How to Play Live Dealer Baccarat

Baccarat is a casino classic that has managed to grow in popularity over the years, thanks to the immersive new experiences that live casino gaming technology is capable of offering. The ‘live dealer’ instantly makes the game more appealing as you watch the action unfold right before your eyes.

Whether you’re an experienced Baccarat veteran or just a beginner at the tables, rest assured: you’re at the right place. Casino.com South Africa is by far the best iGaming expert to partner with in your search for the best Live Baccarat casinos to play at and if you still need some tips or advice on how to play the game, we’ve got everything to help you right here.

• Live Dealer Baccarat Games: 500+
• Platform: Top-tier providers like Playtech, Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play Live, etc.
• Betting Limits: R10 – R50,000
• Watching Option: Yes, you can watch Baccarat games live

Our expert team of iGaming veterans at Casino.com South Africa have done all that’s necessary to find top casino sites that offer exciting variants of Live Casino Baccarat. As always, our aim is to provide the very best playing experience, with mobile-friendly gaming available across the whole of the Live Casino collection at our recommended live baccarat casino sites.

To help you along, we’ve provided a quick description of the top games below, along with the betting limits and RTP (return to player percentage):

Many of these games feature something known as Spectator Mode or Watcher Mode. Simply put, this mode lets you join a game without committing to play. You can simply watch the other players in action, getting to grips with the process and learning the rules and features as you go. When you’re ready to play, head over to the live casino lobby and meet the Baccarat dealers!

Playing Live Dealer Baccarat is the most authentic casino experience you can get without actually sitting down at the tables in a real-life casino. It’s common for new players to feel overwhelmed but trust us: there’s nothing to worry about.

Playing any of  the Live Baccarat games requires no extra skills or years of experience. All you need is an active account at any of the top casinos featured on Casino.com South Africa  and a reliable internet connection.

Pros

• As close to the real-life casino experience as you can get.
• Watch the action unfold through a live HD video stream.
• Chat to dealers and other players.
• No web cam or microphone required.

Cons

• Games only available to play when dealers are at the table.
• Requires a stable internet connection.

Understanding the layout of the Baccarat table goes a long way in explaining the rules of the game, with the three basic bets laid out on the table in front of you: the Player, the Dealer, the Tie.

To be a winner in Live Baccarat, you need to bet on the hand that you think will get closest to a total of 9 points. Your basic betting options are:

• The Player.
• The Dealer.
• The Tie.

All Live Baccarat tables also offer side bet options:

• Pairs: Dealer or player gets a perfect pair, pair, or either one.
• Big: Your bet is a winner if at least 5 or 6 cards are drawn.
• Small: Only a pair of cards are dealt to the dealer and the player.
• Egalite Extra: Bet on the Tie and what the Tie result will be.

Understanding card values is your next step. These are easy to remember: cards from 2 through to 9 are worth their face value in points; 10’s and any picture cards are worth zero points and aces are worth 1 point.

The important rule to remember in Live Baccarat is that the points total can never be a double-digit number. For example, if you are dealt 7 and 8 cards, you’ll end up with 5 points rather than 15. You simply subtract 10 from any double-digit total.

How to Play a Basic Game of Live Baccarat

Sit down at the table and place your bets by choosing any of the betting options available: Player, Dealer, Tie, Pairs, Big, Small, Egalite.

You and the dealer are then each dealt two cards. Individual game rules will dictate how the game plays out in relation to how the first and second cards are dealt - face up or face down (which is also known as a ‘squeeze’ game).

The game is decided on the 3rd card rule. This is dependant on the type of Live Baccarat game you are playing. Basically, the game rules are in control from here on in:

• The player draws a 3rd card with a points total of between zero and five.
• The dealer’s move is explained clearly in the table below:

In Baccarat Live, the player and dealer bets have a 1:1 payout and all bets on the Tie will result in an 8:1 payout. However, the rules do state that a 5% commission is to be taken on all dealer bets, with the exception of when you’re playing a ‘No Commission’ game.

For example, if you bet on the dealer with a $5 bet in a typical Live Casino Baccarat game, you would win $9.75 (5% commission included).

If you ever get stuck with the payouts, you can always refer to our ‘Help’ section (which is detailed below). Here, you can find out exactly how to view specific odds and payout numbers for each game.

A large part of the Baccarat game is based around a predefined set of rules. The one strategy that you can work around is based on the initial bets you place at the start of each round.

We’ll only be focussing our strategies on the three main Baccarat bets — Player, Dealer, and Tie:

1. Bet on the Dealer: Considered to be the wise bet by a number of Baccarat players due to the slightly improved odds of succeeding. You can see this clearly by looking at the 1.06% house edge on dealer bets against the 1.36% house edge when backing the player.
2. Don’t bet on a Tie: Never get drawn into the 8 to 1 odds when backing the Tie, as the house edge for this bet is 14.4%. Winning the Tie bet is notably lower than when backing the more popular player and dealer bets.
3. Money management: The Pocket Trick Strategy and the Budget System are two popular choices. These two options are both based around dividing your balance up into sections (to keep track of what you are winning and losing) and keeping to a strict minimum and maximum bet limit.

• All the operators on the Casino.com South Africa website have partnered with several reputable live games providers to offer players the most authentic live gaming experience possible. For instance, Playtech and their highly-rated Eurolive ‘Live Casino’ platform is a prominent option in most top live baccarat casinos due to their impeccable safety records and exceptional security features.
• The Eurolive platform from Playtech is centred around 100s of HD cameras that stream the games straight onto your screen. All of the top games are available, such as Blackjack, Roulette and many other games. Play Hi-Lo, Spin a Win, and 3 Card Brag.

Playing at any site on Casino.com South Africa comes with many advantages. We pride ourselves on finding operators that offer the very best promotions, bonuses and free spins offers. We recommend you take a look at our promotions page before selecting a site and start playing, as we often have exclusive Live Baccarat bonuses available.

We also suggest that you read our casino bonuses page where you can refresh your memory on the different types of free bonuses, promotions, and wagering requirements available at the world-class online casinos recommended by  Casino.com South Africa.

There are also many other types of Live Dealer games, such as Live Blackjack, Live Roulette, Live Hold'em Poker and many more. We think that after you’ve had a taste of the Live Baccarat tables, you’ll be eager to try and play in other live casino game rooms as well.

Playing Live Dealer Baccarat puts you one step away from actually playing in a real casino. This is the main reason why so many players are now enjoying the live casino experience. If you’re searching for a similar experience, you’ve come to the right place, because Casino.com South Africa is exactly what you need to find the best Live Baccarat casino sites to play at. Pick any of our listed casinos that tick your boxes, sign up now and join in the fun.