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[KungFuBac]

Tips on Finding the Best Baccarat Games

*This is from a 2017 article from unknown author.
**I found #3 below interesting re house edge when casino offers Lucky 6 or 3c7 push on Banker.(AsymBacGuy has also discussed this Lucky6 bet in several of his fine posts).
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1. Search for Reduced Commission Baccarat
Taking 5% commissions from a winning banker bet is the norm in baccarat. Commissions are the only way that the house can keep their edge with this wager.

But you can gain an edge any time you find a game with reduced commissions. And this normally entails looking for a 4% commission table

The banker bet house edge drops from 1.06% to 0.60% when you find 4% commission baccarat.

This may not be the lowest house edge of all time. But it puts baccarat more on par with games like Jacks or Better video poker (0.46% house edge) and good blackjack tables (0.50% house edge).

And what's great is that you don't even need any true semblance of strategy to achieve the 0.60% house edge. All you need to do is make the banker bet every time.
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2. No Commission Baccarat Isn't Better, It's Worse
We just covered how casinos use commissions to maintain an edge over players. But what if commissions were eliminated?

You can actually find games that don't charge commissions. And this seems like a dream come true because it can give you the edge over casinos.

But the catch is that a banker win with 6 points only pays 50% on your bet. This happens 5.39% of the time and drives the house advantage up to 1.46%.

No commission baccarat isn't a better game. In fact, it's worse than standard variations.
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3. Play EZ Baccarat
EZ baccarat is another game that doesn't take commissions from banker bets. But this version offers a 1.02% house edge on banker wagers.

The key difference is how EZ baccarat makes up for the lack of commissions.

Almost every winning banker bet pays 1:1. The lone exception is when the dealer wins with a three card total of 7, which is a push.

You'd think that this would make EZ baccarat have a higher house edge just like the no commission game. But let's compare the two rule caveats with banker bets:

Banker wins with three card 7 (EZ baccarat) = 2.25% probability& push
Banker wins with 6 (no commission baccarat) = 5.39% probability & 50% payout
Even with the 50% payout, no commission baccarat has a higher house advantage because its rule caveat occurs more than twice as often.

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4. Look for Fewer Decks
Baccarat isn't a game like blackjack or roulette, where rules can make a big difference. But one positive rule that you can look for is going from 8 decks to 6 decks.

A standard 8 deck game features a 1.06% house edge. A 6 deck game offers a 1.056% house advantage.

Let's look at how this can make a difference in the long run:

You bet $100,000 on both types of games over the course of a year.
Your theoretical losses with 8 decks would be $1,060 (100,000 x 0.0106).
Your theoretical losses with 6 decks would be $1,056 (100,000 x 0.01056).
Again, you won't see a major change in your odds of winning. But since baccarat doesn't give you many other chances to reduce the house edge, the number of decks is one factor that can change things.

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5. Ignore Differences in the Tie Bets
Another common rule in baccarat games is for the tie bet to pay 8:1 on your wager. But few players make this bet because it carries a 14.36% house edge.

This is why some baccarat games offer 9:1 on the tie wager to make it more enticing. The 9:1 payout reduces the house edge from 14.36% to 4.84% in an 8 deck game.

Obviously, this is a marked improvement. But you're still facing a house edge that's over four times higher than what's seen with the banker bet.

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6. Look for the Best Available Comps and Bonuses
Baccarat doesn't offer many comps because it has a low house edge, thus reducing the casino's take. But this doesn't mean that you should avoid looking for the best comp rates.

It's not hard to visit online casinos and look at their bonus terms and conditions to see what kind of comps they're offering.

Online rates tend to run together. But you'll find more baccarat value at some casino sites with enough research.

Brick and mortar comps are harder to figure out because casinos aren't upfront with their rating systems. This is another area, though, where you can find more value through research and/or personal experience.


Any thoughts??


Continued Success,

[alrelax]

There are some casinos that offer commission bac with the F7 3 card banker win, paying both the 40:1 F7 PLUS the full banker bet. 

There are also casinos offering various brands of bac including 5 Treasures, EZ Bac and the regular bac with commissions, etc.  So look and know what your playing.

Exactly correct on the B&M comps.  Some properties it will vary on your buy in and average wager more so than others where they are adding in your time played, etc.  Some will give greater depending on time of day or night and how crowded or non-crowded it is.  Others will give bac players the standard lunch or simple super and drinks and snacks without even looking at your play as long as you are playing with something decent, doesn't have to be large buy ins or wagers. 

[KungFuBac]

Thx alrelax

"... paying both the 40:1 F7 PLUS the full banker bet. .."


  that's very interesting. I have never played at such table but would like that idea.


*Side note re good,better, best tables: The Isleta casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico,USA offers a 4% commission table.


Continued success,

[AsymBacGuy]

Nice post KFB!

I'll add my comments about this 'list'

1.
The only casino we witnessed offering a 4% commission is 'The D' in Downtown Las Vegas.
I do not know if the offer still stands.

2.
Beside of the math implications, I'd think that generally speaking no commission tables are better than standard tables for a faster dealing hands process.
Moreover, EZ baccarat tables feature a 1.01% HE on B bets that is better than the classical 1.06%.

3.
This point is quite contradictory with the aforementioned.
The author should have stated that ONLY tables paying 0.50% at B bets winning by 6 points should be avoided and being worse than standard options.
Paradoxically we have reasons to think that such tables are among the best to be attacked.

4.
Absolutely correct and not only for the tiny different math HE.
There are many intricate issues regarding with the number of cards employed to form a bac shoe, not last the possible different shuffling procedures employed at both shoes.

5.
Under the vast majority of conditions, tie bet is a losing bet no matter what's the payement.
It takes a very very experienced player to possibly grasp the spots where tie bets are getting a tiny edge over the house.

6.
Absolutely true.
Not only comps, rebates and promotions lower the HE in some way but they even might endorse a better players' attitude that now have a two-fold goal: winning and breaking even (so winning).

as.

[KungFuBac]

Thx as.
I like how you break down the implications and how different attributes from various types of tables affect our investment dollars. Though these "implications" % can sometimes appear tiny. However, if we look at how many dollars one sends across the table this can really have an impact across weeks,months,years.

AsymBacGuy:

"...2.
Beside of the math implications, I'd think that generally speaking no commission tables are better than standard tables for a faster dealing hands process.
Moreover, EZ baccarat tables feature a 1.01% HE on B bets that is better than the classical 1.06%..."
     I agree/ especially if only one or two players at table we can easily see a 6-deck shoe dealt in less than an hour. One problem I see with EZ bac tables is when only one player many of my casinos don't allow free hands so one has to wager every single hand. Obviously one could hedge though still exposed to H.E., plus the push on B 3c7,...etc.

as:
".. The author should have stated that ONLY tables paying 0.50% at B bets winning by 6 points should be avoided and being worse than standard options. ..."
     Good catch as.

as:
"...4.
Absolutely correct and not only for the tiny different math HE.
There are many intricate issues regarding with the number of cards employed to form a bac shoe, not last the possible different shuffling procedures employed at both shoes.
  ..."

     Can you elaborate on this some ? If u want send it as a private message if u don't want to disucss this topic publicly.
Are you referring to a comparison if casino does a hand shuffle, in-house shuffe , use preshuffled decks, or other??


as:
"...6.
Absolutely true.
Not only comps, rebates and promotions lower the HE in some way but they even might endorse a better players' attitude that now have a two-fold goal: winning and breaking even (so winning)..."

     I agree 100%.
Also, along the same line of thinking re: H.E. and how comps and free play can also be utilized to mitigate the H.E. erosion affect on our bankroll(not change HE but simply dilute its effect on BR).

I strongly encourage everyone to research/increase their knowledge on exactly how their main casinos rate and give out comps and tier-level points.
e.g.,
Does one collect more points if gambling sun-thurs vs weekends.
 
Do they offer bonus days (3x,5x 10x tier points).

Does dealer have options on how they rate players.

Keep track and if you notice a discrepancy on days u know your bet size was significantly higher and u were short changed, then "tactfully" pull the pit boss to the side and address it (that day or next).

Try to develop a personal relationship with your host and "tell them explicitly" what you find beneficial/valuable and the nonsensical things that have little to no value(Personally I tell them I don't care about free food, overpriced trinkets from gift store, $38 bottles of wine that I can buy every day any where for $14-16,...etc.). I also tell them on the rare occasion my wife is with me I want and "expect" a spa day for her, best meal at their best restaurant,...etc. Because that has value to me I try not to gouge them on other things such as daily food coupons,..etc, as I seldom ever eat at a casino.   

Make note of how ones free play must be utilized(Most of my casinos don't give Free play for use on table games. So it has to be played through at least "once" on a slot machine.(Are there roulette et al e-machines that would allow u to hedge your freeplay for minimal cost and thus collect majority of free play). Then use that cash for gas/expenses or whatever you want. In other words I prefer not to set there and play free play through many times at the huge HE slot machine if one isn't required.

*Learn the most efficient way to play slots and how to spot slot machines that has potential to pay out more. I use to scoff at the idea there was  a good,better , best method to playing a slot machine. However, since I am required to play most of my free play from majority of my cas through a slot machine--I tried to improve my knowledge.

I found a site that really improved this area of my "once ignored" knowledge base on how to maximize free play in slots.(Send a private message (as we are discouraged from posting outside links here) and I will be glad to send u to site I found very helpful re: all things slots.


Any other ideas on how to maximize one free play and freebies from casino?


Continued Success To All,

[AsymBacGuy]

Can you elaborate on this some ? If u want send it as a private message if u don't want to disucss this topic publicly.
Are you referring to a comparison if casino does a hand shuffle, in-house shuffe , use preshuffled decks, or other??

Hi KFB!

Thanks for your inputs, interesting the part on slot machines! 

I'll answer your question in a very simplified way here, I'll give you more inputs privately.

Imo bad shuffled shoes and very good shuffled shoes are the best to be exploited, of course needing a different approach that anyway remains in the 'moderate-high detectability' field.

Thus worse shoes to face are those belonging to the 'intermediate' shuffling category.

Technically speaking, such features are better examined when considering a same math probability to succeed utilized by different mechanical approaches.
If the patterns flow would be insensitive to the different shuffling procedures, we'll expect sd values according to the math, and frankly this thing doesn't exist.

That means that methods utilizing a same probability to win will get way different patterns lenght in relationship of what we're really betting at.
Obviously it's not that a given approach will be superior to another one, just that the actual shuffling will pose a more serious treat about the winning probability of one method over the other one.

After all, at baccarat we are not supposed to win a lot of hands, just to catch the spots where the 'random' or 'unrandom' world are acting within more likely long ranges.

as.