Victory in an Online Baccarat game is ultimately a matter of chance, yet there are still aspects of the game where a strategic approach can increase a player’s chances at victory. It does seem a bit counter-intuitive or contradictory to talk of using strategy in attempts to win a game where the odds are beyond the player’s control, but there a number of strategies that players, particularly expert level players, use because they believe these strategies are behind some of their great wins. The results of some of these strategies have also been corroborated by a number of different studies which evaluated the results of games where the strategies were and were not used, and thus they are worth taking into consideration.
Online Baccarat strategies that don’t work
Before delving into the strategies that can have any impact on your Online Baccarat winning odds, the author has found it fitting to begin this discussion by focusing first on those ‘strategies’ that CANNOT produce the desired results because they are founded on incorrect principles and explaining what a more appropriate approach would be.
- Using previous bets
Online Baccarat players are not exempt from basing gambling decisions such as how to respond to a given hand on superstitious beliefs that have no bearing on reality. A common superstition which serves as a perfect example is the belief gamblers have that previous bets are likely to repeat themselves in future, and based on this belief, they place bets with the expectation that already established patterns will continue – and they lose. Players should instead start each bet on a clean note and simply forget the previous bet; refusing to base betting decisions on it.
- Betting on tie
This pseudo-strategy is another common one that gamblers use in attempts to increase their odds of winning. Unfortunately for gamblers, the house edge on betting on a tie actually favors the banker more than it does the player; this is illustrated in percentage terms below;
- House edge on Tie bets: 15.75%.
- House edge on Player hand bets: 1.29%
- House edge on Bank hand bets: 1.01%.
The implications of the above statistics are that the tie bet is actually the least likely to win in most cases, and thus the bet which is most likely to produce the desired results is actually betting on a bank hand bet.
- Card counting
This ‘strategy’ is similar to the aforementioned in terms of its impracticality. The ‘logic’ of this strategy is that, since Online Baccarat cards are dealt out of a shoe, card counting can increase the likelihood that a player wins. But the futility of this strategy is made obvious by the fact that card counting is not even considered an offence at most casinos.
Online Baccarat strategies that are more reasonable
With all the myths and superstitions out of the way, a firm foundation has been laid for a meaningful discussion about strategies that CAN in fact increase your odds of winning an Online Baccarat game.
- The 1234 strategy
This strategy involves what the name implies; when playing Online Baccarat, gamblers must bet in the 1-2-3-4 sequence, and begin from scratch when they win, or lose.
- The Magical first and last strategy
With this strategy, a gambler bets on the last number of a winning streak and the first number of a losing streak.
- Being indifferent to winning or losing
This strategy is more about a player’s outlook than it is about the various ways to respond to hands on a Online Baccarat table. Ultimately, even when your gambling/betting decisions are based on ‘strategy’ and ‘study’, your wins will still be a result of luck and not the efficiency of your ‘strategy’. Therefore players should not expect to win consistently using a ‘strategy’. Gambling involves the loss of money, and to win, a player should be in a position to take loss on a game and not be impacted in a major way by the loss of money, this way, they can enjoy gambling for what it was meant to be – a fun activity that can result in some money if a player wins, and they can avoid seeing it for what it isn’t – a means to become rich.
