Managing your bankroll is an extremely important skill when playing betting games. You need to know when to raise the stakes, and when to walk away, but most importantly, it is in your interest to manage your money in a way that will allow you to stay in the game. That way, even if you experience losses, you will still have a chance to win the money back.
Once you empty your wallet, it will be game over, and you will be leaving the table, not only without the spoils, but also without the funds you originally approached it with, and the house will have won again.
Of course, your wins and losses are left for fate to decide, and your strategy is up to you. However, there are also some things that do not fall under either of these categories, and that’s where you can play it smart and follow a few tips that we have prepared to help you pull through and manage your money the right way.
Set win/loss limits
Our first tip is to set a limit of how much you are willing to lose, or a goal regarding how much you wish to win. While you are between those two numbers, you should be able to continue playing the game, but as soon as you reach either one of them, you should quit and walk away.
This is something that sounds fairly easy to do, but it never is with gambling. If you hit your bottom limit after a series of losses, you start thinking that this next hand might be just what you needed to make a comeback and win a portion of what you had lost. Alternatively, reaching your top limit can cloud your mind and make you think that you are unstoppable, which usually leads to increasing the bets, and losing everything you managed to win.
We see it all the time, and it is a very easy trap to fall into. This is why we recommend setting up those limits and sticking to them. It will require discipline to do so, either because you have to cut your losses, or because you need to quit while you are ahead, but if you manage to do it, you will protect your money, which is, ultimately, all that matters.
Bet with the Banker
If you don’t wish to have to think and plan too much and you just want to have some fun with baccarat, but you still want to try and earn as much as possible, the best way to do so is to bet with the banker, and wager on low house-edge bets. This is a good rule for playing the system, and, as we covered at the beginning of this guide, betting with the Banker has the highest chance of seeing success — just over 50%.
And, as we said several times already, stay clear of tie bets, as they are the most difficult to win at. However, Player hand is also not that bad as a secondary choice, if you are feeling lucky. Its odds are not as high as the Banker hand’s, but the difference is fairly small, and you won’t have to pay that 5% commission, so that’s a plus right there.
Don’t go for all-in bets
After a while, and especially if they see a winning or losing streak, players tend to lose their discipline and go all in. The idea is, if they are losing, this will be one win that they needed to get their money back. Alternatively, if they are winning, then this next hand will bring them a fortune.
Unfortunately, this rarely works in their favor, and they hardly ever walk away with a smile on their faces. Remember that real life is not a Hollywood movie, and you are the main character of your story only, just like everyone else. That means that the next hand is in the hands of fate, and you have greater chances of losing everything than winning everything.
Take your time to pick the best strategy
Finally, we have selected some of the best baccarat strategies to present to you, and all of the ones we talked about are old, popular, and successful. However, that doesn’t mean that each of them will work well for you. Some are more intense than others, Some require you to do a lot of calculations, while others are so simple that even beginners can apply them successfully, and without stress.
Choose the one that is the best for you, as they all work equally well in the hands of fate. It is you who needs to be comfortable with them — often in the long run, as wins and losses tend to replace one another, and so you may spend hours at the baccarat table. Make sure that you can handle it.
