The simplest casino game is baccarat, yet it remains popular among novice and experienced gamblers. The game’s straightforward rules and fast pace make baccarat easy to learn for beginners.  Before jumping into baccarat betting systems, it helps to understand the fundamentals of the game itself. It takes eight decks of cards to play baccarat. Two hands are dealt in the game – a Player hand and a Banker hand. You bet which of these two hands will be closer to a point value of 9. A face card and a ten equate to zero points, while the rest have face value. The suits do not matter. If the total point value goes over 9, the second digit constitutes the value. For example, a 7 and 9 would equal 16, counting as a point total of 6.

Simplest baccarat bets

The most straightforward wagers in the game are the Player bet and Banker bet. You place your chips on either the Player’s hand or the Banker’s hand betting area on the table. If the hand you bet on wins, you double your money. These even money bets have the lowest house edge in baccarat, giving beginners a great chance to profit on roughly 50/50 propositions. While the Banker bet costs a 5% commission on wins, it still has better odds than the Player bet.

Baccarat betting systems

Once you understand the basics, implementing a few betting strategies helps novices make smart wagers during baccarat sessions.

1. Flat betting

The flat betting system involves betting the same amount on every hand, regardless of whether you win or lose the previous bets. Flat betting lets you control the amount you wager during a gaming session, eliminating drastic swings. Decide how much you want to bet, and stick with that amount on both Banker and Player bets as you play rounds of baccarat.

2. Positive progression

Using a positive progression system means you increase your bet size after wins while keeping bets the same after losses. An example starting point would be $5 bets. If you win the first hand, bet $10 on the next round. If that loses, go back to the $5 wager for the following hand. This system allows you to take advantage when on winning streaks in baccarat.

3. Negative progression

The opposite of positive progression, negative progression means upping bets after losses instead of wins. You still keep the same bet amount after winning hands. Here, you start with $10 wagers, adding another $10 after losses and resetting to $10 after wins. The goal here is to recoup losses faster, though you risk bigger swings in bankroll.

Tips for baccarat beginners

Here are some quick tips to reinforce betting strategies for first-time baccarat players:

• Bet on the Player and Banker only, avoiding side bets like ties.
• Set a gambling bankroll and loss limit before playing.
• Learn proper baccarat etiquette, like table policies.
• Play free online baccarat to practice before betting real money.
• Use scorecards to track results and fine-tune your strategy.

Mastering the intricacies of advanced baccarat systems takes lots of practice. But these basic betting methods provide newcomers with a grounded approach to wagering on the game’s shortest decision points.