Best Online Baccarat Sites UK

What To Keep in Mind When Choosing a Baccarat Casino Site

Our team of experts at Gambling.com is passionate about all types of casino games, which, of course, includes iconic table cards games like online baccarat. Over years of experience, playing the top online casinos in the UK has led us to the best locations to play baccarat online. When we find a casino site that matches all our criteria, we will recommend it to you right here in our baccarat guide. However, more goes into a stellar casino experience than simply hosting fantastic baccarat games.

Beyond the variety of baccarat games, we also investigate all aspects of a gambling site to bring you the complete experience while you play baccarat online. When evaluating a baccarat casino, we look closely at more criteria, including:

More Things to Consider When Choosing Where to Play Baccarat Online

Now that you understand the fundamental things to look at when choosing where to play baccarat online, it's time to look at more aspects specific to the game itself.

Online Baccarat Minimum and Maximum Bets

Baccarat rose in popularity thanks to the Royal family and James Bond, so it's no wonder that it's a game often played by the elite. Thankfully, online casinos have made it more accessible to everyday players.

While live dealer baccarat sometimes requires higher minimums than games run by a computer, it's not rare to find table limits as low as £1. Typically, online bets for computer games are capped at £200, while live dealers may accept bets up to £500.

Online Baccarat Dealer Rules

After the dealer shuffles the shoe, they will pause and call for bets. You can bet on the dealer's hand, your hand, or you can bet on a tie. After the bets are placed, the dealer puts down two cards for the player and two cards for his/her self. If either of you have a "natural" or hands resulting in scores of 8 or 9, the game is over, and winnings are paid out appropriately.

If not, a third card is dealt to the dealer and the player, and whoever is closest to 9 wins. It's important to remember that face cards and jokers count for zero points in baccarat, and totals are limited to single digits. For instance, if you have a 4 and a 7, your overall amount isn't 11. It's 1.

In addition, if you bet and win on a dealer's hand, you may be charged a commission.

Multi-Player Baccarat Games

Online baccarat games provide the fastest baccarat multi-player experiences, with deals and bets generated as soon as your turn is done. When a real dealer runs games - and then, other real players - multi-player hands can last for a minute or more.

You'll be updated as to their actions in real-time, just as they'll see yours. This feature is beneficial for fresh players who are learning baccarat odds and strategies.

The History of Baccarat Casinos

Centuries before online baccarat was available, the game originated in Italy and was earlier known as 'baccara,' meaning 'zero', which is the value of the face cards. The roots of baccarat lie in the 15th Century, although the modern game developed in the 19th Century with the French adaptation known as 'Chemin de fer'. The game itself has evolved into different forms and was only introduced into the casinos of Las Vegas in the 1950s.

Aside from the grandiose image painted of the card game by authors such as Ian Fleming, baccarat has gained popularity among high rollers thanks to the elite status it's awarded in most baccarat casinos. This status has been achieved with separate rooms and high minimums (although many casinos also run 'mini' baccarat tables on the main floor, which don't require high stakes).

When playing baccarat online, there are several different variations to choose from, including the extremely popular live dealer baccarat, which combines the convenience of playing baccarat online with the experience of a brick-and-mortar casino. Today, most online baccarat casinos offer games that are a variation of the Punto Banco (Player Banker), arguably one of the simplest forms of the game.

How to Play Baccarat Online

In Baccarat, the aim is to have the highest score. The player does not make any choices in taking extra cards; after the betting is finished, the house will deal two cards to two different hands, followed by a third according to a set of predetermined rules.

In Punto Banco, the player can bet on their hand (Punto), the banker's hand (Banco), or a tie. The values of the cards in each hand are added and compared to find a winner. The essence of the game is in predicting which hand has a total value closest to 9.

The cards that are numbered between 2 to 9 are worth their face value, the aces are worth 1 point and picture cards and tens are worth zero points. The total point value of a hand is given in single digits, taken from the rightmost figure - this means that if a hand's total worth is 16 (7 and 9, for example), it is worth six points, and the highest score for any hand is nine.

The dealer will generally announce the total, and if either the player or the banker has a total of 8 or 9, the hand is finished with the highest value hand declared the winner. If neither hand has an 8 or 9, a third card can be given to either side, dependent on the drawing rules.

Unlike Chemin de fer, which allows players to accept or decline added cards after the first deal, Punto banco has fixed betting options controlled by the casino. The game plays out according to set drawing rules, essentially making baccarat, as it is played in most contemporary locations, a game of chance that beginners can easily join.