming process. But actually, a serious gambler will certainly avoid many of the side bets because they are real lossmakers. The most widely found side bets, which many software providers build into their online baccarat software, are:

• Big/Small . The bet is on the total number of cards at the end of the round (4, 5 or 6)
• Dragon/Tiger/Small Tiger/Tiger Pair
• Perfect/Either pair. The bet is winner if the first two cards of the Banker and/or Player form a same-suited or any pair
• Lucky 6 (Super 6). Wins if the Banker bet wins with a total of 6
• a few dozen more. . .

Strategies for online baccarat in Nigeria

As is said above, the mathematically preconditioned house/player edges and no decisions that a user can make as the game round evolves makes application of any strategy a waste of money and time. Anyway, some advanced gamblers try to use certain betting systems such as Positive Progressions, Negative Progressions, Flat Betting, etc. None is beneficial in the long run, yet can provide some profits in the short run.