While there are many rumors flying around about a potential sure-fire baccarat strategy, the fact of the matter is, baccarat is a game of luck, not skill. The only baccarat strategy you can actually use effectively is one that controls when and how you bet. Of course a betting strategy can be surprisingly effective when all things are considered as well.
Streaking
One way to influence pure chance in baccarat is to “ride streaks.” The rationale behind this particular technique has to do with how frequently you can lose a bet. You can lose many times over by betting against a streak, but you can only really lose once if you’re betting with the streak. In order to use a streaking strategy, you’ll need to actually record the outcome of every hand and then bet with the streak if there seems to be one. A streak might be the dealer winning multiple hands in a row. Betting with streaks is a lot like betting on a coin toss, however. Every new flip of the coin has the same odds as the flip before it – regardless of how many times you’ve landed on heads or tails.
Card Counting
Another popular baccarat strategy is to attempt to count cards. This is often an exercise in patience, however since baccarat does not lend itself to being a card counting game. In order to gain an advantage through card counting, you’ll need to play 345 games in a row. It’s not only impossible to sit through so many games, but the casino isn’t going to allow you to do so either. In a game of chance, the best bet you can make is that you’ll have fun and enjoy your evening – not that you’ll find a way to trick the game and come out ahead every time.