Baccarat Strategy: The Best Strategies in 2024
Of course, as a new player, you may be unfamiliar with the game, along with its various betting systems and strategies. That’s why throughout this page you’ll discover all of the information you’ll need to know to improve your odds of winning, in addition to many of the most popular strategies used both online and at land-based casinos.
So, if you’re looking to take on the house, be sure to continue reading our guide to the best baccarat strategies before taking a seat at the tables.
What Are Baccarat Betting Systems?
As always, you should first learn how to play baccarat and familiarise yourself with the basics before risking real money. As your understanding of the game progresses, you’ll become more comfortable making decisive bets with each hand dealt
However, once you begin to master the basics, you’ll likely be looking for ways to improve your odds, which is where certain betting systems come into play. These systems are designed to minimise your losses and maximise your returns in the long run by using certain maths-based formulae to determine your bet sizing, and with practice will help you to cut the house edge to the bare minimum.
Why Should You Use A Strategy In Baccarat?
Although online baccarat is primarily a game of chance, it doesn’t mean you should place bets at random. As the main three types of bets on offer (Player, Banker and Tie) each have theoretical payout percentages, it’s wise to consider this before placing your bet, and as you’ll see below, certain bets give the house a greater edge.
| Banker’s Hand | Player’s Hand | Tie | |
| House Edge | 1.06% | 1.24% | 14.40% |
| Payout Odds | 1:1 (-5% commission) | 1:1 | 8:1 |
Here, the maths dictates that your best option is to bet on the Banker, given the 1.06% house edge. Yes, the Tie may pay 8:1 but when you factor in the 14.40% house edge over the long term, the inevitable losses greatly outweigh the increased returns.
Types Of Betting Systems In Baccarat
Certain online casino games such as blackjack and baccarat are great options if you like to implement betting systems. There are three main stratagems that you can use to play baccarat, and as their names suggest, they involve treating your bets differently depending on which you choose.
Positive Progressive Baccarat Strategies
The foundation of a positive progressive betting strategy is based on the idea that each round you win is followed by an increased wager on the subsequent hand. The aim is to reach a point where your potential losses are covered by your winnings and where a streak of successful hands puts you in such a positive position that you’ll invariably walk away as a winner. A prime example of this is the Paroli strategy, which we go on to cover in greater detail further down the page.
Negative Progressive Baccarat Strategies
Negative progressive strategies follow the opposite rule. Here, the premise is that you assume a loss will occur and when it does you simply double your bet on the next hand. If the subsequent hand results in another loss, you continue to double your wager until you win, which ultimately returns your initial bet plus your winnings. The evident drawbacks to utilising such strategies relate to table limits and your available bankroll. Sooner or later you’ll likely reach a point where you either cannot afford the next bet or it will exceed the table’s threshold.
Flat Progressive Baccarat Strategies
With a flat progressive strategy, you never scale your bets based on the outcome of the previous hand. Instead, you continuously wager the same amount, irrespective of whether you win or lose. Unlike with positive and negative progressive strategies, there’s no risk of losing the entirety of your bankroll in a matter of minutes due to a streak of unsuccessful bets. It may not seem like the best strategy for baccarat but it allows casual players to extend their sessions and also minimise their potential losses.
Baccarat Betting Strategies
So, now it’s time to take your knowledge to the table but before you do you’ll also want to know the best baccarat strategy to improve your chances of winning.
As such, we’ve outlined some of the most popular strategies below to help you accomplish what you wish to achieve at the baccarat tables.
Martingale
Arguably the most popular baccarat winning strategy is the Martingale system, which, in short, assumes a particular hand is bound to win eventually. The premise is that you repeatedly double down on your next bet if your previous wager loses.
For instance, if you were to place a $10 bet on the Banker’s Hand and it loses, your next step is to place a $20 bet on the same hand and so forth. Ultimately, the idea is that you continue to double your bet until you win and then revert to your initial stake, thus winning the biggest bet of the cycle.
Paroli
The Paroli system is the exact opposite of the Martingale, as it’s a positive progressive betting strategy. This system dictates that you should double your bet each time you win until you lose, with the core objective being to gain 3 wins in a row.
Here’s an example in 3 simple steps:
- Step 1: Bet $10 on the Player’s Hand until you win, then double your wager to $20. If you lose, return to step 1. If you win, proceed to step 2.
- Step 2: Bet $20 on the Player’s Hand. If you lose, return to step 1. If you win, double your next bet to $40 and proceed to step 3.
- Step 3: Bet $40 on the Player’s Hand. Return to step 1 if you lose but also return to step 1 if you win.
Fibonacci
This strategy is a betting system that dictates how much you bet after a loss based on the Fibonacci sequence, the numerical sequence in which the next number in the sequence is determined by the sum of the previous two numbers.
The gist is, for every bet you lose, you should increase your wager on the next hand to coincide with the Fibonacci sequence – for example, $1, $2, $3, $5, $8, $13, $21, $34 and so forth. The progression continues until you win, at which point you revert to your starting stake.
D’Alembert
The D’Alembert is another positive progressive system that’s designed to safeguard against quick losses, whilst recouping lost bets. To begin, you need a base unit, which is usually the value of a single chip – for example, if you’re playing with $1 chips, your base unit is 1.
For every bet you lose, you should increase your next bet by 1 base unit. For instance, if you begin with a $5 bet and lose, your next wager should be $6. If you win, continue making your original wager until you lose. Then continue to increase each losing wager by 1 base unit.
For every winning coup, remove one base unit. Say you had increased your bet to $8 after three successive losses, your next wager should be $7.
Labouchere
The Labouchere system is one of the more complex strategies but the key principle is that you should be able to recoup the losses from a losing streak with several wins, as opposed to one as with the case of the Martingale.
To begin, you must create a sequence. This can be anything of your choosing but for this example, we’ll use 1-2-3. Each time you bet, your stake should be equal to the total value of the first and last number in your sequence – in this case, 4. If you win, remove the first and last number from the sequence; if you lose, add the amount staked to the end of the sequence – for example:
- Win: 1-2-3 become 2
- Lose: 1-2-3 becomes 1-2-3-4
The exception to the rule is when you’re left with only one number, at which point you simply stake that amount. If you happen to win that wager, you begin again with the original sequence.
1-3-2-6 System
The 1-3-2-6 system is a strategy that works well on bets which are close to even (1:1) payouts, making it ideal for Player and Banker bets. The numbers in the sequence relate to the number of units you place on each wager, so, if your base unit was $1, successful bets would follow the following pattern: $1, $3, $2, $6.
Ultimately, if a bet wins, you progress to the next number in the sequence but if a bet loses, you go back to the start. Similarly, if you win all four bets and complete the sequence, you go back to the start having made 12 units of profit.
1-3-2-4 System
The 1-3-2-4 system is based on the popular 1-3-2-6 system, but it’s designed to minimise the win/loss variance by only betting 4 units on the final bet as opposed to 6. With the 1-3-2-6, the final bet in the sequence is the sum of the previous three bets, which means it’s an all-or-nothing wager. However, with the 1-3-2-4, you keep back 2 units from the final bet, which ensures an overall profit as long as the first two bets win.
Oscar’s Grind
Also known as Hoyle’s Press, Oscar’s Grind is a positive progression strategy used on even money wagers. The system divides the entire gambling session into cycles and each cycle is a sequence of consecutive wagers a player makes until 1 unit of profit is won. It works as follows:
- You bet 1 unit. If you win, the cycle ends and you start again.
- If you lose, you continue the cycle as follows:
- When you’re losing, keep your bet the same.
- When you’re winning, increase the size of the bet by 1 unit, unless that would give an overall profit for the cycle of more than 1.
- Once the cycle results in a 1 unit profit the cycle ends.
Parlay
The objective of the Parlay system is to take advantage of consecutive wins, which is accomplished by reinvesting your profits on subsequent bets. This is another positive progression system, with the term ‘let it ride’ being the foundation of the strategy. The idea is that you place your bet and if it’s successful the value of your subsequent wager is equal to the returns from your last payout.
For example, if you were to place a $10 bet and win $20, your next bet should then be $20. If you win again, the next bet should be $40 and so forth. If you lose, you simply revert to your initial stake.
Our Final Thoughts – The Best Winning Strategy?
Now that you’ve digested all of that information, you may be wondering what is the best baccarat strategy to win. In truth, like with any online casino game, there are no guarantees and no strategy is without fault. If there was a flawless system that ensures you win every time, not only would it indicate an inherent flaw in the game’s development – this is gambling after all – but there would be no reason to celebrate your wins. Ultimately, the best baccarat strategy is one that suits your preferred style of play and available bankroll.
