It’s not always appreciated by people who watch the modern James Bond films, but when Ian Fleming wrote the original books, he made Bond a keen player of Baccarat. The reasons for this may seem unclear because it is not the most popular casino game – but the most likely reason is simply that Fleming himself enjoyed Baccarat, had a solid knowledge of the game, and could convincingly write Bond as a player of the game.
The fact that Bond is a Baccarat player may cause you to be interested in playing it yourself, and finding a good Baccarat casino when looking here. Bond, a master of espionage and coolness under pressure, was surely a strategic thinker. So how would you tie strategy in with playing the game? It’s not immediately obvious, because Baccarat is not easily intertwined with tactics and strategy. It is even said by some that it is a game of pure luck and there is no way of getting better at it. This last point is untrue, though, as the following are ways to maximize your success at Baccarat.
Exclusively bet on low house edge results
Betting on the tie, and winning, is one of the most invigorating experiences you can have at the Baccarat table, as it is the result with the biggest payout (8 to1). It’s also the least intelligent bet you can make, as it’s highly unlikely to come off and comes with a 14.36% house edge. That means, on average, if you bet a dollar each on 100 hands of Baccarat, choosing the Tie each time, you could expect to come out $14.36 down, if you’re lucky. Though it is less exciting, stick to betting on the banker or occasionally the player hand, unless you’re far enough ahead to make a one-off speculative punt.
Employ a strategy combined with a stop-loss
There are numerous strategies for betting on Baccarat, and they have their merits. But the main thing to remember is that a strategy does not make you more likely to win – the winning truly is in the lap of the gods. A strategy is useful for maximizing wins and controlling losses. So you could use the Martingale system and keep betting on the Banker until it wins, but bear in mind that the Martingale means you double your bet each time you lose. So if you go on a losing streak while betting $10 a hand, you could be $150 down after four hands. Continuing to double down could mean losing more and hitting the table limit. So favor small initial stakes and, once you’ve lost as much as you’re comfortable with, stop betting.
Don’t ignore the Player hand
Baccarat strategists will tell you to always bet on the Banker because it’s the most likely hand to win and has the lowest edge. However, while this is certainly true if you’re playing over a long period, you should remember that a winning Player hand doesn’t carry the house commission and therefore has a larger payout. A lot of Baccarat hands end after the initial deal and are in favor of the Player, so if you’re ready to get out once you’re ahead it is worth betting on the Player hand at least occasionally.