Dragon Bonus Baccarat Strategy
Dragon Bonus BACCARAT HOW TO PLAY Dragon Bonus™ is a baccarat side bet that pays when your hand is a natural winner or when it wins by a large margin. The highest payout is for a non-natural that wins by nine points. GETTING STARTED Make the Dragon Bonus wager by betting in the marked area. You may bet either for the player or the banker hand. Dragon Bonus is an optional wager for Mini-Baccarat. It is up to the sole discretion of the casino if the casino requires the player to make the original Mini-Baccarat wager. Players have two ways to win: 1) If their selected hand for the Dragon Bonus wager is a natural. winner; or 2) is a non-natural that wins by four or more points. Dragon Bonus is a baccarat side bet that pays when your hand is a natural winner, or when it wins by a large margin. The highest payout, 30 to 1, is for a non-natural that wins by nine points. GETTING STARTED Make the Dragon Bonus Wager by betting in the marked area. You may bet in conjunction with either the Player or Banker hand or the Tie.
- Baccarat Dragon Bonus Payouts
- Dragon Bonus Baccarat Strategy Tactics
- Dragon Bonus Mini Baccarat
- Dragon Bonus Baccarat Strategy Game
- Baccarat Strategy Pdf
Dragon Bonus is one of the most popular side bets in Baccarat. This additional bet is particularly popular with Asian and Australian high-roller players who like to take a risk for a chance to win bigger payouts going up to 30:1. This version of Baccarat first appeared at land-based casinos and today you can play it at online casinos too. At live casinos, the tables offering the Dragon Bonus bet are in most cases hosted by Asian dealers to provide players with a genuine Macau-like gaming experience.
If you want to learn how to play Dragon Bonus bets and win more, stay with us as in this article we will provide you with the basic rules and strategy to make the most of it.
Dragon Bonus Rules and Gameplay
Dragon Bonus Baccarat is typically played with six or eight decks that are shuffled before each round. The game starts with a player placing bets on the banker’s or player’s victory while the Dragon Bonus bet is optional and you can play it if you want to. If you are ready to increase your wager for a chance to win bigger, you should place an additional bet on the same side as the original bet. The rules of the game are the same as in the standard version of Baccarat: you should predict whether the player or the banker will have a score closer or equal to 9. You can also place a tie bet which wins if both the banker and player make the same score.
What makes the difference when playing the Dragon Bonus bet is the margin that determines payouts. You can play the Player Dragon Bonus bet and predict that the player will win by 4 points or more or with a natural or play Banker Dragon Bonus and bet on the banker winning by 4 points or more or with a natural. If your selected side wins with a natural, the Dragon Bonus bet pays 1:1.
Dragon Bonus Paytable
You are familiar with the rule that the hand with 9 points or a score closest to 9 wins in Baccarat. The value of the cards remains the same with As counted as one point, the cards between 2s and 9s keeping their values and tens and all faces worth 10 points. In case the score is more than 10 points, the first digit is removed, so instead of 15, for instance, 6 and 9 are worth 5.
Due to a margin that determines payouts when Dragon Bonus bets are played, the paytable in this version of the game is extended. Basically, the higher the margin, the larger the payout, so the side you have placed your bet on has to have a winning margin of 4 points or more to earn you a payout. This rule does not apply to naturals only which pay 1:1. If the result is a tie, the Dragon Bonus bet is pushed.
When the Dragon Bonus bet is played, winning hands pay as follows:
- 4 point margin pays 1:1
- 5 point margin pays 2:1
- 6 point margin pays 4:1
- 7 point margin pays 6:1
- 8 point margin pays 10:1
- 9 point margin pays 30:1
House Edge
While the house edge when playing the standard game is 1.06% for the Banker bet, 1.24% for the Player bet and 14.36% for the Tie bet, the Dragon Bonus bet increases the house advantage by up to 9x. If you play the Player Dragon Bonus bet, the edge will be doubled while the house edge when the Banker Dragon Bonus bet is played is increased by 9x.
You can easily figure out that playing Dragon Bonus bets is a risky thing to do. However, it allows you to win up to 30:1 payout which is considerably larger than regular payouts you can score at when playing main Baccarat bets.
The question of card counting comes up from time to time and there is always a debate around it. This technique is mostly employed in blackjack, but some players try it with baccarat as well. The main premise of baccarat card counting is predicting how many cards are left in play and which cards they may be. In reality, it’s much more complex than this explanation.
If you’re familiar with the basics of card counting, you may find the baccarat methodology here to be a little different from what you’ve heard before. Now let’s get into the details.
How the Basic Counting System Works
Before we go into specifics of this system, let’s clarify — can you count cards in baccarat? This maneuver is frowned upon by most land-based casinos. But in the case of online gambling, card counting absolutely fine to use. In fact, online live dealer casinos have become the perfect platform for it.
Now that we’ve established that card counting isn’t prohibited, let’s look at the general rules of this system. Keep in mind that these instructions are meant for a six- or eight-deck game:
- When the game begins, and you start with a fresh shoe, the count is 0.
- Each card dealt to you affects the count based on its true value (given below).
- While you keep the running count in your head, you need to calculate the true count.
- Divide the current count by the approximate number of decks left in the shoe. For example, with a count of 30 and 6 decks, it will be 30/6=5.
- Once the true count exceeds 15, and the game has 6 or more decks, switch from the banker bet to the player bet.
For a single-deck game, the true count needs to be higher than 11 instead. With every new deck or shoe, you’ll need to start over.
Essentially, that is the basis of all your calculations. You also need the baccarat card counting values, which you can memorize from the table below.
Training to Count Cards in Baccarat
For example, if the count is 10 and a 3 is dealt, you’ll add 1 for a new count of 12. If the next card is a 9, the count stays the same.
As you can guess, the hardest part of the baccarat card counting strategy is to do it quickly. It’s not going to be easy, but if you’re dedicated, you’ll see improvements.
Before you play baccarat online with a live dealer, get yourself a regular 52-card deck, and do the following:
- Deal one card at a time to yourself and make the baccarat true count calculations we described above. You can take as much time as you need.
- Go through the entire deck while maintaining your calculations.
- By the end, the true count should be 0. If it’s not, your calculations were off.
- Start over and slowly speed up as you go.
- Once you can accurately calculate the true count throughout the entire shoe under a minute, start dealing two cards at a time.
- You should be able to keep up with the true count in one and a half minutes, which is approximately how long it takes a real dealer.
Why Baccarat Card Counting Is So Difficult
Casinos know that gamblers will take any opportunity to maximize their returns. Therefore, they make it harder for the players to beat them. Additionally, even after you learn how to count cards in baccarat flawlessly, you’ll still be faced with a couple of issues.
In blackjack, you can use simplified systems assigning cards values of +1 or -1. Even more advanced systems assign only a few values. This mitigates some difficulties in calculations. In baccarat, however, you’ll be dealing with three- or four-digit numbers and keeping them in your head at all times.
Is Baccarat Card Counting Worth the Effort?
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So, does card counting work in baccarat? Under perfect conditions, and if you follow the rules precisely, yes. The good news is that it can actually help you get an edge against the casino in theory.
The bad news is that it might not make as much of a difference as you hope. In a book called ‘The Theory of Blackjack,’ Peter Griffin has calculated how much you can profit after going through the entire shoe. Unfortunately, it’s not as much money to justify the time and effort you need to put in.
In reality, card counting in baccarat doesn’t work like in blackjack. For the small return you get, you’ll need to play for hours. You’d need to wait hundreds of hands before finally betting on a favorable opportunity. What you should do instead is casually count until you reach +16 for the player, or less than +16 for the banker, and make your move.
Pros & Cons of Counting Cards in Baccarat
Counting cards in Baccarat makes it possible for the player to minimize the house edge of the casino. On the other hand, counting cards in baccarat is a risky venture. Getting good requires a lot of practice, and this requires a lot of money to get started. Likewise, you should know that it is not permitted in some land-based casinos.
Pros of Counting Cards in Baccarat:
Dragon Bonus Baccarat Strategy Tactics
- Allows players to minimize the house edge.
- Leads to longer play sessions.
- Is arguably the most “fun” way to play the game.
- Leads to a better appreciation of the game.
Cons of Counting Cards in Baccarat:
- Takes a lot of time to learn.
- The benefits of counting cards are not as pronounced as in other games.
- Practicing it with real deals can be expensive
Conclusion
It makes sense that players want to reduce the house edge. If you’re very determined to learn how to beat baccarat by card counting, you may see some results. A slight increase in chance can tip the balance in your favor. That said, you shouldn’t expect huge profits by just relying on this technique.
In any case, finding and using different techniques is better than purely trusting your luck. There is no harm in testing a new method, especially if you do it properly.
If you are new to real money baccarat, Bob Casino is a good place to discover this card game. Here, you can play with friendly live dealers who know how to accommodate beginners. Not only will you access excellent classic casino games, but you can also explore exciting new titles you’ve never seen before.
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FAQ
Is it possible to count cards in baccarat?
Yes, card counting is an important part of playing baccarat.
Is baccarat card counting system allowed in casinos?
While land-based casinos may discourage card counting, there is nothing illegal about what a player does in their head. Worst case scenario, you may be asked to leave the venue. Online casinos cannot enforce such rules, so card counting is de facto permitted.
Will card counting work in live dealer baccarat games?
Yes, card counting is an effective way of playing live baccarat.
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Can I even profit from counting cards in baccarat?
Counting cards in baccarat allows the player to increase their chances of winning. That being said, the benefit is a lot less pronounced than that in blackjack and other games.
Is there a software to help me count cards in Baccarat?
There are several baccarat card counting training programs available for players who want to learn to count cards. These include both free and paid options.
What baccarat strategy can help me win?
In order to maximize your potential winnings in baccarat, it is best to use a mixture of bankroll management, betting, and card counting strategies. Most experts on Reddit and gambling forums recommend you spend no more than 2% of your bankroll on a single bet, use a betting strategy (such as the Martingale strategy), and learn at least basic card counting skills.
This article was updated on March 5, 2021.