By Samantha Williams

Online gambling has done a great deal for getting games out to players that they may never dreamed of being able to play before. Baccarat is one of these games – thought to be only for high rolling players, now everyone can play and know what it feels like to be Agent 007 – Bond, James Bond; playing his casino game of choice. Another great lover of baccarat is Hustler magazines’ famous Larry Flynt.

We are not sure if Mr. Flynt partakes of online gambling, but what we do know is he places $45 000 bets on baccarat and blackjack when he plays at Las Vegas Casinos. These casinos understandably covet his business and because of that he receives rebates on losses; just as you might when you play specific online gambling games and they have a rebate or “cash back on losses” as they call them; as promotions in online gambling. The Mr. Flynt’s are few and far between and high rollers like this only make up 20% of a casinos business, but you get these players in online gambling just as you do offline.

In the business of baccarat there is a very fine line on house edge and as casinos invite high rollers and normal players to take advantage of rebates on losses, they also risk giving away the house. You don’t have to be a Larry Flynt to receive incentives like 20%, check out all the online gambling hot spots; they offer these rebates to players such as you and I. If Flynt recons he can get a deal anywhere in Las Vegas, we recon you can get a deal, anywhere on the internet.

Baccarat is an exceptionally simple game, there are only three bets. It was favoured in French courts after being invented in the 15th Century. This is more than likely why it has the haughtier-type of appeal, but if you knew how simple it was to play you might just give it a try. Baccarat bets are routinely, some of the biggest bets in the house, and this is what keeps the plebs away, they may be embarrassed to be seen placing their dollar on a game.

This is just not the case with online gambling and as your identity is completely protected, if the casino offers a 50c Baccarat bet and you want to learn to play then go for it, place your bet! Just because Kerry Packer lost $20 000 million at the Bellagio in one single visit, playing baccarat, doesn’t mean to say you have to lose your shirt too. Of course this amount of money did not represent Kerry Packers’ shirt, he had a fortune when he died which represented between AU$ 4.2 and 4.5 billion. He also offered to offload a Texas Oilman of his fortune, when caught bragging about it, Packer said “really, you are worth $100 million?” pretending to be suitably impressed, and then said “I’ll toss you for it!”

By Samantha Williams
If you have been playing baccarat for a while, chances are that you are already very familiar with the rules, the terminology and the various tips and tricks. However you have also probably already realized that all of these hold good as long as you are a beginner. When your beginner luck, if you had any begins to run out, you need to have a plan. In other words, once you become an advanced baccarat player you also need strategy. Some of you might already be familiar with the strategy tips that are listed below, some of you may not. These tips do not ensure that you will win all the time, but following them will definitely increase your chances.

The ‘tie’ – never bet on it
The game of baccarat is designed in such a way that all players get to choose from three bets. This might seem like a rather poor choice to you. Let’s stop here a minute, ‘choice’ is the operative word. You can still choose between these 3. Let us examine these choices carefully in terms of their house edge:
Player Hand: 1.29%
Bank Hand: 1.01%
Tie Hand: 15.75%

The translation of these percentages is quite simple. The hand that is the most profitable over a period of time is the Bank Hand. The Player Hand follows next. Therefore, your ideal choice would be between these 2. Never bet on the last hand – the Tie Hand.

Of commissions and decks
Choosing your baccarat game wisely is also an important part of a winning chance. If you are a regular player at one of your local casinos you are probably aware that each casino always has its own house rules. Therefore, the percentage of commission paid out and the number of decks will vary from house to house. Your ideal choice would lie in a house that offers a lower commission and a lower number of decks. An example of a winning combination would be a casino that pays out a commission of about 4% on a game of 6 decks with you betting on the Bank Hand.

Managing your money
Money management is also as important as knowing the rules of the game. It is not enough for you to have the best strategy in a game of baccarat; you also need to use your money wisely. It is for this reason that players are always advised to:
• Decide on an amount before the game begins
• Divide the decided money over the rounds that they will play and
• Put away a part if not all of the winnings instead of betting them

Finding a casino online
Not everyone can get to a casino to play a game of baccarat and therefore they rely on the internet and online casinos. You can find online casinos with ease. The best way to locate legitimate ones would be through game and gambling portals and through message board and forums. Interacting with members thought message boards can give you the real picture on which gambling sites you should visit and the ones that you should stay away from.