Baccarat almost always makes the list of top casino games to play if you want a high return. But not everything about baccarat is good.
On this page, you’ll learn several reasons why baccarat tables aren’t full in the casinos. Baccarat isn’t as popular as several other casino games, even though it’s easy to play and has a good return.
Here’s a list of six reasons why you might not want to play baccarat on your next casino visit.
1 – You’re Looking for Excitement
If you’re looking for an exciting casino game, baccarat is probably going to disappoint you. It’s one of the most boring games I’ve personally ever played.
Every gambler has their own definition of what they find exciting. But making the same bet over and over and waiting for the next hand isn’t exciting to many gamblers. And this is exactly what playing baccarat is.
I enjoy playing games that let me use strategy.
When I use strategy, it improves my chances of winning. While baccarat does have a strategy, the entire gameplay consists of making the same bet every time.
You can try to build a little excitement when you play baccarat by making bigger bets, but this isn’t a smart strategy. You can also try to track past results to try to predict how future baccarat hands are going to play out, but this has been proven not to work by logic and mathematicians.
The bottom line is that baccarat isn’t exciting, and there’s nothing you can do to make it more exciting if you want to have the best chance to win. If you’re looking for more excitement, skip the baccarat tables and just play craps or slot machines instead.
2 – You Want Plenty of Wager Options
When you play craps or roulette, you have many different betting options. But when you play baccarat, you only have three betting options. And one of the bet options at the baccarat table is so bad that you need to forget it’s even available.
The baccarat tie bet is one of the worst bets in the casino. The return is under 90%, which makes it as bad as or worse than every table game and most slot machines.
The other two baccarat bet options are much better, and they both return over 98%. The banker bet is slightly better in return than the player bet, so the banker is the best option.
Some baccarat games have a side bet available. On these tables, you have four betting options instead of three. But you need to know a secret about baccarat side bets. None of them are as good as the banker and player hand, so you can act like they don’t exist, too.
What all of this means is that when you play baccarat, there are only two betting options that are realistic. And only one of these two options is the best, so it’s the only one you should make.
3 – You Want to Use Advanced Strategy
I just covered the best baccarat strategy in the last section. No other strategies that work are available.
You can find some other baccarat betting strategies and systems that claim to help you win, but none of them work. Even if the sales page for these systems and strategies make it look like you can win, all of these things are scams.
You can also find information about using card counting when you play baccarat. I cover everything you need to know about baccarat card counting in section 5 below.
Important:
If you’re looking for casino games that give you the opportunity to use advanced strategy, blackjack, video poker, and regular poker are your best bets.
Blackjack has many levels of strategy you can use, and some of the strategies can help you turn the tables and win. Video poker also uses strategy that’s more advanced than baccarat strategy, and in the right situations, video poker can give you higher returns.
Poker games, like Omaha and Texas Holdem, have more advanced strategies than baccarat, and they also give you a real chance to win. You’re not going to beat baccarat in the long run, even when you play it perfectly every time.
4 – You Don’t Like People
You can play baccarat without talking to the dealer or anyone else at the table. But you’re not going to be able to play baccarat in a casino without being close to other people. And the truth is that it’s hard to play at a table full of people without interacting with them at least a little bit.
Of course, if you don’t like people and still want to play baccarat, you can play online. Or you can play baccarat in a mobile casino. But this isn’t a perfect situation either. I cover why these options aren’t great in section 6 below.
If you want to gamble without interacting with other people, your best bet is to find a slot machine or video poker game in a part of the casino that isn’t busy. You still run the risk of another player sitting down beside you, but at least you can concentrate on your machine and ignore your neighbor.
Tips:
In truth, if you don’t enjoy being around people, the casino might not be the best place for you. Most casinos are busy, and it’s hard to avoid them all.
5 – You Want to Count Cards
If you’re a blackjack player, you can learn how to count cards. When you count cards and change the size of your bet in the right situations, you can win a little more than you lose. This makes some baccarat players believe that they can count cards to win.
It’s a fact that you can use counting to win at blackjack. But it’s also a fact that counting cards at the baccarat table is a waste of time. You can’t get a count that’s good enough to change the return until late in the shoe, and you can’t risk enough when you do get a count to make a big enough difference.
If you want to count cards to gain an advantage, you need to play blackjack.
It’s more complicated to use the right strategy when you play blackjack, but in the long run, you’re going to be better off at the blackjack table than at the baccarat table.
Counting cards doesn’t really work in any other casino games either. If you play baccarat, forget about card counting. Just stick with the simple strategy I explained in an earlier section. If you want a real chance to win, switch to a different game.
6 – You Want to Play on a Machine
If you like to gamble on your computer or phone, you can play baccarat just like you can play it in land-based casinos. In fact, it’s better to play baccarat online or in a mobile casino than in a live casino. But there’s also one big drawback to playing online or mobile baccarat. Here are the plusses and the big minus of online baccarat play.
The big benefit of playing baccarat online or on a mobile device is that you can make smaller wagers. I’ve played online baccarat for $1 a hand in many casinos. This helps your bankroll last much longer and lowers your losses.
Tips:
Another benefit of playing baccarat online is you can get a bonus. A baccarat bonus can double or triple your bankroll.
The worst thing about playing mobile or online baccarat is that the game is even more boring than when you play in a land-based casino. I can only play baccarat online for a short time before I’m ready to take a nap.
The other bad thing about online baccarat is that you can play hundreds of hands every hour. This is much faster than the game plays in live casinos. The issue with this is that you end up betting more because you’re making more bets.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for exciting casino games or one with several wager options, baccarat probably isn’t the game for you. It’s not as exciting as most other casino games, and you only have three possible wager options.
While there is a baccarat strategy that you can use, it’s extremely simple. If you’re looking for a strategy challenge, baccarat doesn’t offer much.
Baccarat tables have seats for several players. So, if you’re looking for a quiet corner of the casino where you can be left alone, baccarat isn’t your best bet. And the only way to play baccarat on a machine is to play at casino sites, and this could get boring quickly over playing in live casinos.
