There are hundreds of years of history behind the casino game Baccarat. In the West, it remained in blackjack's shadow until recently, but in the East, it has been a firm favourite for centuries.
For as long as there have been betting games like Baccarat, there have been betting strategies. While Baccarat, like all other casino games, is a game of chance, meaning that there is no legitimate way to predict results or guarantee wins, gamblers still obsess over ways to ‘beat the odds’ via a betting system. Some bettors swear by them, others use them to keep track of their sessions, and still others never use one at all.
We will talk about the best Baccarat betting methods in this article, including what they are and how they work, so you can decide for yourself if you want to use them as part of your gambling practices.
9 Popular Baccarat Betting Systems
Below we have detailed the 9 most popular Baccarat betting systems currently used by players. We’ve tried to include as many methods as possible, explained in their simplest terms, but this is, of course, by no means an exhaustive list.
1. Martingale Betting System
One of the most well-known and popular betting systems across casinos, including live dealer games, is the Martingale System. This negative progression system requires the player to double their wager after each loss and reset it after a win.
Given a starting wager of £1, if we follow the Martingale System, we double our bet to £2 after a loss and remain at £1 after a win. If we lose again, the wager becomes £4, and so on until we win a round, at which point the bet resets to the £1 starting value.
2. Oscar's Grind Betting System
Oscar's Grind, published in 1965's 'The Casino Gambler's Guide,' is a positive progression betting system designed to be cautious, aiming for little gains each session. It begins with players selecting a bankroll unit.
In our example, our unit will be £1, and our first wager will be this value. Our wager will remain at this value until a winning outcome is achieved. When a winning outcome occurs, players increase their bet by 1 unit, making the total bet now £2. This continues until a profit of one unit is achieved, at which point the system resets and the process can repeat.
3. D’Alembert Betting System
Defined as similar to Martingale but less aggressive, D'Alembert is considered by many players to be the optimal strategy for Baccarat and is a negative progression system. When using this strategy, players set a base wager unit, such as £1. Losing hands require the player to increase their bet by this unit, so with a £1 base unit, the wager after a loss would be £2 (1+1), and after a further three losses, the wager would become £5 (2+1+1+1). When a hand is won, players reduce their wager by 1 unit, which in our example would make the next wager £4 (5-1).
The Contra D'Alembert is akin to the reverse Martingale, where wagers increase by 1 unit after each winning outcome and decrease by 1 unit for each losing outcome, making it a positive progression system.
4. James Bond Betting System
The James Bond Strategy is a unique betting technique, most commonly seen in roulette, but is also used in Baccarat. Initially inspired by James Bond's approach seen in Casino Royale, players also refer to this system as the Columbus System as the numbers to remember; 14-5-1, directly correlates to the birthday of famed explorer Christopher Columbus.
The idea of this system is to spread your wagers across all available options (side bets not included). Players set a unit value, for example, we’ll pick £1, and multiply the unit value by the 14-5-1 system to form three wagers; £14 on the Banker Bet, £5 on the Player Bet, and £1 for a tie.
5. Labouchere Betting System
The Labouchere Baccarat system is also known as the ‘cancellation system’ because it requires players to cancel out numbers on a predetermined sequence when winning rounds are achieved, making it a positive progression system. To use this system, players need to decide upon a ‘goal value’ - for simplicity let’s select £10. This value then needs to be broken down to form a sequence (typically of 3-5 numbers). In our example, our £10 goal can become a sequence of 1, 2, 4, 1, 2.
To form the stake, players add together the first and the last numbers of the sequence which in this case are 1 and 2, forming a £3 total wager. If the player wins, these two numbers are marked off the sequence, leaving the numbers 2, 4, 1. For the next hand, your total bet will also be £3 as we add the 2 from the start of the sequence to the 1 at the end.
If you lose, you add the value of your wager to the end of the sequence, so it now reads 2, 4, 1, 3, meaning your bet is now £5. Players repeat this process until they have achieved their original goal number or end up marking off all numbers in the sequence.
6. Paroli Betting System
The Paroli system resembles the reverse Martingale system and is a positive progression betting system. When you lose, you return to the base wagering amount, and when you win, you double your wager. However, in the Paroli system, players should only double their wager three times before returning to the original wager, regardless of if the winning streak continues.
To demonstrate, if our base wager is £1, it stays at £1 if the hand loses, but if it wins it becomes £2, if we lose the next hand it returns to £1, but if we win it doubles again to £4. If the next round is lost, the wager resets to £1, but if we win it will become £8. If the next hand also wins, as per the rules of the system, we cannot double again, as we’ve reached our 3-increase limit, so the bet resets to £1 and the process can begin again.
7. 1-3-2-6 System / 1-3-2-4 System
These refer to two similar sequential progressive betting systems. In the 1-3-2-6 system, players determine a base unit - let’s say £1, and each time they win, they progress through the sequence; requiring wagers of £1, £3, £2, and £6. If at any point the player loses their hand, they return to the start of the sequence.
The 1-3-2-4 method is a modified version of the 1-3-2-6 system, and the same wagering process applies.
8. Fibonacci Sequence Betting System
The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical sequence from the Renaissance still used today in art and architecture. Regarding casino table games, this positive progression system was originally used for roulette but can also be used for Baccarat.
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where the next number in the sequence is the sum of the two that precede it as follows:
0 – 1 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 13 – 21 – 34 – 55 – 89 – 144 – 233 – 377 – 610 – 987 [...]
The method emphasises Banker bets and sees players move along the sequence using a predetermined wagering unit, for example, this will be £1. Per the system, your first and second wagers will be 1 unit, while the third step along the sequence requires 2 units or £2 in our example. Players only progress along the system if they achieve a winning outcome. In the case of a losing outcome, some methods prescribe completely starting over, whilst others require players to move three spaces backwards within the sequence.
9. Other Baccarat-Specific Systems
The following betting systems directly pertain to the game of Baccarat and though they are less widespread, are worth investigating if you want to learn more.
- Pairs Strategy: This strategy aims to focus on winning wagers upon the ‘pairs' Baccarat side bet.
- The Mix-Up Strategy: This strategy requires players to frequently change up their wagers.
- Side With the Player/Banker: This strategy is simple; the player either focuses solely on making wagers on the player or the banker and doesn’t switch.
- 3-2 Strategy: For this method to work, you have to place five chips of equal value across two different bets. In Baccarat, the split is between the Banker and Banker Pair bets or the Player and Player Pair bets.
Factors That Can Affect Baccarat Betting Systems
As there are no certainties in games of chance, there are always factors that come into play which can influence predicted statistics and methods. This also applies to blackjack betting strategies, and before you experiment with using one, it’s worth becoming aware of these.
Factor #1 Understand the Various Statistics
Casino games feature a variety of statistics, and while there are no 100% guaranteed odds, these statistics such as return to player and house edge, as well as in-game odds, are mathematical averages calculated over the long term.
Understanding that in Baccarat the Banker's hand wins 45.8% of the time, the Player's hand wins 44.6% of the time, and ties win 9.6% of the time, is vital knowledge to be aware of when making wagers. The Banker's hand wins about 51% of the time when the tie is not included in the statistics, and Baccarat games standardly have a 5% commission rate on winning Banker's hands; which is another statistic players need to be aware of.
Factor #2 Pick your Variant Carefully
There are many variants of Baccarat, such as 3-Card Baccarat, Chemin De Fer, Punto Banco, and live dealer Baccarat. Each variant has unique rules that can significantly influence the effectiveness of any betting system. For instance, while the number of decks used doesn't drastically affect the house edge, it does make a difference. Playing only the Banker position benefits from fewer cards in the shoe. If you prefer not to use the Pair Bet strategy, sticking to the standard 8-deck options is advisable.
Factor #3 Know Yourself as a Player
Who you are as a player is the biggest factor to consider when deciding upon a betting strategy or even whether to use one at all. For example, some betting strategies like the Martingale and Fibonacci systems require a larger bankroll to be fully utilised due to the rapid increase in wagering costs. More conservative strategies like the Paroli system or Oscar’s Grind are more suited to more conservative and lower bankroll players.
Bankrolls can appeal to players for various reasons, some like to use them as a way to track their bankroll and session, while others enjoy the way that it changes how they might usually bet. However, many players like to go their own way and play by their own rules, and therefore have no interest in using a system - this is part of the beauty of the vibrant casino community, as no two players are the same!
Important Reminder
Using a strategy can be a liberating and even powerful experience, but keep in mind that there is no surefire way to make money or predict wins when playing Baccarat - and any resource that tries to tell you otherwise is deceptive.
Playing casino games should be seen as an occasional enjoyable hobby, especially here in Prime Casino, not as a serious means of generating income. After all, the house always wins in the end - it's why all games have a house edge statistic.
Playing within your means is essential when utilising any betting strategy. Always decide upon and stick to your budget and time limit for your session. Never risk more than you can afford to lose, and cut your session short if you feel your mood becoming negative.
FAQs on Baccarat Betting Systems
Do these Baccarat betting systems fail?
No Baccarat betting system can guarantee wins, as Baccarat is a game of chance. Therefore they can never be deemed as being a failure or a success as their odds are never 100% to begin with.
What is the most used betting system by Baccarat players?
In Baccarat, the D’Alembert system is one of the most popular, but you’ll also find fans of the Martingale system across all casino games. Plenty of more niche systems are also gaining traction within Baccarat, such as Oscar’s Grind, and the 1-3-2-6 system.
What Baccarat betting system is recommended for beginners?
In general, as a beginner, you’ll want to become familiar with the core gameplay of Baccarat before moving your focus to a betting system. However, as they are much more conservative, Oscar’s Grind, as well as the Paroli and D’Alembert systems are the most beginner-friendly.
Is it ok to use a betting system when playing Baccarat?
As they cannot guarantee wins and do not exploit any system in the way that cheating would, it is perfectly acceptable to use a betting system when playing Baccarat.
