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Online Baccarat in India: Play for Real Money
Online Baccarat
Although baccarat has become one of the most sought-after games at online casinos in India, some players still need help finding reputable and trustworthy platforms to play online baccarat for real money.
Throughout this guide, we’ll introduce you to online baccarat in India, give tips on playing, and explain the basic rules for those just starting their journey in this game.
By the end of the article, you’ll have all the information to pick the right baccarat version for you and start playing this exciting game.
Is Online Baccarat Legal in India?
Simply put, it’s legal to play online baccarat in India. Nevertheless, players residing in India should note that the regulations surrounding gambling in the country are still somewhat grey.
When it comes to playing baccarat online for real money in India, the overall notion is that there isn’t any piece of law that deems it illegal.
Nonetheless, we recommend that players opt only for the best online casinos in India, as these have strict fairness and security practices.
Furthermore, to ensure that you’re not committing any infraction, learn more about the laws surrounding gambling in your state of residence.
Baccarat is a beginner-friendly game, which is one of the reasons it has become so popular among Indian players.
Throughout the following section, we’ll introduce you to how baccarat works, its rules, and a couple of concepts you should know before starting to play.
Rules
The game pits the players against the bank, also called the dealer, and not against each other.
The goal of baccarat is for players to have a hand with a value of 9, or at least as close to this number as possible.
With this in mind, one of the first things you’ll need to know is the value of each card:
- Numbered cards from 2 to 9 have face value. For instance, a 3 of hearts is worth 3 points.
- 10 and face cards (King, Queen, Jack) have a zero points value
- Aces are worth 1 point
To calculate the value of their hand, players will have to add all the points of each card and consider only the last number. Let’s have a look at an example:
A player holds a 6 and an 8. The sum of these two cards is 14. The hand’s value is the last digit of the total. In this case, the player’s hand is worth 4 points.
As mentioned, the objective is to hit a hand valued at 9 points or the closest possible. But, you may wonder how you get your cards.
Players can do two actions during a baccarat game: draw or stand.
As the name suggests, when players pick to draw (also called hit), they receive a new card.
Alternatively, players continue playing with their current hand if they opt to stand.
Nonetheless, there are a couple of rules for these actions:
- If the player’s hand has a total of 5 points or less, they’ll draw a third card
- If the player’s hand has a value of 6 or 7 points, they’ll stand
When playing baccarat, the banker and the player have different rules. The player’s hand will determine the next steps the banker will take.
Although the banker will still follow the same rule to draw or stand according to their hand points, once a player gets a third card, the gameplay changes.
The changes apply only to the banker, but it’s still essential for players to understand them.
Should a player draw a third card, the banker must follow these rules:
- If the banker’s hand has a value of 2 or less, they’ll have to draw a card every time
- Should the banker’s hand be worth 3, they’ll draw unless the player’s third card is an 8
- If the banker’s hand is worth 4, they’ll draw if the player’s third card is a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7
- Should the banker’s hand have a value of 5, they’ll draw if the player’s third card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7
- When the banker’s hand is worth 6, they’ll draw if the player’s third card is a 6 or 7
- The banker will stand every time their hand is worth 7 points
As you can see, playing online baccarat is simple, you just have to remember two rules. The banker or dealer will do all the other work automatically.
Once you master these rules and have some experience playing online baccarat for real money, you may want to try live baccarat.
The gaming experience is similar, as the rules remain the same. The only difference is that players will see the banker doing their actions and the table through a Livestream.
The baccarat table is where all the rules come into play and display the bet boxes available: Player Bet Box, Banker Bet Box, and Tie Bet Box.
Players only see their bet boxes when playing online baccarat in India or anywhere else.
Unlike what happens in land-based casinos, where baccarat tables only accept 14 players, online casinos don’t have a maximum limit for players placing bets.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, there are only three options when playing baccarat:
- The banker wins
- The player wins, or
- There’s a tie
The tie happens when both the banker’s and the player’s hands have the same value.
Before the game starts, players can place their bets by setting coins on one of the three betting boxes.
The banker will then offer two cards to the player and receive two cards themselves.
Whoever has the hand with 9 points or the closest value wins.
If the player’s hand is between 0 and 5 points, they can request another card.
Terminology
Now that you know how to place bets and the rules of baccarat, you may want to learn a couple of concepts that are commonly used throughout the game:
- Banco: This means bank or banker in Spanish.
- Burn: The first three to six cards are discarded after the shuffling.
- Down Card: During the game, a card is kept facing down when being dealt. This is also called a hole card.
- La Grande: This means “The Big One” in French and refers to the best hand in baccarat when a player receives a hand worth 9 points.
- La Petite: Means “The Little One” in French and refers to a first dealt hand worth 8 points.
- Natural: A natural hand is when a player’s two first cards hit 8 or 9 points.
- Punto: Refers to the player.
- Standoff: When the player and the banker have a tie, they’re on a standoff.
Statistics and Road Views
As it happens with other types of table games in online casinos, such as online blackjack or online roulette, players can prepare themselves for what can happen in a game of online baccarat for real money.
One of the tools players can use to keep up with what is going on during the game is called a Bead Plate grid.
A Bead Plate grid showcases several possible outcomes and allows players to spot trends in the game.
The first game’s result appears on the left top corner, and each subsequent outcome appears vertically on the next spot. Once the first column is complete, the following one will showcase the results, following the same rules.
Depending on the outcome, the grid will showcase different colours:
- Blue: Player
- Red: Banker
- Green: Tie
You may notice that some outcomes will also have a small dot. These dots’ colours also mean the same as the bigger ones but represent pairs.
The numbers on the grid display the value of the winning hand or the value of the tie.
Additionally, you’ll also notice there are four main sections on the Bead Plate grid. These are:
- Big Road: The first and most extensive section on the grid keeps track of the wins of both the player and the banker and the ties.
- Big Eye Boy: This grid showcases trends available from the information on the Big Road. Unlike before, the colours have different meanings: red represents a pattern, while blue represents a random result.
- Small Road: The Small Road operates similarly to the Big Eye Road. The main difference is that it uses the information from the Big Eye Road instead of that from the Big Road.
- Cockroach Pig: This Road is similar to the Small Road but skips a couple of entries, as it needs further information to spot a pattern.
Side Bets
Along with the three types of bets available in baccarat, many versions of online baccarat in India also accept side bets.
These allow players to have greater chances of winning through a more varied range of wagering opportunities.
When playing online baccarat for real money, players can place the following side bets:
- P Pair: You bet on the player to draw a pair
- B Pair: You bet on the banker to pull a pair
- Either Pair: You bet either the player or the banker will draw a pair
- Perfect Pair: You bet either the player or the banker will draw a couple of the same cards in the same suit
- Super 6: You bet the banker will win the round with 6 points
Live Baccarat
Although we have explained the rules for playing online baccarat in India, you may be interested in playing live baccarat. The gaming experience is very different, as you’ll directly interact with the banker.
Additionally, live baccarat games offer more benefits than baccarat tables at brick-and-mortar casinos.
Since you’ll play from your computer or a mobile casino app, you’ll only see the banker and be shielded from the other players.
This allows you to focus on your game and bets.
The good news is that the rules are precisely the same, with the main advantage that you can play from wherever you want.
Many of the best casino apps in India provide online baccarat for real money with live dealers, which mimic the gaming experience of being at a land-based casino while offering you the perk of focusing on your gameplay and path.
Popular Baccarat Variations
Apart from online baccarat and live baccarat, players interested in this game might also want to consider other versions.
Most online casinos in India provide players with a broad range of baccarat versions, all of which are available for real money.
We’ll give you an introduction to some of the most popular variations:
Speed Baccarat
This live dealer baccarat game offers a traditional table layout.
The rounds are extremely fast since the cards are dealt face-up.
A playing round usually takes 27 seconds in Speed Baccarat, as opposed to almost 50 seconds in regular baccarat.
Lightning Baccarat
Some online casinos, such as 22Bet India, offer Lightning Baccarat, which provides players with multiplier features that offer the game an exciting twist.
Before the round starts, the software draws 1 to 5 cards from a 52-card deck.
These cards become lightning cards, each receiving a multiplier between 2x and 8x.
When a player wins the game due to a lightning card, they’ll receive the associated multiplier.
No Commission Baccarat
The gameplay of this version is the same as regular baccarat, with the main difference being in the dealer’s commission.
Usually, when a wager on the banker to win is correct, the overall winning amount will suffer a 5% commission.
In this version of baccarat, no commission is taken, which means your winnings will be higher.
Mini Baccarat
As the name suggests, this is a smaller version of baccarat.
The game’s rules and gameplay remain the same, but the layout is smaller, allowing players to do other things while playing.
The main difference is that this game doesn’t accept side bets.
Baccarat Strategies
Although baccarat’s gameplay is simple and players can quickly get used to the different betting options, there are some aspects you should pay attention to when playing to ensure you maximize your opportunities.
Below, we’ll give you a few tips that you can incorporate into the playing strategy that might help you have better results:
Avoid Betting On a Tie
As explained before, betting on a tie means that both the player and the banker will have the same value hands.
This outcome is not frequent; players usually lose 14.4 units for every 100 units they bet.
Pay Attention When Playing Mini Baccarat
The game is straightforward and offers many advantages, such as a smaller table and lower bet limits.
However, due to how fast and simple the game is, players might lose focus and make wrong decisions that can destroy their winnings.
Manage Your Bankroll
This tip applies to all games at online casinos.
You should always establish a maximum budget and keep true to it.
We recommend you only bet the money you have set aside for online baccarat games and not chase your losses.
FAQs
Can you play baccarat online for real money?
You can find multiple versions of online baccarat in India that accept wagers in real money. We have picked a few of the best online casinos in India that you can find throughout this article.
How do you win baccarat?
To win a baccarat game, a player’s hand must have a value of 9 or the closest number to it. Players compete with the banker or dealer to have a better hand.
Is baccarat only for high rollers?
No, online baccarat is a simple game that is excellent for beginners. The rules are easy to understand, and there are plenty of online baccarat versions with varied minimum bet limits.
