5 Strategies for Baccarat Beginners

Baccarat is one of the most popular card games in the world, and it is an excellent choice for beginners because it is not that difficult. You can play this game in brick-and-mortar casinos or casino sites, given they’re fully licensed and verified. Provided that you are of legal age to play at any casino, the first step is to grasp the basic rules and other useful information about baccarat, as explained here. The second step is to start with as low a stake as possible. Most of the reliable and trustworthy casinos out there give new players a certain kind of bonus so they don’t have to spend their own assets just to try the game. It’s worthwhile to start learning some basic baccarat strategies along the way and start your quest successfully.

Can I apply strategies to baccarat?

Yes. However, unlike poker and blackjack, where gameplay strategies can be applied to sometimes affect the outcome of the game, the strategies used in baccarat are more about betting and gambling responsibly. They can be applied when playing computer-generated as well as when playing live dealer baccarat games.

What are the five main betting strategies in baccarat?

The important thing to remember before applying any of these strategies is that none of them will guarantee you will win. There are many possible betting strategies, but the five most common ones that you might like to try first are the following:

1. The D’Alembert System
2. The Labouchere System
3. The Paroli System
4. The Fibonacci Strategy
5. The Martingale Strategy

Some of these baccarat betting systems and strategies require much bigger starting bankrolls than ever, and you may find that some are more suitable for you than others based on your style of play and personal preferences. Some are classed as ‘progressive’ betting strategies and others as ‘non-progressive.’

Before deciding which one to use, it might be worth learning more about each of them and trying them all out to see which one(s) works best for you. Let us now take a quick look at how you can apply these five basic baccarat strategies when you next play, starting with the D’Alembert System.

With this strategy, you increase your stake after each losing hand but only increase your next bet by one unit.

For example, if you bet $/€/£1.00 on your first wager and lose, bet $/€/£2.00 on your next hand. If you lose again, raise it to $/€/£3.00, then $/€/£4.00, and so on, until you win, and then start back at $/€/£1.00 and repeat the cycle.

The Labouchere System is one of the more complex betting strategies and is also known as the ‘Cancellation,’ ‘Split Martingale,’ or ‘Cross-Out.’ It is a negative progression system and is popular among pro players.

In order to win, say $/€/£20, players must write down a sequence of numbers, for example, 4 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 5. The aim is to convert your wins into scores using this same sequence of numbers. How long you decide to use this system depends on how much bankroll you have.

The Paroli System is classed as a positive progression system. When using this one, set a fixed wager amount (can be any amount) at the start of each new game, and then multiply your stake by 2X (so double it) until you land three straight wins. On a losing hand, your next bet should be the same as your initial wager.

The Fibonacci Strategy (where the next number in the series is the sum of the two previous numbers) sees you starting with a bet of just 1 unit (e.g., $/€/£1.00). If you win that hand, there is no sequence, so you place a $/€/£1.00 bet again for the next hand.

If the next hand loses, place another $/€/£1.00 bet. If it loses again, place a $/€/£2.00 on your next bet. If it loses again, place a $/€/£3.00 bet next time. If it loses again, place a $/€/£5.00 bet, and so on, using the Fibonacci sequence of numbers (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc.).

The Martingale Strategy is considered the easiest. Simply double your bet each time you lose, and then, if you win, place your original bet amount on your next hand.

Final thoughts

Another sensible baccarat strategy is to set a reasonable spending budget before playing so you know which strategy or strategies might be worth trying. You might also want to consider setting things like deposit limits, win/loss limits, and session time reminders to ensure you never overspend.