Live Dealer Baccarat Online at Gala Casino

Live dealer baccarat keeps things pretty simple. You choose whether to back the Player hand, the Banker hand or a Tie, then watch the dealer handle the cards and settle the result live on camera.

There aren't lots of decisions to make once the cards are moving. The drawing rules are fixed, so you don't have to choose whether to take another card. Your main decision is where to place your bet before the deal begins.

You’ll notice a few different types of baccarat tables in the lobby. They range from games which are quicker to play than others, and a couple which where the way the cards are shown or how certain bets pay is different.

How Does Live Dealer Baccarat Work?

Before the cards come out, you choose Player, Banker or Tie. You place your bet and that’s it, the dealer handles the rest. The way the dealer deals the cards out works according to baccarat’s fixed rules, and the hand that is nearest nine wins.

• Choose your bet. Back Player, Banker or Tie before betting closes.
• The cards are dealt. Player and Banker usually start with two cards each.
• The totals are counted. Whichever hand finishes closest to nine wins.
• A third card may be drawn.This happens according to fixed baccarat rules, so there's nothing for you to decide.
• The dealer is the one to settle the hand. If the hands equal the same total, it’s a tie.

Despite the names, Player and Banker are simply the two hands on the table. You don't physically hold the Player cards, and the Banker hand isn't the dealer's own hand.

How Baccarat Card Values Work

The scoring takes a moment to get used to, but there are only a few card values to remember:

• Aces are worth 1
• Cards from 2 to 9 are worth their face value
• 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 0

Just remember that in baccarat, only the part that counts to your score is the final numbers of the total.

For example, if you get two cards with value 7 and 8 - you would add that up to 15, and only count the 5.

If you’re dealt a 9 and a King - that counts as 9, as anything over 9 is worth 0.

If the first two cards total 8 or 9, that's called a natural and no third card is needed. After you have played a few rounds, you will get the hang of it.

Player, Banker and Tie Bets

These are the three main bets you'll find across live casino baccarat tables.

Player

A Player bet backs the Player hand to finish closest to nine.

On a standard baccarat table, a winning Player bet normally pays even money.

Banker

A Banker bet backs the Banker hand.

On standard commission baccarat, a winning Banker bet normally pays even money with a 5% commission deducted.

That commission is also why you'll see separate No Commission Baccarat tables, which change the payout on a particular Banker result instead.

Tie

Sometimes the result is a Tie bet - when Player and Banker finish on exactly the same total.

The payout is higher than the Player or Banker bet and depends on the table. A standard Tie bet is commonly shown at 8:1.

Also, when a round ends in a Tie, you don’t lose your money. Normal Player and Banker bets are usually returned. Specialist variations of the game sometimes change the rules. It’s worth giving the rules a read over before you play.

Live Baccarat Games at Gala Casino

The live baccarat casino at Gala includes both standard tables and versions that change the pace, card reveal or payout structure.

Speed Baccarat

Live Speed Baccarat follows the same basic rules as standard baccarat, but the rounds move more quickly.

Cards are dealt face-up and less time is spent between the deal and the result. Evolution's Speed Baccarat, for example, cuts a standard round from around 48 seconds to roughly 27 seconds.

Gala currently carries Speed Baccarat tables including Speed Baccarat A and Dynasty Speed Baccarat 1.

The quicker pace doesn't change how baccarat totals are counted or how the third-card rules work, it is more about suiting the players who enjoy the pace and don’t need the extra drama.

Lightning Baccarat

Live Lightning Baccarat keeps the normal Player, Banker and Tie format but adds randomly selected Lightning Cards and multipliers.

Before each hand, between one and five card values are selected and given multipliers from 2x to 8x. If matching Lightning Cards appear in a winning hand, they can change the payout.

A 20% Lightning Fee is added to the bet because of the multiplier feature.

It's still a live dealer baccarat game, but the multiplier element means it doesn't pay in exactly the same way as a standard table.

Baccarat Squeeze

Baccarat Squeeze changes the reveal rather than the basic baccarat rules.

Instead of every card being turned over straight away, the dealer slowly reveals selected cards while close-up cameras show the squeeze.

The Player, Banker and Tie outcomes still work in the usual way. It's the way the cards are uncovered that changes.

Baccarat Control Squeeze

Baccarat Control Squeeze takes the same idea but gives you more control over the reveal.

The dealer deals real cards face-down onto a specially designed table. Their faces are streamed to your screen but hidden by an on-screen mask. You can then click or tap the card to uncover it yourself.

The actual hand has already been dealt, so you're not changing the outcome. You're controlling how the card is revealed.

No Commission Baccarat

No Commission Baccarat changes the payout on winning Banker bets.

Instead of deducting the usual 5% commission, most Banker wins pay 1:1. The exception is a Banker win with a total of six, which pays 0.5:1.

Some No Commission tables also offer a Super 6 side bet, which pays when Banker wins with six.

Gala currently lists Baccarat Rapido Brasileiro NC in its live baccarat lobby.

Peek Baccarat

Peek Baccarat lets you see part of the deal before the whole hand has been revealed.

Depending on the round, you may get to peek at between one and four cards and then have the option to increase your original Player or Banker bet. A 20% fee applies to Player and Banker bets for the Peek feature.

That makes it quite different from Baccarat Squeeze. Squeeze changes the way you see the cards, while Peek Baccarat can also change the betting stage of the round.

How Do Live Baccarat Side Bets Work?

Some live dealer baccarat tables have optional bets alongside Player, Banker and Tie.

Two common examples are:

• Player Pair: the first two Player cards form a pair
• Banker Pair: the first two Banker cards form a pair

Depending on the table, you may also see bets such as Either Pair, Perfect Pair or Super 6.

These bets are settled separately from the main result and don't all use the same rules or payouts. A side bet offered on one live baccarat game may not be available on another, so check the paytable before placing it.

Playing Live Baccarat Responsibly

Live baccarat is gambling, so decide what you're comfortable losing before you start and keep your spending within that amount.

Gala provides safer gambling tools including deposit limits, stake controls, Reality Checks, Play Breaks and Time Outs. You can find these through our Responsible Gambling pages.

If gambling stops feeling enjoyable or you're worried about your play, free support is also available from GamCare and BeGambleAware.

More Live Games at Gala

We have other games on offer in in our live lobby - browse Live Roulette, head to Live Blackjack, or try out a hand of live poker against the dealer.