Play Online Baccarat for Real Money or For Free

With a history that dates back as far as the 1400s, Baccarat is a popular card game that has made its way online just like other well-known casino games such as Roulette and Blackjack. Often regarded as a difficult and complicated game, online Baccarat is actually an easy game to play once you've learned the rules.

Almost all online casinos these days offer online Baccarat, usually in both RNG and live dealer formats, so you can choose the one that suits you best. You can explore the game in free play mode, which is a smart move if you're just starting out, and you can also switch to real money play to start potentially profiting from your gameplay.

Here we'll cover everything you need to know about how to play online Baccarat for free and how to play for real money too!

Play Online Baccarat for Free

Why would you want to play online Baccarat for free? This is the best way to get used to the game if you haven't played before or even if you used to play and need to familiarise yourself with the rules again. It's also a good way of exploring new variants. The benefit of playing for free is you can do all of the above without risking your own money.

There are two main ways you can play online Baccarat for free: demo mode or by using a sign-up bonus. Let's take a look at each of these in a bit more detail so you can decide which approach is best for you.

Demo Mode

Almost every online casino offers you the ability to explore their games in demo mode. Often called free play mode, it's basically a way to try the game without using your own money. Demo mode is perfect for beginners or for exploring a new variant of the game, but what is it and how do you access a game in demo mode?

Demo mode is exactly the same as playing a game for real in that none of the rules of the game are different. The only thing that changes is the fact that the balance you use in demo mode is play money, not real. The point is to try the game for free, so remember that any winnings you get in play mode are in play chips!

To access a game in demo mode, simply click the Demo, Free Play or Try Free link on the game image. The game will open and you'll get a set amount of play balance to use. Then you can simply play! Do note, however, that most live dealer games cannot be played in demo mode.

Sign-Up Bonuses

Another way of playing online Baccarat for free is by claiming a sign-up bonus. Sign-up bonuses are offered to new players just for creating a new account at an online casino as a way to encourage them to join and start playing right away. It's a great way of getting a real money taste of the game without risking your own money. Plus, if you win, you could get your hands on those winnings in real money too, as long as you complete the wagering requirements.

Sign-up bonuses are usually easy to claim, typically being added to your account automatically once you've registered. There are different types of sign-up bonuses, with some allowing you to play all games, others available on slots, and still more designed for use on live dealer games. The latter of these is perfect for exploring live dealer Baccarat without risking your own money, something you can't usually do in demo mode.

Play Online Baccarat for Real Money

So once you've had a taste of the game in demo mode to learn the basics, brush up on your knowledge or explore a new variant, you might want to start seeing those winnings in real money. That's when you know it's time to start playing online Baccarat for real money! But how do you go about doing that?

There are two ways of starting to play online Baccarat for real. The first and most obvious way is by making your first deposit and playing with your own money. However, you can also play for real with bonus funds. Let's take a brief look at each of these in turn.

Depositing

As mentioned above, the most obvious way to start playing online Baccarat for real is by making a deposit and playing with your own money. If the idea of making a deposit to the best online casino makes you a little apprehensive, rest assured that it is completely safe and secure to do so, as long as you choose a reputable and trustworthy online casino such as those listed on this site, which have been thoroughly reviewed by our professional and experienced team.

Making your first deposit at an online casino is very easy. Once you've opened your new online casino account, you'll usually be prompted to make your first deposit. If not, you can simply click on any of the site's Deposit buttons or visit the Cashier. You'll then be able to choose your preferred payment method from the available options, enter your details and how much you want to deposit, then click the Deposit button. Your funds will then be added to your casino balance, which you can then use to play online Baccarat!

Bonuses

Online casinos offer perks for making a deposit. One such perk is the bonus. A bonus is an extra amount of funds that's usually added on top of whatever you deposit. It's basically a top-up of your balance that comes from the casino rather than from your selected payment method. However, it's important to realise that while you can play games in real money mode with bonuses, they are not real money. Wagering requirements are usually attached, which means you'll need to play through the bonus a certain number of times before you can make a withdrawal, so bear this in mind.

The amount of bonus funds you'll get is usually related to how much you deposit. For example, you might see a bonus for 100% up to €200. Depositing €50 in this case would trigger a €50 bonus, giving you €100 to play with altogether. Most of the time, bonuses are credited to your account automatically when you make a qualifying deposit (ie. of at least a certain amount), but sometimes you may need to enter a bonus code or choose the bonus from a list to claim it.

Best Online Casinos Where to Play Online Baccarat

Bonuses Available For Online Baccarat

Fancy some extra funds to play online Baccarat? Having more to play with is a great way of potentially boosting your chances of winning, so it quite often makes sense to claim a bonus. Online casinos offer a variety of bonuses as a way of encouraging people to join their site, start playing for real and keep playing for real, so you'll have plenty to choose from!

Here we'll take a look at some of the most common types of bonuses you may come across that can be used to play online Baccarat, ranging from those that don't require you to make a deposit, to those that you can claim just for playing!

Baccarat No-Deposit Bonuses

As the name suggests, no-deposit bonuses are those that don't require you to make a deposit in order to claim. Typically, you'll find no-deposit bonuses presented as a free sign-up bonus, but it's not uncommon to find no-deposit bonuses delivered directly to certain players via email as a way of encouraging gameplay or exploring a new game (so make sure you always tick that box for receiving promotional emails when joining an online casino!).

No-deposit bonuses tend to have T&Cs attached to them, such as what games you can and can't play, how much your maximum bet is, how much you have to play through before withdrawal is permitted and how much you can withdraw. Before you claim a no-deposit bonus, be sure to read through the bonus terms so you know what is expected of you.

Welcome Bonuses to Play Baccarat

One of the most common bonuses you'll come across that's offered at almost every online casino is the welcome bonus. As the name suggests, a welcome bonus is an offer that's specifically designed to encourage new players to make their first deposit. It usually consists of a percentage of whatever is deposited, up to a certain amount, though it's also quite common to find it as a cashback offer, free spins or a combination of bonuses, free spins and/or cashback.

Welcome bonuses can usually be claimed simply by making your first deposit, though in some cases a bonus code will need to be entered when depositing. If you're interested in using a welcome bonus to play online Baccarat, make sure you check the T&Cs to ensure that this is permitted (some games are excluded from bonus gameplay).

Reload Bonuses

A reload bonus is a bonus that's offered to existing players as a way of encouraging regular deposits. If you're interested in playing online Baccarat on a regular basis, it's definitely in your interest to look out for these on-going bonus offers as they give you an extra boost on top of your deposit.

Reload bonuses can come in several varieties, such as daily, weekly and monthly offers, where making a qualifying deposit and/or using the right code within a specific timeframe is sufficient to trigger the bonus. Other reload bonuses may be one-offs or for specific games. You can usually find details of reload bonuses on the online casino's promotions or offers pages, but sometimes you'll get sent a personalised reload bonus offer via email, so make sure you're on that list!

Cashback

Cashback is a slightly different type of offer compared to those covered above in that it's usually credited after the relevant gameplay, whereas you tend to get bonuses beforehand. The way cashback generally works is that your gameplay over a certain period is counted, and if you're unlucky at the tables, you'll get a certain percentage of your net losses back. While cashback on losses is the usual mechanic, you may also find cashback offers that apply to your whole gameplay, not just your losses.

It's important to note that, contrary to what the name implies, what you get back is not straight cash, it's a bonus, which is why we've included it here. Just like other bonuses, cashback bonuses carry wagering requirements, so check the T&Cs before claiming to make sure you know what they are.

Live Baccarat Bonuses

Bonuses can be general or specific in the types of games that you are allowed to play with them. While it's common to find bonuses that are available for use on slots, and others that can be used on table games (great for RNG online Baccarat), you can also find bonuses that are specifically designed for use on live dealer games such as Live Baccarat.

If live dealer versions of Baccarat are of interest to you, these kinds of bonuses are perfect. Just remember that using them to play non-live games won't contribute to the wagering requirements.

Baccarat Tournaments

Another way of getting your hands on a Baccarat bonus is by taking part in tournaments. Many online casinos have a variety of tournaments that run on a regular basis, where your gameplay on certain games contributes points based on how much you've played. Rankings are displayed on a leaderboard with the top paying positions taking home prizes such as bonuses at the end of the tournament period.

This is a nice way to get something extra just for playing, so look out for table game or live dealer game tournaments to take part in.

Ready to Play the Baccarat Games?

Though it may seem complicated at first glance, online Baccarat is actually a very simple game to play. There are three betting positions on the Baccarat table: Player, Banker and Tie (note that Player and Banker have no relation to players and the dealer, they are just betting positions). Player and Banker are dealt two cards each. Subsequent cards may be dealt depending on the points totals (face cards have a value of 0, all others have face value), with the goal being to get a total of 8 or 9 to win. Your aim is to guess whether the Play or Banker will win, or if it will be a Tie.

To learn more about how to play online Baccarat, check out our article on How to Play and Win at Online Baccarat.

References

• History of Baccarat (Wikipedia)
• What is behind Baccarat (Crescent)
• The past of Baccarat (WOPC)
• Why casinos love and fear Baccarat (Forbes)