| Updated: October 3, 2024Players who are looking for a polished, yet straightforward and easy-to-play virtual baccarat should take a look at the standard variation developed by Playtech. Called simply Baccarat, the game features beautiful graphics, simple layout, and bets from €1 to €100 per round.
This version of the all-time casino classic was designed in a compact, minimalistic manner, with the rules and bet limits displayed in separate screens from the main one. The gameplay is fast-paced, smooth and easy to follow, while the sounds are simple and non-intrusive. The rules and types of bets are described in the following sections.
Rules and Gameplay
This is a somewhat standard game of virtual baccarat where the rounds are faster and players have instant access to the payouts, rules, etc. The game is played with 6 decks of 52 cards (without the Jokers) and the players need to predict which of the two hands presented to them will be of greater value. They can bet on Player or Banker, or they can bet on Tie – the payouts for these wagers are the same as you would find in nearly all versions of baccarat.
- Player – 1:1
- Banker – 0.95:1
- Tie – 8:1
Overall, the game is played under the rules of classic baccarat, including the Third Card Rule for both the Player and the Banker hands. The Player, for instance, is required to draw a third card if the hand totals 5 or less, while on 6 and 7, the hand stands.
Distinctive Features
In addition to the regular betting options, Playtech’s Baccarat includes several side bets. The first optional wagers are the Player Pair and the Banker Pair and with them, players bet that the respective hand will comprise of two cards of the same value (and not of the same suit). Players who manage to predict such an outcome and place their chips accordingly receive a payout of 11:1.
There are two other types of pair side bets – Either Pair, which wins with any kind of pair in any of the hands, or Perfect Pair, which wins if the Player or the Banker have two identical cards, i.e. cards of the same value and suit. With the Big and Small side bets, players bet on the total number of cards at the end of the deal – Small (4) or Big (5 or 6). These are the payouts for each bet in the game, along with the theoretical Return-to-Player percentage (RTP):
- Banker – 0.95:1, 98.94%
- Player – 1:1, 98.76%
- Tie – 8:1, 85.56%
- Player/Banker Pair – 11:1, 88.75%
- Perfect Pair – 25:1, 82.93%
- Either Pair – 5:1, 85.46%
- Big – 0.54:1, 95.65%
- Small – 1.5:1, 94.73%
Conclusion
Overall, Baccarat by Playtech is a simple, fast-paced game and it offers a relatively low house edge of 1.06% on the favorable Banker bet.