Online Baccarat for High Rollers
As with plenty of popular high roller casino games, particularly in the table game genre, baccarat has a long and interesting history, and is one of a number of casino games that used to be enjoyed only by the upper class. Nowadays, the game can be enjoyed by all and sundry, whether at a land-based establishment or an online casino. The difference between a normal game of baccarat and ‘high roller’ baccarat, of course, simply comes down to how much you choose to wager at any given point. On this page, we will take a closer look at the basic premise of baccarat and how it works, as well as offer some suggestions for where you can get your game on in style.
While there are a number of different varieties of baccarat, the one that is most commonly offered at high roller online casinos is Punto Blanco, with the ‘punto’ meaning ‘player’ and ‘banco’ meaning ‘banker’. This name already gives you a bit of a clue as to what baccarat involves. Let’s take a look.
How to Play Baccarat
One of the reasons baccarat continues to be a popular choice at high roller online casinos is the fact that the game is incredibly straightforward. The game can boast a maximum number of 12 players at a table, with the casino acting as the banker and the highest bidding player at the table simply called the ‘player’. The game can involve up to 8 decks of cards, with the dealer starting the game by handing both the banker and the player 2 face-up cards, each. Whichever hand comes closest to a total value of 9 wins. Wagering and winning on the player’s hand can potentially double your bet, while betting on the banker’s hand could see you scoring 95% back on your wager.
Generally speaking, there are three outcomes to this classic game: player wins, banker wins or a tie. The royal cards such as the King, Queen and Jack have a value of zero, the Ace has a value of 1, and all cards between 2 and 9 are worth the value of their faces. The nature of baccarat is definitely one that is more reliant on chance than on any skill or hard set strategy, which is why it continues to be popular even amongst high rollers who are still new to the game or the world of online gaming in general.
The Purpose of Baccarat
We’ve already mentioned that baccarat can have one of three outcomes, with the purpose of any game being to guess one of the outcomes (banker wins, player wins or tie). Even if there are 12 players seated at a table, only the two aforementioned hands are dealt. At first, only two cards are dealt, with the total on either side determining whether or not a third hand gets dealt thereafter. When the value of the initial card is equal to 8 or 9, it is called a ‘natural’, and is an automatic winner, unless it results in a tie.
Similar to blackjack, which is another popular choice of online casino game for high rollers, the banker in a game of baccarat has the option to ‘hit’ or ‘stand’, depending on the cards he draws. For example, if the banker draws a 9, 8 or 7, he will stand, but will continue to deal should he draw values like 1 or 2. In short, the banker’s decision to hit or stand will depend on the total value of the player’s hand. This is where high rollers like to take their chances, and guess the outcome of the game.
The Probabilities of Baccarat
Depending on where you source your information, the odds and probabilities of a game of blackjack are likely to differ, even if by a small amount. That being said, given that players don’t really apply much along the lines of strategy to baccarat, the game has one of the lowest house advantages when compared to other table games, particularly those involving a bit more of tactic to put to the test. The average house edge for the player is about 1.24%, with the banker having a house edge of approximately 1.06%. One tip that we can offer you, though, is to avoid betting on any ties, given how rarely these occur in an average game of baccarat.
Our Top Suggestions
There are plenty of different options to explore and enjoy when looking to play a game of baccarat at a high roller online casino. For a more traditional, computer-simulated experience, plenty of high roller and VIP players enjoy Microgaming’s High Limit Baccarat and Multi-Bet Baccarat Gold Series. These titles give you the place to wager some whopping amounts, with the Multi-Bet Baccarat game letting you play up to 9 hands at once!
For a truly luxurious and immersive experience, the Live Casino variants of baccarat, from the likes of both Evolution Gaming and Ezugi, can be enjoyed at home or on the go, thanks to HD streaming technology. Top picks include Baccarat Super Six, Baccarat Dragon Bonus and Baccarat Knockout. With just minor deviations between them, the heart and premise of each title remains the same. Take a look at some of the best high roller and VIP casinos we recommend on-site, and have some fun!
The casinos featured on The High Roller Casino support responsible gambling, and in no way encourage players to wager in increments beyond their means. All material contained herein is purely for informational purposes.