Best New Games to Try for Fans of Baccarat

Baccarat has lots of fans. It’s easy to learn, simple and quick to play, plus it has a super low house edge – as little as 1.06%. So, there’s a lot to like about it. With that said, we all fancy shaking things up sometimes.

Some of us have made the switch to playing baccarat online using cryptocurrency or moving to a different variant. There’s a lot to be said for making small changes to your playing style to notice a difference in your results. However, this article is for fans of the game that really want a big change!

So, without further ado, here are a handful of games that all have something in common with baccarat but promise you a significantly different playing experience.

Blackjack

If one of your main concerns is house edge then you can’t go wrong with blackjack. It has a house edge of just 0.61% when played with the correct strategy. Tick so far.

The other factor in blackjack’s favor (in the eyes of baccarat players anyway) is the super simple rules of this card game. Get as close to 21 as possible, without going over. As long as you keep this in mind, you’ll not do half bad. Plus, it’s a card game, so if you’re into cards over dice, which you probably are as a baccarat fan, then there’s a whole lot to like about this simple casino classic.

Caribbean Stud Poker

I’d forgive you for thinking that poker wasn’t going to be on here, after all, it’s one of the more complex casino games to try. However, Caribbean Stud Poker makes things a little simpler. Plus, unlike other games of poker, this is you against the dealer – something baccarat players are well used to.

In order to win, all you need to do is make the best five-card poker hand. So, the strategy is simple to learn. You will need to know your hand rankings though. If you’re playing online then there’s no shame at all in using a cheat sheet, but you probably don’t want to be caught playing in-person with one of those! If you’d like something a little more entertaining than learning them off by heart, then try video poker. This relies only on recognizing good hands, so it’s a great (and fun) way to learn.

Three Card Poker

It’s time for another poker option! So, I hope you took my advice on those hand rankings! Three Card Poker is -yet another – simple poker game that pits you against the dealer. You directly affect the house edge in this game – if you’re rubbish, the horse is more likely to win, if you play your cards right, you stand a much better chance.

So how do you win? You’re given three cards and have to make an ante bet. Before you’ve even seen them. Then, once you’ve looked at your cards you need to decide if your hand is strong enough for you to bet on them or not. If it is, you have to match your ante bet, if it isn’t you fold.

The dealer then shows their cards, if they got a Queen-high or better (remember those hand rankings?) then the dealer ‘qualifies’ to play the bet. If they didn’t, you’re paid back your ante bet and refunded your play bet. Let’s assume they do qualify, if your hand is better both of your bet’s win, if it’s lower both bets lose, and if you tie, both of your stakes are returned to you. Got it?

Punto Banco

Is this one cheating? I’m not quite sure. Punto Banco is basically baccarat but offers slightly different betting options – and a different table layout too. It’s super similar – you’re betting on either dealer or banker hands. It’s a good way to experience a game that couldn’t be more like baccarat but with the feeling of playing something distinctly fresh and different. Plus, it’s super easy to find this in land-based casinos too.

Pai Gow

This might seem like a bit of a rogue choice but stick with me. I know, I know, it’s played with dominoes rather than cards – but it’s good! Pai Gow is an ancient Chinese game that I promise you’re going to love.

To play, divide your hand into two hands – a low one and a high one. In a cruelly tricky twist, you need to beat the dealer’s low and high hands. Both of them. Or you win nothing. This has a – slightly – higher house edge than baccarat, between 1.5% to 2.5%. However, in some new casinos you are allowed to play as the banker! This brings it down to the lower end of the scale (in line with baccarat).

One of the big differences between baccarat and Pai Gow is that Pai Gow is much slower paced. It allows a bit of a breath between hands for socializing, which some baccarat players will hate, but others might actually come to enjoy.