Online Baccarat in WV

Baccarat Basics for Beginners – How to Play It For Real Money

To cut it short, baccarat is a simple guessing game where your goal is to predict which of two hands will acquire a total closest to 9. There are three kinds of bets available: you can bet on the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or make a Tie bet, predicting that neither hand wins in the round.

Here’s how the points are calculated:

• Face cards and tens are worth 0 points;
• Cards from 2 to 9 are worth their face value;
• Aces are worth 1 point.

When calculating points in baccarat, there is one crucial thing to remember. The final amount can only be a one-digit number, so the second digit becomes the hand value if you get more than 9 points. For example, a 13-point hand is actually only worth 3, a 10-points hand is worth 0, and so on.

Once you understand all this points-related stuff, you can start playing online baccarat in West Virginia, and here’s how.

1. Pick a baccarat game in one of the West Virginia online casinos and start it.
2. Decide on the bet size. The minimum and maximum limits vary from one casino to another, but in most cases, you’ll be able to wager as little as $1 and as much as $100.
3. Place your bet on one of three options: the Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or the Tie.
4. At this point, two cards are dealt for both hands, four cards on the table in total.
5. If one of the hands now has 8 or 9 points, it’s called a natural win, and the round is over. Alternatively, the third card might be drawn according to the special rule. You don’t need to think about it too much, to be honest, as online casinos do it automatically, and you can’t really influence the outcome of the round anyway.
6. Once the dealer announces the winning hand, the game’s over, and the new bets must be made.

Baccarat Odds and the House Edge

Baccarat is fun to play, but we all know that fun is not the first-priority aspect of a casino game, though an important one. The fun doesn’t make any sense if you can’t get the real money wins. Luckily, baccarat successfully combines both entertaining gameplay and high winning potential thanks to its low house edge — 1.06% for the Banker’s hand and 1.24% for the Player’s hand. It makes it one of the most lucrative table games, second only to blackjack with its 0.5%-0.6% house edge.

What about the Tie bet? — you might ask. Well, even though it pays 8 to 1, players usually tend to avoid betting on Tie as the house edge is massive in this case and reaches 14.36%, which is much higher than in any other casino game.

By the way, if no one bets on a Tie, and there is a Tie, it’s called a “push hand” where no one wins or loses, the round just starts all over again.

Baccarat Tips and Advice for the Beginners

Even though baccarat is a game of chance, which means that it’s only Lady Luck who decides whether you win or not, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do to increase your winning chances. Here’s our list of well-tried baccarat tips for beginners, but don’t slip it even if you are an experienced baccarat fan — there might be something you don’t know yet.

3 Variations of Online Baccarat in West Virginia

Here are three baccarat variations you can find in online casinos in West Virginia. Each of them has its pros and cons, so we recommend trying each variation at least once before you decide which one you’re going to call your favorite and stick to.

Punto Banco

Punto Banco is the Cuban baccarat variation and the most prevalent one played in the US casinos, both online and offline. It allows the maximum number of players as the game table (up to 14) is played with 6 to 8 decks, and players have no option to decide whether they want the third card to be drawn or not.

En Banque

Baccarat En Banque is a more complicated version of the game. It’s usually played in European casinos but can be found in some US ones as well. There are more betting options and, when played offline, this baccarat variation allows one player to deal the cards for the whole game.

Chemin De Fer

Chemin de Fer is a French variation of baccarat, as you could have guessed from the name. It involves more participation from players, as the dealer only shuffles the cards, while each of the players around the table gets to deal them in turns. In this variation, the cards are dealt face down, and the game is played with 6 decks only.

How to Play Mini Baccarat

There is one more variation of baccarat in addition to the three we mentioned before, and it’s the mini-baccarat. You’ll most likely find it in land-based casinos, but some online ones can offer it as well. Basically, mini-baccarat is the same game, just more fast-paced and with smaller bets. While in traditional baccarat, players sometimes deal the cards themselves, the cards never leave the dealer’s hand in mini-baccarat. The betting and point counting rules remain the same, but the number of decks rarely exceeds six.

Some online casino game providers like Playtech combine their mini-baccarat games with slots, which gives you the ability to multitask, but that’s not something we’d recommend. Mini-baccarat is played at a swift pace itself, and it will be hard to concentrate on something else but the game table.

Top Land Based Casinos to Play Baccarat in WV

Playing baccarat online is highly convenient. You don’t need to spend time commuting, and the choice of games is usually wider in online casinos. But we also understand that visiting a land-based casino has the vibe that you can’t always get online, so here is our selection of the best West Virginia gambling venues to visit.

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack

Located in the middle of the Ohio River, Wheeling Island Hotel and Casino is a perfect place for a weekend getaway as it has everything a gambler might need. There is a hotel with a choice of comfortable rooms, a greyhound racetrack for the fans of sports betting, and, of course, a variety of casino games to play and win.

While the casino will cater most to the visitors who like playing slots (there are more than 1100 machines), there are also enough table games to choose from. In Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, one will find 24 tables with all kinds of gambling activities, including several baccarat games. And once you get hungry, there are four dining places to munch on tasty burgers or treat yourself to some fine cuisine.

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

The Hollywood Casino is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, not far from Harpers ferry. If you like playing card games, make sure you visit this casino and take your time — it will take you hours to try all the variations of poker, blackjack, and baccarat. Online slots devotees won’t leave unsatisfied as well, for Hollywood Casino has 1300+ machines made by the best providers like IGT and WMS.

When you get tired of playing mini-baccarat, make sure to check the Final Cut Steakhouse or make some bets on the famous horse race track. The casino is a part of the myChoice program, so don’t forget your membership card, it will give you special discounts and rewards.

The Casino Club at the Greenbrier

The Greenbrier casino is a luxury resort that actually looks like the White House but better. We don’t recommend it for a quick betting session but rather for a full-scale family trip, as there is something to do for everyone, from a variety of indoor and outdoor golf courses to teen activities and SPAs.

As for the gambling options, The Casino Club is not that impressive: there are around 320 slot machines and 37 gaming tables, including mini-baccarat, craps, blackjack, poker, and others. If your main goal is to play baccarat, this might not be the best place to visit, but if you are looking for a great holiday experience — The Casino Club at the Greenbrier will welcome you with open arms.

Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort

To end our selection, let’s talk a bit about the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort located in New Cumberland, WV. Being the first racetrack in the US to start offering casino games, the Mountaineer has a long history and is proudly keeping it. There is a variety of table games like Three Card Poker, Blackjack, and Spanish 21, however, baccarat is not one of them at the moment.

But don’t get upset. You can always play baccarat online in one of the West Virginia online casinos, while the Mountaineer casino can provide you with a great betting experience combined with tasty food, live concerts, and special promotions.