4 Types Baccarat Card Counting Strategy & System

You must have heard the stories of those blackjack card counters that allow players to take away huge winnings from casinos, and you have wondered if the same could be said for another popular card game, baccarat.

Does Baccarat Card Counting Really Work? The first understand is that it cannot bring a lot of profit. But the Baccarat card counting system does work and you get 4 Baccarat card counting strategy system!

The title of this article reveals a sad fact: Baccarat is not a game where you can gain an advantage by card counting, contrary to what many other results on Google might tell you. Let's take a look at the reasons why baccarat card counting doesn't work, which is crucial to your understanding of the game.

Baccarat Card Counting Doesn't Favor Anyone

Baccarat is a symmetrical game where the dealer and the player will be dealt the same cards. The rules are slightly different for the Player and the Banker, so this is the only chance you have to potentially benefit from knowing what cards are left in the deck. However, even if you know that there are more nines than aces in the deck, there is no way to put this information to good use. It's equally possible for the dealer or player to get any card in the deck, and in baccarat, you can't make a decision in the game.

You bet before the cards are dealt and then there's nothing else to do as you watch the game unfold and the dealer and player take turns drawing cards. It's a different world than blackjack because in blackjack you make decisions, and those decisions can be based on what kind of cards are left in the deck. In baccarat, it doesn't matter at all. Baccarat, for all practical purposes, is an elaborate coin flip game.

Casinos Don't Mind You Counting Cards

At least not in baccarat. In many casinos, paper and pens are even provided if you want to keep track of the results.

Also, in blackjack, it is rare to see a reshuffle after 75% of the cards have been dealt, whereas, in baccarat, the casino will not have a problem with you seeing 100% of the cards. This means that they only shuffle the cards when they are not available. If baccarat card counting worked, they wouldn't let you do it, but would shuffle when you see 75% of the shoe, because that's the last part that's most beneficial to the card counter. In baccarat, there is no advantage to be found at all.

How to Count Cards in Baccarat

As mentioned earlier, blackjack card counting is very well known. Players keep track of the hand so that they know when the advantage moves in their favor and then increase their bets. This way, they are able to play more successful hands.

High-value cards, such as face cards, are more favorable to the player, while low-value cards, such as 2's and 3's, are more favorable to the dealer. Initially, the ratio of high-value to low-value cards is even, but the ratio changes as the deal proceeds. For example, if more low-value cards are dealt in the early rounds, there will be a greater concentration of high-value and low-value cards left in the shoe. At this point, card counters will start to place bigger bets because they have a better chance of being dealt blackjack (usually with a 3:2 enhanced payout).

Dr. Ed Thorpe literally wrote the book on card counting after he developed his system in the 1960s. Thorpe's first card counting system, known as the 10-count system, was the first system to be publicly proven mathematically. It was also a very simple system. It simply asks the player to start counting mentally from zero, then +4 for the lower-value cards and -9 for the higher-value cards. The higher the total, the more you should bet. If the count reaches zero or a negative number, then you should bet less.

The main problem with Thorpe's system is that it only applies to single-deck games, which are hard to find. However, his system inspired other mathematicians and blackjack experts to develop other systems. Thorpe himself went on to develop another system, called Hi-Lo Count, which to this day is considered the best card counting system that beginners can learn.

Does Card Counting Work in Baccarat

Now, what we want to surprise you with is the fact that you can, in fact, count cards in baccarat and make a profit.

It's just that the profits are so minuscule and the strategy so difficult to play out that it's not even worth your time. According to the perfect baccarat card counting strategy described by Peter Griffin in his book Blackjack Theory, you would place a $1,000 bet every 400 hands or so and expect to make $0.70 per hour. No casino could let you sit there for 400 hands without doing anything, and you wouldn't be able to go through all that trouble to make $0.70 per hour.

And, with a small sample like this - one bet every 400 hands - and with the odds slightly in your favor, it's still more or less a coin flip and you're likely to lose your $1,000 bet. Then you'd have to wait for another 400 hands and place another bet. If you lose that time as well, and the odds of losing all of your first bets are almost 25%, you're in trouble.

Essentially, card counting doesn't change the odds much, and you have little practical help with this additional information.

Baccarat Card Counting System and Values

This is the system used to track cards that left the deck, and it’s more complex than in blackjack, where you only use +1 and -1.

• Start with a count of 0
• don’t do anything for 9, 10, J, Q, K
• +1 when A, 2, or 3 are dealt
• +2 when 4 is dealt
• -1 when 5, 7, or 8 are dealt
• -2 when 6 is dealt

Basically, you only monitor cards between the ace and the 8, including the 8. For the first three (ace, 2, 3), you add 1 to the count. 4 is a special case because it is the only card you add +2 to, while 6 is the opposite, you subtract -2. The rest of the cards (5, 7, 8) mean you subtract -1 from the count.

4 Types Baccarat Card Counting Strategy

In baccarat, it is well known that the dealer "always" has the best bet - although in our How to Win Baccarat article we have a different view - and that is the default bet in this card counting strategy. The Player's bet only becomes the more sensible choice if you have more than 16 points.

This is just a very simple way of counting cards in baccarat. Some mathematicians say that you actually need to count to +235 for the Player's bet to be truly profitable, and you need to count to -200 for the Banker's bet to be truly profitable. Then there's the real world - even a computer that plays the perfect game based on the information it has will only make less than $2 per 100 hands. On a $1,000 bet.

In baccarat, card counting strategies are not as widely used as in blackjack because the rules and gameplay of baccarat reduce the effectiveness of card counting strategies. Here we have compiled the 4 most commonly used Baccarat card counting strategies.

1. Hi-Lo Counting Method

The Hi-Lo counting method is one of the most common card counting strategies in Baccarat. This strategy assigns different count values to different cards:

• 2 to 6: +1
• 7 to 9: 0
• 10, J, Q, K, A: -1

Counting method: For each card dealt, update the count value based on the card's face value. If the count value is positive, it indicates that the remaining cards are favorable to the player, and you may consider betting. If the count value is negative, it indicates that the remaining cards are favorable to the banker, and you may consider not betting or reducing the bet amount.

2. EZ Baccarat Counting Method

The EZ Baccarat counting method is specific to a variant of Baccarat and uses the following counts:

• 5, 6, 7: +1
• 2, 3, 4: -1
• 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A: 0

This strategy focuses on counting specific cards to help players decide when to place certain types of bets.

3. Advanced Counting Method

The advanced counting method is more complex but also more precise:

• 2, 3: +1
• 4: +2
• 5, 7: -1
• 6: +2
• 8: -2
• 9: -1
• 10, J, Q, K, A: 0

This strategy uses more count values and assigns different weights to different cards to more accurately determine the situation of the remaining cards in the deck.

4. Ace-Five Counting Method

This method is very simple and only focuses on two types of cards: Aces and Fives.

• A: -1
• 5: +1

When the count value is positive, it indicates that the deck has a higher proportion of Fives, which is favorable to the player, and you may consider betting. When the count value is negative, it indicates that the deck has a higher proportion of Aces, which is favorable to the banker, and you may consider reducing your bet or not betting.

These strategies have their limitations in practice because the rules and dealing method in Baccarat make the counting strategies less effective than in Blackjack. However, familiarizing yourself with these strategies can help you better understand the game and make more informed betting decisions in specific situations.

Baccarat Card Counting System: A Useful Tool When Used Correctly

It should be clear by now that card counting in baccarat does not offer the same advantages as card counting in blackjack. Even if done perfectly, it won't bring much profit. However, it is a relatively easy thing to do and does have its advantages. Of course, you can also refer to 4 Types Baccarat Card Counting Strategy, which can help you win more. In other words, there's no need to indulge in card counting, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Learn more information about the baccarat strategy to help players increase their chances of winning at online casinos.