Home » Casino news » Lowdown on Live Dealer Baccarat Variants
Baccarat has a long and storied history. The earliest mentions of the game existing can be traced to the 15th century. French soldiers returning home from Italy brought it back home with them, where it became a hit. French nobility were big fans of baccarat and played it in private.
Of course, this was all before gambling and casinos became legal. As such, establishments often carried different rules as to how to play baccarat. The core always remained the same. Two hands were drawn and compared, and the highest-scoring hand wins!
It was this tradition of little adjustments that created a vibrant scene of baccarat variants. Today, we will take a look at some of the best alternative tables available for live casino players. If regular baccarat is getting too stale for your liking, we recommend checking out the following Indian Casino Club approved variants!
This is the most iconic baccarat variant currently available on the market. It swaps out the more traditional setup we are used to and replaces with an Oriental theme. This allows it to make wagering sound so much cooler, too. You are not betting on the dealer or the banker. You are wagering on the Dragon or the Tiger!
It is also a much simpler game compared to baccarat. Only one card is drawn for either side, which makes the winner obvious. Cards no longer lose their value if they go above nine. Instead, the number of the card determines the ranking of each hand. The ace is the least valuable card, while the King always wins!
Well, that is how it goes usually. Dragon Tiger is still based on baccarat, which means a tie can occur. Dragon or Tiger wins pay 1:1 while betting on a Tie win will grant an 8:1 cash prize. Punters can also enjoy some side bets like the suited tie bet. It can pay 50:1 if a tie happens, and the two cards have the same suit.
Now, we love Dragon Tiger, but it will suit newer players better than baccarat pros. If you already know all there is to know about this game, then you do not want fewer cards. You want each round to end as quickly as possible, so you can show off your mastery of baccarat strategies! If that is what you enjoy, then Speed Baccarat is here to help!
This live casino variant deals cards face up to save time. Thanks to this and experienced dealers, rounds can go much faster than usual. All that said, we do not recommend playing Speed Baccarat unless you are familiar with the rules already. Things move very quickly here, and it can be hard to keep up if you are new.
One of the most important things you learn is that baccarat’s two bets are not equal. For whatever reason, the banker wins more often. As a result, almost every live casino baccarat game has a 5% commission included on banker bets. Instead of getting an even pay for a banker win, you receive 0.95:1.
No Commission Baccarat removes this 5% charge, making both payouts equally valuable. The game makes back this difference by reducing your payout if the banker has a total sum of six. A banker win on a six has its payout reduced to 0.5:1. You can offset this by playing the Super 6 side bet! It grants a 15:1 prize for winning on a six total.
If you enjoy a bit of dramatic flair, you will definitely enjoy Baccarat Squeeze! Rules wise, it is the same as a regular round of baccarat. Where it differs is in its presentation! Speed Baccarat tries to rush you through each round as quickly as possible. Not so in this variant!
When cards are drawn, the dealer will slowly reveal them bit by bit. This gives you a hint as to what card will be drawn. Personally, we are big fans of this! It builds suspense and excitement before the final reveal. There are variants where you can control the squeezing yourself, called Baccarat Controlled Squeeze. We recommend trying Evolution Gaming’s version if you are interested in checking this baccarat table out.