Baccarat Strategy

Is there a strategy to get the edge in baccarat? Well, not now there isn't. Believe it or not, there was a winning formula at one time, and it was employed by none other than Dr. Edward O. Thorp, who published the first strategy to beat the house in blackjack in 1962. Thorp followed his blackjack exploits with a study of baccarat, and he experienced success playing the game until the casino changed some of the rules around.

Sure, there are some people who employ strategies. One of them involves the simple tracking of results and trying to find trends or patterns. So if they find that the Banker has won a few hands in a row, their approach might dictate that they go the other way, rationalizing that in a game where the chances of either result coming out are about equal, the other result is due. Or, alternating bets could be employed, on the assumption that a "one, then the other" pattern is that which is most natural. Much of this is fool's gold, but if it helps you get some more enjoyment out of the game, then feel free to give it a try.

As always, please make sure that you manage your money right. if you are bringing a bankroll of $400 to the casino, for example, you may want to flat bet at $10, greatly reducing your element of ruin. Baccarat is a game that carries a long-term advantage for the house. Don't ever lose sight of that. So one of your objectives is to stay in the game.

And by the way, two quick notes about this. We mention "flat betting." This is not like blackjack, where an expert may be counting cards and knows the opportune time to raise the bet, because there is an advantage. Since that mechanism does not exist in baccarat, there is no rationale for raising a bet. Also, we talk about staying in the game. Well, this may sound a little primitive, but maybe an advisable way to go is to slow the game down a little, so as to extend the playing session. A casino would love to get you to put as much money across the table as possible in the shortest period of time, and indeed you don't have a plethora of decisions to make. But it does not necessarily make sense for you to cooperate with the high speed at which the casino wants you to play.