Baccarat is one of the casino games you can’t cease to find at any casino you walk into, and the same goes for online casino too. Baccarat is a popular casino game among many players that also have variations like mini-baccarat, midi baccarat, and big baccarat. To know how to play mini baccarat you must fully understand the basic rules of standard baccarat and its variants.

How these variants are played still follows the basic rules of baccarat. They have a few differences, and we’ll address them in just one variant in this Baccarat Strategy Guide. We’ll teach you how to play mini baccarat, the rules surrounding it, the difference between mini baccarat and regular baccarat, and many more.

Learn How to Play Mini Baccarat: Know Bacarrat Standard Rules

Below are the rules on how to play mini-baccarat: 

• The game aims to ensure the total value of your cards equals to, or closer to nine. 
• There are only three bets you can place. These are the player bet, dealer bet, and tie bet. Each bet has its peculiarities in terms of rules. 
• You can only draw on the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on a player bet. 
• A draw is not needed when the banker shows a value of either 8 or 9. 
• The round ends immediately after the player is dealt a value of 8 or 9. 
• On a banker’s bet, you can only draw cards with a value of 0, 1, or 2. But you can’t draw more cards if the player has a value of 8 or 9. 
• You should always stand when holding a value of 7, 8, or 9 as a banker. 
• A total of 8 or 9 dealt to the banker ends the hand. 

The value resets to zero when the banker or player goes over 10. To determine the winner, an extra card is dealt to both players

Mini Baccarat: Card Values 

As you know, mini baccarat is played with eight decks of cards, and the cards have the following values: 

• The face values of all cards numbered 2 to 9 are the same.
• All 10s and face cards have a value of zero. 
• All ace cards have a value of one.

To understand how to play mini baccarat, you can never forget that the aim is to get as close to 9 as possible, without going over. If you are in a situation where the total value of your cards exceeds 9, here’s what to do: 

• Subtract ten from the hand’s value if the card’s total is 2-digit. An example is the number 16. When you subtract ten from it, we’re left with 6.

How to Play Mini Baccarat 

Many players know the popular game of baccarat, and mini-baccarat is very similar to it in its gameplay and rules, only with the difference of a lower betting limit.

Mini baccarat uses eight decks of cards to play, allowing a maximum of eight players per table. The primary aim of the game is to get as close to 9 as possible. Someone that is used to playing regular baccarat would have no issue playing mini-baccarat, but for a complete beginner, here are some pointers: 

1. Place A Wager

Every player is required to place a wager before cards are dealt. As stated earlier, three-bet options are available: player, banker, and tie bets. The bets imply that if the player or dealer’s hands win, both hands end up in a tie.

The payout for both player and banker bets is 1:1, while a tie bet has a higher payout of 8:1. The odds and house edges for these bets differ from each other as follows: 

• Player Bet Odds and House Edge: 45.86% and 1.17%, respectively. 
• Banker Bet Odds and House Edge: 44.62% and 1.36%. 
• Tie Bet Odds and House Edge: 9.52% and 14.12%

After the players have placed the bets, the dealer announces, “No more bets,” and cards are then dealt.

2. The Hand Values 

The dealer deals a pair of cards to the player and banker from the shoe’s deck. The dealer then counts and announces the values of their respective hands to know which of them is the winning hand. If either of the hands has a value of 8 or 9, it is natural; therefore, no extra cards are drawn.

If neither of the hands has a natural, an extra card facing up is drawn for both the player and the banker. If both hands are the same, it is a tie.

3. Draw The Third Card

A third card is usually drawn when either the player or banker has a natural. Understanding when to draw and how to draw third cards is also important when learning how to play mini-baccarat. 

Take the following actions to draw a third card: 

As a player:

• Draw a third card if your first two cards’ total value is between 0 and 5. 
• If your first two cards total is 6 or 7, stand and do not draw. 
• If your initial two cards equal 8 or 9, don’t draw any cards because it is a natural hand. 

As a banker:

• Draw a third card if your first two cards’ total value is between 0 and 2. 
• If your first two cards’ total value is a 3, draw a third card, except if the player’s third card is an 8.
• If your first two cards’ total value is 4, draw a third card if the player’s third card is between 2 and 7.
• If your first two cards’ total value is 5, draw a third card if the player’s third card is between 4 and 7.
• If your first two cards’ total value is 6, draw a third card if the player’s third card is between 6 and 7.
• If the total of your first two cards equals 7, always stand. 

Conclusion

When you know how to play mini baccarat, you’ll see the significant difference between a lower stake being used and the presence of just one dealer shuffling the cards, unlike in baccarat. The dealer also acts as the banker in mini-baccarat.

Take your time understanding this baccarat strategy guide to understand how to play mini-baccarat better. You should also check our casino guides to know how to play american roulette and other available games. To enjoy all table games, visit Slots Paradise Casino.

Being informed about the game you want to play is the best way to play a game.

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FAQs: How To Play Mini Baccarat