Pragmatic Play Live Baccarat

Pragmatic Play have gone big on their live baccarat table range. Big on table numbers. Big on table look and feel variety. Big on deal variety. Big on side bet options and main game payout variations.

It is clear they are making a concerted effort to cater to a variety of playing preferences of baccarat players.

At any given time you’ll find over 25 different baccarat tables to choose from. All presented quite beautifully with great video and audio quality and dealer chat. Betting buttons and game stats (baccarat road maps  etc) are all intuitively laid out.

Pragmatic Play’s live baccarat tables can be categorised as follows:

• Baccarat and Speed Baccarat tables
  All offering standard Punto Banco bets and payouts (Banker 0.95:1. Player 1:1, Tie 8:1), and 3rd card rules.
• No Commission Baccarat tables
  Different payouts for Banker bets (1:1, unless Banker win value 6, then 0.5:1)

A recent update now lets players switch between these 2 different payout modes on any chosen table (see below).

All these tables offer the same optional side bets, of which there are quite a few. You also have the option of playing these games as a regular deal, or a 6 cards out deal. The difference is purely cosmetic and has no impact on game outcome or theoretical returns.

• Fortune 8 Baccarat & Super 8 Baccarat
  These tables offer standard main game payouts, but newly introduced side bets

These tables all offer identical 3rd card rules, bets and payouts for the main game. They also offer the same optional side bets. The bet selector is identical across all these tables.

Main game bets and payouts:

• Banker win: 0.95 to 1
• Player win: 1 to 1
• Tie: 8 to 1

Side bets and payouts:

• Player pair (any pair dealt to Player position): 11 to 1
• Banker pair (any pair dealt to Banker position): 11 to 1
• Perfect pair (suited pair dealt to Banker or Player position): 25 to 1
• Either pair (any pair dealt to Banker or Player position): 5 to 1
• Banker or Player Bonus bets
  – win by 9: 30 to 1
  – win by 8: 10 to 1
  – win by 7: 6 to 1
  – win by 6: 4 to 1
  – win by 5: 2 to 1
  – win by 4: 1 to 1
  – Natural win: 1 to 1
  – Natural Tie: push

Return to Player rates

As always, the main game returns are far superior to side bets. For these tables, the optimal play is Banker which offers the best theoretical return.

• Banker win: 98.94%
• Player win: 98.76%
• Tie: 85.64%
• Banker/Player pair: 89.64%
• Perfect pair: 86.97%
• Either pair: 86.29%
• Player Bonus: 92.72%
• Banker Bonus: 86.65%

Deal format: Conventional deal, or 6 cards out face down

Their Baccarat tables employ a 6 cards out face down deal. The Speed Baccarat tables employ a conventional deal, and game rounds are around 60% faster.

It’s important to note that both deal types result in identical game outcomes and theoretical returns. While the 6 cards out deal sees 6 card drawn from the shoe at the outset of the round, any cards not used that round (as dictated by regular 3rd card rules), are allocated to the following round. As a result, the order of cards being dealt and their allocation to Banker and Player positions is the same for both deal types.

Baccarat tables with 6 cards out deal…

Speed Baccarat tables with conventional deal…

Pragmatic Play’s No Commission Baccarat tables offer different payouts on main game (Banker bet specifically), and one additional side bet (Super 6), as shown on the bet selector on the No Commission tables.

Main game bets and payouts:

• Banker win: 1 to 1, unless Banker win valued at 6, then 0.5 to 1
• Player win: 1 to 1
• Tie: 8 to 1

The Super 6 side bet

• bet that Banker wins with value 6: 15 to 1

All the other side bets offered on Pragmatic’s other baccarat are offered on the No Commission tables.

Return to Player rates

Note that with the altered payouts, Banker win is no longer the optimal bet. It should also be pointed out that the Super 6 side bet offers horrible returns.

• Banker win: 98.54%
• Player win: 98.76%
• Tie: 85.64%
• Super 6: 86.18%
• Banker/Player pair: 89.64%
• Perfect pair: 86.97%
• Either pair: 86.29%
• Player Bonus: 92.72%
• Banker Bonus: 86.65%

6 cards out, or conventional deal

Pragmatic’s No Commission Baccarat tables are also playable in either deal format

Choosing between No Commission and standard baccarat payouts can now be done at the click of a switch on any Pragmatic live baccarat table.  No need to return to the lobby.

A recently introduced button left of the chip selector makes the switch easy.

This feature was first seen on Playtech’s live baccarat tables and has been well received.

The Fortune 6 Baccarat and Super 8 Baccarat tables introduce a few new side bets. On both tables, payouts on the main game are as per regular baccarat.

Pragmatic Play Fortune 6 Baccarat

Pragmatic Play’s Fortune 6 Baccarat table introduces the Fortune 6, Player 6 and Banker 6 side bets.

Unsurprisingly, the newly introduced side bets are not the optimal play, as below RTP rates show.

• Main game…
  Banker: 98.94%
  Player: 98.76%
  Tie: 85.64%
• Side bets…
  Fortune 6: 96.26%
  Player 6: 95.62%
  Banker 6: 93.36%
  Banker/Player Fortune Pair: 97.83%

You can read more about Pragmatic Play’s Fortune 6 Baccarat here.

Pragmatic Play Super 8 Baccarat

Pragmatic Play’s Super 8 Baccarat table introduces a few new side bets – notably the Super 8 side net.

You can read more about Pragmatic Play’s Super 8 Baccarat here.

Playing one of their baccarat tables (6 out card deal)…

Playing one of their Speed Baccarat tables…

Playing No Commission Baccarat…

Playing Fortune 6 Baccarat…

Pragmatic Plays’s live baccarat tables are now offered at a bunch of well know brand operators, including

• 888
• Betvictor,
• Betway

The recently launched Pragmatic Play exclusive table area for 888, gives this casino an edge in terms of table and bet limit variety.