Live Dealer Baccarat
Baccarat is among the most famous casino games and was even the game of choice for James Bond, the fictional super spy and playboy. The game is featured in almost all casinos, traditional or online.
Live baccarat adds a twist to the common virtual baccarat games. Instead of playing with computers, you’ll be in front of a human dealer who will actually be streaming the game from a real casino environment. This design makes the games a lot more exciting as you’ll be able to interact with the dealer and other players. Like other card games, baccarat is a social game, so having a realistic experience makes a lot of sense.
Baccarat is quite different from other card games. You don’t just have to bet on your own cards; it is also possible to predict who you think will win. For a thrilling experience, you can play the game in one of the many live casinos in Canada.
How to Play Live Baccarat
Baccarat is a distant cousin to blackjack. In blackjack, you have to get as close as possible to 21, but this rule is altered slightly in baccarat. In the latter, you have to get a hand that gets close to 9 without going over this number. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have in baccarat; the game entirely relies on luck. That also means you don’t need to bother with any playing strategies as they won’t improve your chances of winning.
At the start of the game, the dealer will give you two cards. You can then place a bet on your hand, the bank, or a tie.
How to tally up the score?
In live dealer baccarat, the card values are as follows:
- Aces count as 1
- Numerical cards from 2 to 9 count as the face value
- 10, Kings, Queens, and Jacks all count as 0
Now, when it comes to tallying up the total card value, you will have to subtract 10 from double digits. For example, if your cards total 13, you will subtract 10 to get a total of 2.
The banker is also required to stand at 7, 8, or 9. They also have to hit if their hand is 2 or less.
As we’ve already stated, you don’t always have to bet on your own card in live casino baccarat. You can also bet on the banker’s hand or a tie. If you’re lucky enough to predict correctly, the casino will simply load your winnings to your account.
Keep in mind that the whole thing is based on luck, so you’ll simply need to make a random guess. However, it is much safer to bet on the banker since this wager has the best odds (lowest house edge at 1.06%). Statistically, the tie bet is the worst option you can pick. It has a very high house edge of 14.36%.
In the live version of baccarat, a man or woman will be sitting behind the baccarat table and will be dealing with the cards. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the virtual table, where you can place bets and view statistics on the last hands played. Again, remember that the entire game is based on luck, so you don’t need to apply a strategy to boost your chances of winning.
As a social game, Live Baccarat has a chat function that allows you to communicate with the dealer directly. The dealer responds verbally through the web camera. Most live baccarat games also have a feature that lets you chat with other players on the table. These functions are what make the game popular in live baccarat sites.
Play Live Baccarat at the Best Casinos
Baccarat Strategies
Baccarat online real money may be a luck-based game, but it is important to plan out your budget appropriately to make sure you have multiple chances of winning. For example, if you have $50 to spend, you can split it into 5 or more wagers so that you don’t lose the entire amount in a single sitting.
Consider applying bankroll management strategies like Martingale or Fibonacci.
Martingale is typically applied for even money bets and works as a negative progression system. You will first have to pick an initial bet size, and this has to be doubled in case you lose. For example, if you start off with a $1 wager and lose, you have to double it to $2, and then $4 etc. When you eventually win, you can go back to the initial bet size. The logic here is that any win you get will cover all the losses you made so far.
Many casinos online in Canada also have responsible gambling features. You can use them to set betting and deposit limits. Similarly, you can get reality checks to prevent you from spending all your time gambling.
It can be tempting to keep playing if you’re on a winning streak. However, this usually leads to even higher losses.
You should also check the commission rates for the table or casino. Lower commissions obviously mean that you’ll pocket higher amounts at the end of the day.
Live Baccarat Casino Bonus
If you’ve played in any online casino featured at Gamble Guys Canada, you definitely know that they tend to prioritize slots. This is why most bonuses are targeted at people who play these games. That being said, many live casinos in Canada are now offering bonuses for live games, including baccarat. Some of them are meant for new players, while others are available for existing members of the sites.
You shouldn’t give up just because the bonus isn’t advertised on the front page of the casino. On some sites, you’ll need to visit the promotions page to learn about the offers.
The bonuses are offered in different forms. The most popular ones are:
- Welcome bonuses
- Loyalty bonuses
- Match bonuses
It is a good idea to read through the terms and conditions of the offers instead of just checking the amount offered. You may be required to make a deposit of a certain amount or enter a bonus code in order to claim the offer. It is also very important to check the rollover requirements of the bonuses. This will determine your chances of making a profit with the offers. You can expect more generous bonuses to have higher wagering requirements.
The bonuses also have to be used within specific time periods. In most cases, this timeline will be set at just a few days. Failing to wager the bonus within this period will lead to its cancellation.
Of course, the best online live casinos in Canada won’t have very restrictive bonus terms.
You can simplify your research by checking the reviews at Gambleguys. On this site, you’ll find details on many bonuses and can determine which casinos to sign up at.
Remember that most gaming sites require you to only use one bonus at a time. That means you may have to choose one of several offers. For example, if you pick a live baccarat bonus, you may not be able to claim an online slot offer before exhausting the first bonus. If you are presented with such a dilemma, you should simply choose the offer with higher amounts and less stringent terms.
The Best Live Baccarat Canadian Casino in 2024
Our list of the best casinos in 2024 includes lots of casinos in Canada. Most of these sites have a baccarat live casino, but you still need to check them to find the best one. There are a few things you should consider when picking baccarat online casinos in Canada.
The first thing is to check the software providers featured on the sites. Evolution Gaming has been the top software provider for baccarat online live casinos for many years. It creates the most attractive and detailed baccarat live dealer games. Evolution Gaming also has licenses from many jurisdictions, so there’s no chance that its games are rigged.
Ezugi is another game supplier to look out for. This well-established company provides high-quality and innovative games to the top live baccarat casinos in Canada.
Other names to look out for are:
- Lucky Streak
- Vivo Gaming
- Asia Gaming
- Gameplay Portomaso
- Casino Virginia
You’ll notice that some of these software providers stream the games right from their own land-based casinos. This helps to make the experience more authentic. Some of them also allow customers to play games with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. These payment options are ideal for players who value privacy and security.
Every software provider has its own unique benefits, and this is why many casinos offer games from several brands. Explore different variants of the games. Some of the top ones are:
- Live Baccarat Squeeze
- Lightning Baccarat
- No Commission Baccarat
- Speed Baccarat
No Commission Baccarat is a great option for players who are frustrated by the 5% commission charged on banker bets. The variant also stands out for its variety of betting options. The Super 6 side bet is quite popular and offers higher payouts than those of the base game. With some of the side bets, you can get payouts of up to 200:1, which is very high for a game which normally pays out even money. Depending on the strength of your internet connection, you can choose low, medium, high, or HD video quality.
Play Live Dealer Baccarat Now
Now that you know how online live baccarat works, you can go ahead and sign up at a casino to play the game. The first step here would be to check the top list above to see the top live baccarat casinos in Canada. From our list, you’ll be able to see the sites that have welcome offers for new players. You can scan through them to see whether these offers can be used to play live baccarat online.
Something important to remember is that baccarat Canada sites don’t usually let customers play the games in demo mode. This is usually an option only for slots and other virtual games. Because of this, it would be wise to use bonuses to stretch your deposits further.
Signing up to live casinos is quite simple and typically takes less than a few minutes. On most sites, you’ll simply need to add the following personal details on the registration page:
- Name
- Address
- Preferred currency
- Email address and phone number
- Gender
- Birth date
- Username and password
Once that is done, you can verify your account and make a deposit.
Now you can go ahead and play your favourite baccarat games!
