Play Live Dealer Baccarat Online in Canada: an Expert Guide
Live dealer baccarat is just like the game enjoyed at hundreds of bricks-and-mortar casinos around the world, but is also an interactive online experience unlike any other.
Our comprehensive live dealer baccarat guide will cover:
- Recommended sites for live dealer baccarat in Canada
- How to play live dealer baccarat
- Different variations of live dealer blackjack
- How live dealer baccarat differs from standard baccarat
- Live dealer baccarat FAQ
Best Live Dealer Baccarat Casinos for Canadian Players
Here are our favourite live dealer baccarat online casinos in Canada:
- 100 free spins
- Min. deposit: $25
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- Min. deposit: $10
- Bitcoin Bonus $900
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- Reload Bonus
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How Do You Play Live Dealer Baccarat?
To keep things simple: in baccarat, you’re wagering on a round of cards between you and the dealer (the “banker”) – highest hand wins. Each card has a certain number of points allocated, and there are “drawing rules” that dictate both the player’s & banker’s behaviour.
Each game of baccarat has either three or four mains stages: placing bets, the deal, instant win, and the 3rd card rule, if applicable.
Live Dealer Baccarat Betting
Each hand of live dealer baccarat begins with a round of betting. At the start of each hand, you can wager on one of three options:
- You believe the player will finish with the higher score
- You believe the banker will finish with the higher score
- You believe the player and banker will tie (note: our experts do not recommend this bet type.)
The Deal in Live Dealer Baccarat
After bets are placed, the banker gives the player and banker two face-up cards each. Each hand’s score is determined by adding up the value of each card:
- Tens and face cards are worth zero (0)
- Aces are worth one point (1)
- All other cards are worth their rank, e.g. a 6 is worth six points.
The goal is to finish with a score as close to nine as possible. However, the value of a hand can’t exceed nine points and only the last digit in a score counts. For example, if a hand totals 14 points, it’s only worth four points.
Once the initial value of each hand is determined, the game continues as per the drawing rules.
Instant Win in Live Dealer Baccarat
The instant win rule takes effect if either the player or the banker are dealt an initial hand that totals 8 or 9 points exactly – called a “natural”. If this happens, that player automatically wins the hand.
If not, the game continues per the drawing rules.
Live Dealer Baccarat Drawing Rules
While both the player and banker are dealt two cards, there are several baccarat rules where a third card is dealt. The player goes first, then the banker proceeds based on the player’s results.
Drawing Rules for the Player
- If the player’s two-card hand has a value of 0-5, the player will receive a third card.
- If the player has 6 or 7, the player stands, taking no more cards.
Drawing Rules for the Banker
If the player stands, then the dealer will follow the same drawing rules as the player: if their hand is worth 0-5 they’ll take a third card, and will standing with 6 or 7.
If the player hits, the banker will choose whether to take a third card depending on the banker’s score:
| Dealer’s Total Points | Rule |
|---|---|
| 2 or less | Banker draws |
| 3 | Banker draws, unless player’s third card was an 8 |
| 4 | Banker draws, if the player’s third card was a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 |
| 5 | Banker draws, if the player’s third card was a 4, 5, 6 or 7 |
| 6 | Banker draws, if the player’s third card was a 6 or 7 |
| 7 | Banker stands |
Note: Similar to blackjack, the baccarat shoe contains six to eight standard playing card decks.
Live Dealer Baccarat Variations
Here are some of the most popular variations of live dealer baccarat to play in Canada.
Punto Banco Baccarat
Punto Banco baccarat is the simplest and most popular variation of live dealer baccarat. As described above, you can bet on the player, banker or tie in Punto Banco.
Speed Baccarat
As the name suggests, speed baccarat is played at a fast pace and is a great game for the more experienced – or impatient – baccarat player. Rounds of speed baccarat often last less than 30 seconds.
Mini Baccarat
A great way to gain some experience, mini baccarat is a good version for the novice player as it’s a stripped-down version of the regular game with smaller bets.
Squeeze Baccarat
Squeeze Baccarat brings the drama. It’s like the basic version, but the banker builds the suspense by unveiling their cards over a longer period of time. It’s different and a bit slower, for those with a little more time on their hands.
Live Dealer Baccarat Odds
Here is an example of typical online baccarat odds for each wager. Please note that odds may differ slightly depending on which variation and at which online casino you are playing.
Odds of Player Bets
Player bets typically pay even money (e.g. bet $50, win $50).
Betting on yourself has a relatively low house edge of 1.24%, making it a tempting strategy.
Odds of Banker Bets
Banker bets typically pay even money, less a “commission” on the win, typically around 5%. This means a payout of approximately 95% on banker bets (e.g. bet $100, win $95.)
The house edge for banker bets is even lower than player bets, sitting at approximately 1.06%.
Odds of Baccarat Ties
Ties in online baccarat are paid out differently by each casino, but typically paid out at either 8- or 9-to-1.
Tie bets do have a very significant house edge of nearly 15%, so we recommend avoiding this bet type.
How Does Live Dealer Baccarat Compare to Regular Baccarat?
Live dealer baccarat is like the game you play in a brick-and-mortar casino, but just online. You are placed at a virtual baccarat table, but unlike other online baccarat casino rooms, the flashy graphics and random number generators are replaced by a real-life baccarat banker and table and enjoyed via live video stream. Thanks to this live video stream, you can interact with the dealer and fellow players just as if you were at a real casino, sitting at your favourite baccarat table.
Just in the past few years, advances in mobile technologies allow for live dealer casino games, like baccarat, to be mobile-friendly. However, if you’re interested in playing you are out, do everything possible to connect your mobile casino to Wi-Fi. This will improve your internet connection to the table and you won’t kill your data.
