Mini Baccarat is soaring in popularity, especially among online casino players. Whether you’re familiar with the original game of Baccarat, or you’ve never picked up a pack of cards in your life, Mini Baccarat is one of those games that just about anyone can enjoy.
Brought to you by Play’n GO here at NetBet, Mini Baccarat is one of our most popular online casino games, and once you’ve got the hang of it (this should only take a few minutes), you’ll find yourself returning to it time and time again. So, what is Mini Baccarat and how do you play it?
Here is a quick and accessible guide on how to play Mini Baccarat, brought to you by NetBet Casino!
Mini Baccarat: What Makes it Mini?
Mini Baccarat is very similar to regular Baccarat (brush up on the rules of Baccarat if you need to): there aren’t many decisions to be made and for that reason it’s a great game to play casually as it doesn’t require much prep or buildup.
The main difference between standard Baccarat and Mini Baccarat is that the player never takes the role of banker; the Mini version means that they will never actually touch the cards in play, which lends itself well to online versions of the game and also speeds play along. The stakes are also lower in Mini Baccarat, which makes it an ideal game or stepping stone for casual players as well as those on a budget, although that’s not to say that high rollers won’t enjoy it too!
How to Play Mini Baccarat
The only real choices you need to make when playing Mini Baccarat are:
- how much do you want to bet?
- do you want to bet on yourself winning the hand, on the bank winning, or on a tie?
Betting on the bank will always give the house an edge over the player. Traditionally, eight decks of cards are used, and the cards are shuffled and placed in what is known as the shoe.
The suit of cards in either version of Baccarat is irrelevant; cards are taken at stated value, apart from Face cards and 10s which are valued at 0, and Aces which are valued at 1. Two cards are dealt to both the player and the banker: if the total of the two cards adds up to more than 9, the first digit is removed from the total.
For example, if you are dealt a 5 and a 7, this adds up to 12, but in Mini Baccarat this totals 2; if you’re dealt an Ace and a 10, the Baccarat value is 1. If the Banker wins, the dealer collects a commission as it’s proven that this is a safer bet; if the player wins the bet, they collect their winnings free from commission. If a tie occurs and no one has bet on that happening, the hand is void and there is no winner or loser.
The Importance of 9s in Mini Baccarat
The number 9 is key to Mini Baccarat: the winner wants to score either 9 or as close to 9 as possible, and the maximum number of cards either the player or the banker will have is three, so keep this is mind when making your bet. Bets on who will score 9 or the closest to it are made before cards are drawn.
Four cards are drawn from the ‘shoe’ (comprising eight packs of cards), and two hands are alternately dealt – one hand to the player and one to the banker. The player’s two cards are initially placed face-down, and are only turned face-up when the player’s hand is called.
Scoring a ‘natural’ in mini Baccarat means getting an 8 or 9 total from the very first hand dealt. One additional card is allowed to be drawn following this first round. Mini Baccarat odds are 1:1, unless both hands have the same value and the bet has been on a tie, but in this case neither hand wins or loses.
Play regular Baccarat and Mini Baccarat here at NetBet Casino, and explore a wealth of other titles from the best providers in the industry, including Blackjack, roulette and our Live Casino section which recreates the excitement of Vegas with real time casino games and live dealers.
