Gambling is certainly an intrinsic part of humankind at large. With it, comes a multitude of luck- and skill-based games available all over the world and on the Internet. And standing at the top of this veritable casino game mountain is baccarat — a classic casino game you’ll find in many online casinos. 

At its core, baccarat is a mere game of chance. It’s certainly obvious that you have a 50/50 chance of getting either the Player or Banker in baccarat’s simplest form. In the most stripped-down version of this popular casino table game, baccarat is more akin to a game of calling heads or tails on a coin toss. But still, the game does attract plenty of fans to try out their luck. 

And it goes without saying that there is a certain finesse required to play baccarat successfully. In other words, baccarat strategy matters! 

Types of Betting Systems In Baccarat

To get a grasp on the many, many types of baccarat strategies, you’ll first have to understand betting systems. 

In general, there are two kinds of betting systems — positive progression systems and negative progression systems. In the case of the former, you increase your bet amount when you win and decrease it when you lose. And the same applies to negative progression systems as well albeit in reverse — increase your stake when you lose, and decrease it when you win. 

If you’re interested in knowing about the various betting strategies in baccarat, strap yourselves in, and read on!

The Martingale Baccarat Betting Strategy

The Martingale betting strategy is a classic example of an effective negative progression system used in many chance-based games such as roulette, craps, and of course, baccarat.

The idea here is to up the bet (double it) whenever you lose and continue doing so until you finally get a win, then you reduce the bet to the amount of your initial bet and repeat ad infinitum (or until you’re satisfied with your winnings). 

For instance, if you bet $5 and win, then continue with your $5 bet. But if you lose, double your bet to $10 for the next round. If you lose again, increase your wager to $20, so on and so forth. The idea here is that when you eventually win, you’ll be able to basically break even. 

If you do intend to use the Martingale, it’s advisable to do so for short gambling sessions and fewer betting rounds. This way, you won’t come out too bad if you happen to go on a losing streak.

That being said, the Martingale baccarat betting strategy obviously isn’t a perfect one. For one, in the long run, you will either run out of capital or possibly max out on the casino betting limit. In short, use the Martingale strat with care!

 The Paroli Baccarat Betting Strategy

Unlike the Martingale strategy, the Paroli baccarat betting strategy features a positive progression system and is the preferred betting system for many players due to its simplistic yet effective approach. 

For this strategy, you begin with a fixed stake/bet/wager. This amount is how much you’ll bet at the beginning of each progression. A good tip here is to set the initial bet at a level that isn’t too high compared to the total amount you’re willing to wager. 

According to Paroli, losses follow flat betting i.e. you do not change your bet after you lose and only start doubling the amount when you win. Some players will only double the bet when they win three times in a row, while others like to increase it each winning round. It’s all about your preferences.

However, your progress resets each time you lose. The Paroli system offers potential for some consistent albeit small wins and the chances of huge losses are not that big here. 

In theory, if you successfully doubled your bet on three consecutive wins, your winnings will be multiplied seven times. Though, there’s pretty much no guarantee when it comes to games of chance. If you end up on a losing streak, you will lose money — plain and simple.

The 1-3-2-6 Baccarat Betting Strategy

Featuring yet another positive progression betting system, the 1-3-2-6 baccarat betting strategy is focused on placing long-term winning bets as opposed to attempting to win every round.

The strategy assumes that you will win at least four times during the duration of your baccarat game. In this case, you’re supposed to consistently bet one, three, two, and six units throughout your winning streak. Theoretically, doing so will allow you to come out with a profit if you stop on time.

The most vital thing to note about this strategy is that you should place small bets which may lead to substantial profits. For example, if your first bet is $1 and you win, then your payout is $1. The second winning bet should be $3 and if you win once again, you will make a $4 profit. The third bet would then be $2 and the fourth should amount to $6. If you do the math, you will see that you have made a $10 profit simply by wagering $2. But of course, everything will depend on your luck in the end.

The Labouchere Baccarat Betting Strategy

The complex Labouchere baccarat betting strategy is a mainstay among many player’s arsenals for the simple fact that it works quite well. And like the Martingale betting system, Labouchere is more geared towards recovering losses. In this case, the strategy aims to coup losses through multiple smaller wins.  

The cycle of progression for the Labourchere strategy starts with a sequence of numbers. For the first bet, add the first and last number, and if it’s a winning bet, cross the numbers of the sequence. Then bet the first and last from the remaining numbers. If you lose, add your losing bet amount as a number to the sequence. The cycle is completed once all the numbers have been used. 

Confused? Here’s an example:

Using the sequence 5 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 4 – 4, your first bet would be 9 (5 + 4). If your bet wins, cross out 5 and 4 then bet 8 (4 + 4). If you happen to lose, add the 9 to the sequence. The rules apply to each wager for as long as you’re playing.

In short, cross numbers off when you win and add numbers when you lose.

Still confused on how this strategy works?

The main takeaway here is that no matter the size of the sequence, you will make a profit equal to the total value of the first numbers you jotted down. Yes, even if you have more losing bets than winning ones, the Labouchere strategy allows you to adjust the risk and reward of your initial sequence. If you can afford a large capital, you could very well start the game with a longer sequence and make a bigger profit if you manage to get to the end of the chain.