Online Baccarat for Real Money in Canadian Online Casinos
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When searching for a card game to play at a casino, there’s no better pick than a baccarat game online. Online casino baccarat in Canada is quite popular among beginner players mostly due to its simple and straightforward gameplay compared to other card games. Also known as punto banco, the game’s primary objective is to place a bet on the expected outcome of a round; you can bet on that the Banker or Player will win. You can also bet the outcome will be a tie. Beyond the simplistic choices you have to make regarding the bets, playing baccarat online for real money can be extremely lucrative. The house edge is around 1.06%, making it more advantageous to play than card and slot machine games.
Despite the easy-to-follow rules and its low house edge, there is a decent amount of information you must know if you are to make money playing the game. Today, this page is going to be your insightful guide to playing baccarat. Discover all the intricacies of baccarat game online, including the cards and their respective values and how they help in determining the game’s outcome. You will also learn the game’s rules, betting options, and odds. If you have been searching for tips and tricks to help you win as you play baccarat online, the guide has a few to help you during gameplay.
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Written & published:
02.05.2023 By author
Oliver G.
Reviewed & updated:
19.04.2024 By gambling expert
Richard B.
About online baccarat
With straightforward gameplay and minimal skill required, baccarat is a game of chance that has been entertaining crowds for decades. It is believed the game was founded in the 1400s. However, its popularity today stems from the fact that it has been featured significantly in Ian Flemming’s novels as the game choice for James Bond. In the traditional setup, baccarat has 14 seats, numbered 1-15, with 13 intentionally being left out for superstitious reasons. At the best online casino with baccarat games, the game is played in either RNG-based mode or the live dealer format. The RNG versions let you play against software, while the live dealer format enables you to play against a dealer; just as you would in the traditional setup.
In both versions, the game is played using six or eight decks of cards. You can bet on the banker, player or a tie. The player’s and banker’s hands have almost a similar house edge, while the tie, which is difficult to predict, has a high house edge. However, a win on the banker bet in some online casinos will mean you pay a small commission to the house. This commission is set to 5% of what you win. Luckily, some software providers have developed no-commission baccarat games.
Lastly, playing baccarat online casino games comes with several advantages compared to the traditional setting. For example, there is a wide variety of online games compared to the three common games – Chemin de Fer, Punto Banco, and Baccarat Banque – you will find at land-based casinos. Promotions and bonuses are also common sightings, which can help boost your bankroll.
Online baccarat interface
Rules of online baccarat
As mentioned, baccarat games online can be played in two formats; RNG-based mode and live dealer format. Both follow the same gameplay rules, although you will be playing against software in the RNG mode. In the live dealer format, you will be playing against a real croupier. He/she will deal the cards and conduct all the actions, just like at a land-based casino.
You will also be able to communicate with other players from around the world through the live chat feature. This interactive feature is found under the menu and enables you to write to players seated at the same table. In the live dealer mode, you can only play the game using real cash. In the RNG mode, you can use the game’s demo version to familiarise yourself with the game rules before switching to real money mode.
Getting started to play online baccarat
In both formats, the first step to playing the game is placing your bet. You can bet on one outcome or spread your risk by betting on all three available options. For example, you can bet $10 on the dealer’s hand, $20 on the banker’s hand and $50 on a tie. After that, you hit the deal button. This will deal the banker and player two cards. The cards come with different values:
- Cards 2-9 retain their face value
- Aces are valued as one
- Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens are valued as zero
The objective of baccarat is to form a hand that is as close as possible to 9 without going above it. Inevitably, you are going to go over 9 on several occasions. If this is the case, then the left digit is removed to get the true value of the hand. For example, a hand with cards valued at 9 and 5 gives you 14. Take the “1” from 14, and you have 4, which is the true value. After the cards have been dealt, the results are determined by looking at the hand with the strongest hand, which has not gone past the 9 mark.
Third card rule
There are situations where the first four cards are not enough to determine a winner. This happens when the player’s hand has a value equal to 5 or lower from the first two cards. Unless the banker’s hand has a 9 or 8 value, in which case they instantly win, then a third card is drawn.
The third card is given to the Player hand first. It is this card that will determine whether the banker’s hand will receive the third card as well. This plays out as follows:
- If the player’s third card is a 2 or 3, the banker will be dealt the third card if the sum of their cards is 4 or less
- If the player’s third card is a 4 or 5, the banker receives an extra card if the sum of their card is 5 or less
- When a 6 or 7 is dealt as the third card, the banker will receive the third card if the sum of their third card is 6 or less
- An 8 will automatically mean that the dealer will receive the third card if the sum of their card is 2 or less
- If a face card, an Ace, 9, or 10 is dealt as the third card, the dealer will receive the third card if their sum is 3 or less
After this, the game follows the same play, and the results are determined. Payouts are made as per the odds of the winning hand.
Online baccarat odds and payouts
After the two cards have been dealt, there are three possible outcomes: the player’s hand to win, the banker’s bet to win, or a tie. Each of these baccarat hands has its odds and payouts, as outlined below.
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Banker bet
Betting on the banker bet to win in baccarat has odds of 45.86%. If this comes to pass, the payout is 1:1. This means if you stake $1, you should expect a payout of $2, which is inclusive of your initial bet. Almost every baccarat game charges a 5% commission on the banker’s bet.
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Player bet
When you place this bet, you are basically betting on the player’s hand to win. It has a win percentage of 44.63%, which is slightly lower than the banker bet, but much better than the tie bet. If this comes to pass, you receive a payout of 1:1, i.e., for every $1 you wager, you get an extra $1.
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Tie bet
A tie bet happens when both the banker’s and the player’s hands have the same value. The odds of this happening are usually around 9.51%. If this comes to pass, there is a payout of 8:1. So for every $1 you stake, you get a payout of $8. There are cases, as seen in NetEnt’s Baccarat Pro, where the tie bet pays out at odds of 9:1.
Baccarat Bet Types and RTP
| Bet Type | RTP Percentage |
|---|---|
| Banker | 98.94% |
| Player | 98.76% |
| Tie | 85.64% |
| Banker Pair | 89.64% |
| Player Pair | 89.64% |
| Perfect Pair | 91.95% |
| Either Pair | 86.29% |
| Big | 95.65% |
| Small | 95.65% |
Side bets in online baccarat
Side bets in baccarat game online are additional bets you can place during the regular game of baccarat. You will be betting whether the banker’s or player’s hand will win or the result will be a tie. Side bets in online baccarat are placed at the start of a new round alongside the regular bets. Furthermore, most tend to offer massive payouts that are bigger than the 8:1 offered by the tie bet.
But are they worth it? Like in the game of blackjack, literally, all side bets in online baccarat are based on luck. The odds of winning them are also minimum (as their massive payouts suggest), and have a considerably high house edge. This means any baccarat side bet you consider making should be assessed carefully before being placed. You should place them as a way of enhancing your enjoyment of the game but not as a way of boosting your winnings.
So, which are some of the most popular side bets in online baccarat? There are over 30 side bets you can place. However, Dragon Bonus, All Red/All Black, Bellagio Match, Perfect Pair, and Combined Value bets are some of the most popular.
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Dragon bonus
There is no doubt that this is the most popular side bet in a baccarat game. When you place a dragon bonus baccarat bet, you are simply wagering on either the banker or the player wins with a certain margin. The payout you receive depends on the margin of the win. The lowest payout is set at x1 for 1 point, while the highest figure is set at x30 for 9 points.
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Bellagio match
If you decide to go for the Bellagio match side bet in baccarat, you are simply betting that either the banker or player will have a hand with three cards of the same rank (three-of-a-kind). An example of such a hand includes 2S, 2C, and 2D. If the player’s hand ends with a three-of-a-kind, a payout of 75:1 is given. If it is the banker’s hand, the player receives a payout of 68:1.
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Perfect pair
This type of bet is familiar to those who have played blackjack games before. The perfect pair baccarat side bet involves betting on the banker or player getting a suited pair during the first deal. If this successfully comes to pass, you enjoy a nifty payout of 25:1.
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Combined value bets
This type of bet allows you to bet on the combined value of the banker’s and player’s hands. For example, you can decide on whether the hands’ value will be under or over 9.5. If you successfully bet that the hands will be over 9.5, you receive a payout of 1.66:1. If you bet under, the payout will be 2.23:1. You can also bet that the combined value of the two hands will be even (1.91:1) or odd (1.92:1).
Online baccarat providers
If you are a regular online casino player, you are certainly aware that there is a wide range of software providers behind every entertaining game. Each software provider offers something unique and different to its users. This is why some players might pick baccarat games from one software provider over another. When playing baccarat at some of the top online casinos, you are bound to come across games from some of the following software providers.
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NetEnt
In 1996, Pontus Lindwall – the son of Bill Lindwall – founded NetEnt. This was the era when online casino gaming was starting to take shape, with only Microgaming and Playtech being operational. Using the knowledge they had from the land-based casino industry, and the internet technology that was just starting to take off, the company quickly started producing cutting-edge casino games.
However, it wasn’t until 2011 that they first made their significant mark in the industry by creating mobile games using HTML5 technology under their NetEnt Touch platform. Generally, the brand focuses mostly on the development of video slots, which is why it only has one baccarat game in its portfolio. You can only play Baccarat Pro, which was released in 2011. For this game, the tie bet pays out at odds of 9:1 instead of the common 8:1.
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Microgaming
It is easy to claim that Microgaming is the most successful online casino software developer. Besides being the first company to develop an online casino in 1995, they have made significant contributions to the industry. They also championed the formation of independent third-party auditing companies to check for the fairness of games. This ensures players have a fair gaming experience.
You may be able to enjoy megaways slots today, but are you aware it was Microgaming who laid the stone that this innovative feature is built on? Their ways-to-win slots inspired other software providers to develop features such as both-ways-win, Megaways, and more. Like NetEnt, Microgaming’s portfolio mainly consists of slots. However, it offers table games, too, including Baccarat, Baccarat Gold, No Commission Baccarat, and many more.
Play’n GO
Online casinos with Play’n GO games seem to be popping up everywhere, with many of these platforms being top-rated. While the Play’n GO brand is still relatively new compared to NetEnt and Microgaming, they have managed to stand out with their games. This could partly be due to their commitment to offering transparent, fair, and reliable services regulated by multiple licensed and regulatory bodies. While it focuses more on slots, Play’n Go also has a few table games. In the list of about 15 table games, it only features one baccarat game – mini baccarat. The game was released on January 1, 2023, and has a 5% commission on the banker’s bet.
Yggdrasil
Founded in 2013, the company’s commitment to offering high-quality games has secured them a spot as one of the most respected brands in the iGaming industry. Yggdrasil Gaming’s notable baccarat game is Baccarat Evolution, which they’ve released in collaboration with Darwin Gaming. The game has different unique themes – classic, dark, and light. It also has a standard bet range of €0.50 – €35, while the VIP version of the game allows for much higher limits – of €5 – €350.
Live baccarat in Canadian online casinos
Live baccarat enables players to engage in an immersive baccarat experience, just as they would at land-based casinos. Seat alongside other players from around the world in a virtual setting and enjoy playing multiple versions of baccarat. You can play games such as Speed Baccarat, No Commission Speed Baccarat, Golden Wealth Baccarat, Peek Baccarat, Baccarat Control Squeeze, and Lightning Baccarat.
The beauty of playing this card game in its live dealer format is that you interact with the dealer one-on-one. You can see the dealer cut the cards, and deal them, just as they would at a land-based casino. It gets better, you can also interact with other players seated at the table. Of course, you won’t be able to see them physically, but instead, write to them using the chat feature.
How good is the live baccarat experience? Provided you have a stable internet connection and a phone with good graphics/big screen, you should have an immersive experience. It doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy the game if your phone doesn’t meet these conditions. Always switch to landscape mode when playing live baccarat in Canadian online casinos to have an entertaining experience.
Online baccarat tips and tricks
Now that you are familiar with the basic working of the baccarat game online, shift your focus to tips and tricks that can help you improve your chances of winning. Before you start reading these useful tips and tricks, you must adjust your expectation about what they will help you achieve. These tips and tricks won’t guarantee an unbelievable winning streak, nor will they magically deliver massive profits. What they are meant to do is slightly improve your chance of breaking even, but even this is far from assured.
Avoid Tie bet
When you compare the tie bet to the player and banker bets, it’s not difficult to see why it is widely considered a trap. The player’s hand has odds of 44.6% of winning, while the banker’s chances are 45.8%. However, when it comes to the tie bet, you only have a partly 9.6% chance of winning. Yes, it offers the biggest payout, at 8:1 (9:1 in some cases). However, you are going to spend so much money trying to score it. If you hope to get lucky and win the tie bet, you should spend small amounts on your bets. However, it should not be considered a worthwhile strategy when betting.
Bet on Banker
As far as bets are concerned, it’s advisable that you wager on the banker’s hand. The odds of winning a banker’s bet are 45.8% compared to the player’s – 44.6%. Of course, some games tend to have a small commission on banker bets to counter the massive odds, but in the long run, it is worthwhile to wager on a hand that gives you an improved chance of winning.
Don’t rely on a betting strategy
A quick Google search of online baccarat tips and tricks and what you will get are common money management strategies. These include the likes of the Paroli system, the Fibonacci, D’Almbert, or the popular Martingale betting strategies. While they can help you in bankroll management, these betting strategies won’t overcome the house edge of any game.
Avoid playing no-commission baccarat
No-commission baccarat games exist, but they are games that most enthusiasts and people advise against. Like most other popular games, no-commission baccarat is featured in most of the best online baccarat casino sites, but they are no better than regular games. Here is why.
As mentioned, the banker’s hand usually has a 5% commission. While it may sound good or advantageous, no-commission baccarat games usually have a hidden rule. According to this rule, if the banker wins with a margin of 6 points, you only receive 50% of your stake. For those new to playing baccarat, this happens more often than you think. This is why it is not advisable to play no-commission baccarat.
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Conclusion
From the outgoing guide, it is evident that baccarat strategies don’t work every time they are used. The basic rules you learn during gameplay, such as knowing how the different cards are valued, the type of bets you can place, and the games to play, are quite useful. As with anything in life, it takes time to learn and implement anything, so it’s advisable that you take your time and learn everything that is there to know about the game. This is achieved through the demo version of the RNG baccarat games.
And when you are ready, you can recharge your online casino account with real money and start staking cash when wagering. This is the only way to win money playing online casino baccarat in Canada. Most importantly, you should shop around for a reliable online casino site. If you wish to have a fair, entertaining and enjoyable experience, read through the site’s T&Cs, privacy policy and run a background search on it to ensure it has a stellar reputation in the online gambling niche.
