What Is The Best Hand In Baccarat?

So you’ve probably recently discovered baccarat. And how easy it is to play and win. It sure looks like baccarat is one of those games with a 50% chance of winning.

But what if it’s possible to increase that winning chance further? Do you need the best hand to win?

Lucky for you, you came to the right article “What is the best hand in Baccarat?”. Here, we’ll share a bit of in-depth info about baccarat. Then reveal some simple tips to win better in baccarat. You need to have some background info on baccarat first. Then only you can fully grasp the tips we share.

How To Calculate The Hand Value In Baccarat

Staring from the most basic part, you need to understand how to count the hand value in baccarat. It’s fairly easy because each hand gets only 2 cards. Then you only need to add or minus the value. Let’s begin with the value of each card.

For picture cards (jack, queen & king), the value is 0 points
For tens, the value is also 0 points.
For ace cards, the value is 1.
For numbered cards, the value is as per their face value.

In baccarat game, the total value is scored between 0 to 9 only. So, the best hand in baccarat is obviously a 9. Here are some examples to understand the calculation better:

If you get a 4 and a 5, the total point is 9 (a natural win).
If you get an ace and a 6, the total point is 7.
If you get a 3 and a 7, the total point is 0.

Very straightforward maths. But what if you get a total point beyond 10? It’s still very easy. Just ignore the 1st digit. Only take the 2nd digit as the total point. Here are some examples to understand the calculation better:

If you get a total point of 19, that’s just a total of 9 points (a natural win)
If you get a total point of 22, that’s just a total of 2 points.
If you get a total point of 15, that’s just a total of 5 points.

That’s all and that’s how simple it is. Some people may need a few rounds of practice to get the hang of this. But fret not if it’s still confusing, the dealer will handle everything after all. Just watch how the dealer handles the rounds, you’ll learn it in no time.

The Payouts In Baccarat

Beginners may be surprised to find out that the payout is a bit unique in baccarat. How much you’ll get is different for each winning hand. Just refer to this simple guide below:

If you win when you bet on the player, you get 1:1.
If you win when you bet on the banker, you get 1:1. But the casino will take 5% of your winning as a commission.
If you win when you bet on tie, you’;; get 8:1.

So, that’s 3 different bets in baccarat with 3 different payouts. It’s quite different from most other casino games with standardized payout.

Related Post: Do Professional Baccarat Players Exist?

Simple Tips To Win In Baccarat

Now that you know the basics of baccarat, let’s go over some common tactics to win better. The good news is that you don’t need to consistently get the best hands to win more. These are the 3 most popular tip that helps you to win more.

When unsure, bet on the banker instead

You may have noticed it already from the different payouts. Banker bets usually have a 5% commission if the banker wins. Some best casino in Singapore lowered their commission to make their baccarat more attractive. But there will always be a commission. And generally, it’s 5% for most casinos worldwide.

So, why is it that only banker bets have a commission?

Believe it or not, banker bets have a lower house edge. Meaning, that the chances of the banker winning in baccarat are higher. That’s why a commission is imposed to increase the house edge. Or at least make banker bets looks less lucrative.

Therefore, when you’re unsure which to bet on…always bet on the banker instead.

Never bet on a tie bet

This is quite obvious already, the chances of winning a tie bet are lower than banker and player bets. But many people don’t realize how low it is.

That’s why the casino can offer a very lucrative payout. Commonly it’s hovering around 8 to 1 payout on tie bets. Most new players will find that lucrative and will bet on it occasionally.

The house edge on tie bets in baccarat is very low. So, the chances of winning are very low as well. Even the lucrative payout doesn’t justify the low chance.

Therefore, no veteran players will ever include tie bets in their baccarat strategy at all.

Use the Martingale System Tactic

This tactic is also fairly well known and it’s proven to work. So much so that some casinos banned the use of Martingale System.

In simple terms, this tactic requires you to double down on your next bet each time you lost. With a simple betting strategy that has a 50% chance of winning, you’re sure to win eventually. So, when you do win eventually, you’ll get to recover all your previous losses.

It’s a legit tactic that works. That’s why some casinos banned it by enforcing a maximum bet rule. If there’s a maximum bet rule in place, there’s a limit on how many times you can double down on your bets.

Also, Martingale System requires a large bankroll to begin with. It’s to absorb the losses until you finally win.

Conclusion

In conclusion, baccarat is a very simple casino game to play and win. While the best hand is a total of 9 points. But you do not need to score the best hands to win all the time. As long as you bet on the hands with a higher point, you win. So, don’t need to be overly concerned with getting the best hands in baccarat. We have shared some tips and tactics you can use to win better without aiming for 9 points. Give them a try and start winning more.