Play Online Baccarat at Casino.com UK

Baccarat was dubbed the “Game of Kings” because it was a popular game among French royalty in the 1480s. Over the past few centuries, its reputation became that of an elitist and difficult game, only suited for high rollers.

For those that know how to play baccarat, that notion is simply laughable. It is one of the easiest online casino games to learn, as there are only 3 betting options and not many decisions for the punter to make.

Casino.com UK is the best baccarat casino due in large part to its large collection of Online and Live Dealer baccarat tables. Register and play at Commission or Non-Commission tables, or take your chance the progressive jackpot baccarat.  

Casino.com UK works with the best casino game developers to bring UK punters the finest online baccarat experience, such as Playtech, NetEnt, Microgaming, Blueprint, Realistic, Pragmatic Play and more. With high-quality graphics and animations, it’ll feel like you’re playing with a real deck of cards. For all the rules, betting options, and best practices, read this ultimate guide baccarat now.

Online baccarat is a unique game in many ways. For starters, while it may seem like you’re playing against the dealer, you can actually bet on the dealer’s hand to win.

The goal of the game is to bet on the hand that will have closer to 9 points, or you can bet on a tie. The points are tallied by adding the face value of the cards. The exceptions are A, which is worth 1 point and 10s and picture cards which are worth 0 points.  

Unlike Online Blackjack, where you “bust” or automatically lose when going over 21 points, going over 9 points in online baccarat isn’t that big of a deal. You can’t have a double-digit point total. If the cards in yours or the dealer's hand are 10 or higher, they are reduced by 10.

For example:

• A 10 is worth 0 points
• A 12 is worth 2 points
• A 19 is worth 9 points

And so on.

Before the cards are dealt, you’ll have to place a bet on either the Player, Dealer, or Tie. This is the only decision that you have to make. As you’ll soon see, everything else is based on the card's point total. Therefore, there is nothing that can be done to give the player or dealer's hand advantage in winning the hand.

Once the bets are in, the dealer will deal 4 face-up cards, two each for the player for the dealer. The rules for drawing a third card are as follows.

• If either the dealer or player is dealt 8 or 9 points, neither hand receives a third card. This is called Natural.
• When the dealer has 7, 8 or 9 points, it must stand.
• If the player hand has 6, 7, 8, or 9 points, it must stand.
• If the player hand has 5 points or less, it will automatically receive a 3rd
• If the player hand has 6 points or more and the dealer's hand has 5 points or less, it will receive another card.

In games where the player does receive a third card, the dealer rules are as follows:

• Always get a third card if it has 2 points or less
• When the dealer has 3 points, it receives a third card as long as the player hand has less than 8 points.
• When the dealer has 4 points, it receives a third card unless the player has 0, 1, 8, or 9 points.
• When the dealer has 5 points, it receives a third card only when the player has 4, 5, 6, or 7 points.
• When the dealer has 6 points, it receives a third card if the player has 6 or 7 points.
• When the dealer has 7 points, it stands regardless of what the player has.

As mentioned earlier, there are just 3 main betting options in online baccarat, the player hand, dealer hand, or tie. However, you can add some more excitement by making additional bets during any given round. The side bets available at Casino.com UK are as follows:

• Player Pair: Place a bet that the player will be dealt a matching pair of cards.
• Dealer Pair: Place a bet that the dealer will be dealt a matching pair of cards.
• Big: If there are 5 or 6 cards dealt in a hand, it’s called a Big hand
• Small: Also known as a natural, this bet is that only the original 4 face-up cards will be in play and that neither hand receives a third card.

With the odds of winning north of 44%, both the Player and Dealer bets have a payout ratio of 1:1. This means that if you bet £1 on the player hand and win, your payout is £1. In standard online baccarat, the house takes a 0.5% commission on all dealer bets. So, a £1 bet on the dealer's hand, will end up paying out 95p instead of the full £1. A bet on Tie has the lowest odds and therefore, the highest payouts at 8:1, or you’ll win £8 on a £1 bet.

The side bet payouts are as follows:

• Player or Dealer Pair: 11:1
• Perfect Pair: 25:1
• Big: 0.54:1
• Small: 2:1

For more information, read the Help and Support section below.

There are some online casino games, like Online Blackjack or Casino Hold’em, that require a mix of skill and luck. online baccarat does not fit in that category. Once the bet is played, every move in this game is clearly structured based on the cards on the tables. This means that the only true strategies are related to how to make smart bets. While several side bets can be played on each hand, such as Big, Small, and Pairs, these strategies focus on the main game.

• Bet on the Banker: The banker has slightly better odds than the player bets and significantly higher odds than the Tie bet. The house edge for a Dealer bet is 1.06%, compared with a 1.36% house edge in player bets. This is why the house usually takes a slight commission on dealer bets. You can avoid paying the house by playing at one of the No Commission Baccarat tables.
• Don’t bet on a Tie: Don’t be lured in by the 8:1 payout for the Tie bet. The payout is high because the odds are significantly lower than the other bets. The house edge for a Tie is 14.4%.
• Avoid Money Management Betting Strategies: Since we’re dealing with bets that are close to 50/50 odds, there are several money management betting strategies that have been used. The two most common ones are the Martingale and Paroli, both made popular in Online Roulette. The idea behind these bets is to double your bet after a win or loss, depending on which method you’d use. These betting strategies have a fatal flaw when it comes to online baccarat, and that is the Tie, which should hit around 14.4% of the time.

You shouldn’t get overwhelmed playing online baccarat for real money. It should be a thrilling and exciting experience. However, if you do have questions, there are a few ways to get the answers you need.

• In-Game Help Menu: All of the Online baccarat games have a detailed help menu that can answer any game-related question you might have. Click on the “hamburger menu” to open the menu. You’ll be able to see the odds, payouts, betting history, betting limits, game stats, side bet information and more.
• Customer Support: If your question is about technical issues with gameplay, account details, deposit, and withdrawals, or any other issues the require human assistance, our dedicated customer support team is available 24/7. They can be reached via Live Chat, telephone, or email.

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Get the latest information on the kinds of bonuses, promotions, and wagering requirements at the online casino bonus page.

Thanks to a wide range of baccarat games, including multiple Live Dealer Baccarat room, Casino.com UK is the best online baccarat casino. Don’t just take our word for it, register your account and make a deposit so you can collect your Welcome Bonus and play for real money today.