Le Gros Pari! Play Baccarat at WPT Global Casino
As you might expect, the main focus of the WPT Global platform is poker - but you might not be aware that they also offer a range of casino games, including some table favorites.
A key part of this game selection is the Vegas classic, Baccarat, and WPT Global Casino provide both a straight online and a live dealer game for player enjoyment. Indeed, it wasn't so long ago, that WPT themselves hosted the Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions, which saw the top baccarat players in the world battle it out at the Aria Casino & Resort, Las Vegas.
Let's dig deeper into Baccarat at WPT Global Casino...Carte!
Play Baccarat at WPT Global Casino
First things first, you'll need to have registered and signed up as a new player at WPT Global. If you haven't already done so, why not take advantage of our exclusive PokerNews welcome offer and grab a bonus at the same time?
Once you've become a WPT Global player and have verified your account, you'll need to download the WPT Global client. This installs a file to your desktop or laptop that will allow you to add the WPT Global software. Once this is done, you're all set!
Baccarat can be found under the 'Casino' heading on the main WPT Global navigation menu. Scroll down to 'Table Games' and from there you can access baccarat, as well as options for roulette, blackjack, and more!
You can also find a live version of baccarat under the 'Live Casino' menu, which is again accessible from the 'casino' homepage. Live baccarat offers the same gameplay and rules as the online version, but you'll get the benefit of playing against a live dealer, which offers a much more realistic casino-like setting.
What is Baccarat?
Baccarat is one of the oldest card games in the world, and the version we know dates back to the 19th century (with some historians claiming even earlier versions being played in 15th century France and Italy).
At its heart, baccarat is a card game based around comparing two hands, those of 'the Player' and 'the Banker'. It's a relatively fast-paced game but does have simple rules which make it popular at casinos around the world, as well as online. The objective of the game is to get a hand closer to nine against your opponent's hand, although you cannot exceed nine. Two cards are dealt to both the Player and Banker, and your hand value is calculated according to the card values. Uniquely in baccarat, face cards don't count towards your total, and Aces are worth 1.
How to Play Baccarat?
It's worth taking a look at our full How to Play Baccarat guide when learning the rules and gameplay, but here are some simple steps for getting started:
- Two cards are dealt to both the Player and Banker (usually this is done via a 'shoe' which contains either 6 or 8 decks of cards).
- Your hand value is calculated by adding up the total value of your cards (Aces = 1, Face cards = 0, Others = face value).
- If the hand value is ten or higher, you drop the ten from this card, so for example, a 12 would become a 2.
- Additional cards may be drawn according to the rules you're playing to, and dependent on your initial hand value.
The outcome of a round of baccarat is based on the Player's hand value against the Banker's hand value. Whoever is closer to 9 without exceeding this number wins. If both hands equal the same amount, then the round is a tie.
Want to find out more? We've also got an exclusive video guide on playing baccarat:
Baccarat Betting Strategy
Betting in baccarat is made by determining which hand will win or on a tie. Payouts are based on the outcome as follows:
- Player Wins: Even money (1:1)
- Banker Wins: Pays 19:20 (usually minus a 5% commission)
- Tie: Pays 8:1 or 9:1
It's important to remember that the house edge is lower on the Banker's bet than on the Player's bet, which will affect the payout, although generally the house edge is lower on baccarat compared to other casino table games.
Card counting is widely seen as being ineffective in baccarat, although is sometimes used when combined with edge sorting. Edge sorting refers to a player gaining an advantage in a card game, by using imperfections on playing cards in order to predict the cards value. Obviously this isn't a technique which can be used online, and it's use is seen as controversial in casinos. Phil Ivey, sued Borgata Casino back in 2014, after the latter blocked a $10m win on baccarat, which was allegedly due to edge sorting.
The well-known, Martingale Strategy has been used repeatedly in baccarat and other table games. This strategy determines that a player doubles down with each loss, and as there are only three outcomes in baccarat (Player win, Banker win or a tie), it is tempting to assume a win is likely when you see a few losses.
Another popular baccarat betting strategy is Back the Banker, which players opt for due to the increased probability of the Banker's hand winning a round (45.86% compared with 44.62% probability of a Player win).
Martingale, Paroli, or Bank the Banker?
Read our full Baccarat Strategy guide to see the odds for the popular baccarat betting strategies and find your next win!
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