What New Rules and Features Are Changing Baccarat?

What New Rules and Features Are Changing Baccarat?

Baccarat is a card game that’s been around since at least the 16th century. It didn’t change a lot during most of that time, although in recent years we’ve seen big changes thanks to new technology like live-stream games and crypto casinos. What are some of the key new rules and features you need to know about?

Baccarat Squeeze Adds Tension to Live Games

The introduction of live streaming has allowed providers to look at this game in a new light. Rather than focusing simply on the rules and payouts, they can now look at introducing different types of presentation styles that add to the appeal. This is why you’ll see games beamed out from a themed studio setting where the dealer is dressed to fit the theme and entertain us.  

Some games have also introduced the mechanics known as Baccarat Squeeze. This type of game follows a similar processto classic baccarat, with the traditional rules explained here by Masters. But at the crucial moment, the dealer squeezes the card to slowly reveal the value. Some versions use various cameras to build up the tension, while others use a glass table where players can see the card values little by little. It’s a simple yet incredibly effective change.

Speed Baccarat Keeps a Fast Pace

The Squeeze Baccarat versions we’ve just looked at could be ideal if you want a slower conclusion to the game filled with moments of tension. However, what about those moments when you’re short of time and just want to find out quickly whether you’ve correctly predicted the outcome or not? In these situations, Speed Baccarat offers a way to enjoy a quicker playing experience.

A look at the latest baccarat games in a Bitcoin casino reveals titles like Speed Baccarat from Evolution and Pragmatic Live. Each round in the Evolution game lasts for 27 seconds rather than the standard 48 seconds. There are several tables to choose from, so you can pick the version that best suits your needs. Once you´ve joined a table, you can normallywatch some hands being played before deciding whether to place your first bet. 

Multipliers on Winning Hands

The standard payouts for baccarat have been in force for a long time. The player hand or banker hand pays at 1:1 while the tie bet pays at 8:1 since it’s a lot less likely to happen. These payouts help provide a balanced game with one of the lowest house edges in the gambling industry. However, as online baccarat has become more competitive, this has led to new rules being introduced that bring in more volatility.

An example can be seen with Golden Wealth Baccarat. This variant has five Golden Cards in each round played. These special cards get a random multiplier applied to them that can go as high as 8x. This multiplier is used on the winning amount if a player gets a winning hand, including a Golden Card. Multipliers are now used increasingly in casino classics such as roulette and blackjack, so we can probably look forward to them being used even more often in baccarat too.

No Commission Games

We saw previously that the player hand and banker hand have the same payout rate of 1:1. Yet, the returns vary slightly because a 5% commission rate is applied to any wins made on the banker hand. Together with the different rules for drawing the third card, this makes the house edge slightly lower on the banker's hand, at 1.06% compared to 1.24% on the player bet.

However, the introduction of live baccarat games with no commission on the bank bet creates an interesting new way of playing. You don’t pay that 5% commission on bankers’ wins but the drawback is that you only get back half your bet if the banker wins with 6. Some versions of No Commission Baccarat add other rules that change the gameplay, such as optional side bets and a push if the banker wins on 7.

What Future Changes Can We Expect to See?

Based on the changes we’ve looked at here, it seems certain that baccarat continues to evolve as new ideas are added to basic gameplay. Despite being an extremely simple card game, baccarat has become extremely varied as new rules have been integrated.

Advancing technology is also likely to have an effect, as the likes of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) change the presentation of live games. TechTarget describes AR as being the integration of digital information with the user’s environment and that’s something we can already see in certain live casino games.

Having said that, the basic gameplay has changed little, and this is something we can expect to see continue. The classic simplicity of baccarat has allowed it to stay as one of the most popular casino games for centuries and there are no signs of that changing any time soon.