Is Baccarat Easier than Blackjack?

Baccarat and blackjack are two of the world’s most popular card activities, and millions of people worldwide, like me, regularly enjoy playing both at legally permitted land-based establishments or in the digital realm at hundreds of fully licensed and regulated websites.

If you are new to these two traditional favorites and have ever wondered if baccarat is easier than blackjack or vice versa and can’t decide which one to play first, you’ve come to the right place.

On this page, I will be discussing the main differences between both so you can decide which one might be worth trying first.

I started out playing blackjack and then eventually discovered baccarat and the thing I noticed as soon as I started playing baccarat was that it is by far the easiest of the two.

Let’s now take a closer look at why I came to this quick conclusion by comparing blackjack and baccarat.

Which Is Easier, Baccarat Or Blackjack?

I’m not alone when I say that baccarat is easier to learn and play than blackjack. Everyone I have spoken to who is familiar with both games and asked which ones they find easier always says baccarat.

The reason for this is that in blackjack, there are far more decisions to be made based on the current value of your hand and what the dealer’s face-up card is.

For example, in blackjack, besides deciding how much you want to wager on your next hand, the other decisions you will also encounter are hit, stand, insurance, surrender, and double-down, depending on the game.

In comparison, only two decisions must be made in a typical baccarat variant.

One of these decisions is the amount you want to wager at the start of a round, and the only other decision you have to make in baccarat is which of the three possible outcomes you want to bet on – either the banker, player or the result to end in a draw (aka tie).

Therefore, if you are looking to play baccarat or blackjack and want to start with the easier of the two, I would, hands down, say that baccarat is your best option.

However, that’s not to say that blackjack is difficult to learn or play. It just requires a little more thought because of the additional betting options available.

What’s The Quickest And Easiest Way To Learn How To Play Blackjack And Baccarat?

I have found that the quickest and easiest way to learn how to play blackjack and baccarat isn’t to go down to your nearest land-based establishment because you would have to spend real money, which isn’t a good idea when you are just starting out.

Whenever I have wanted to learn how to play any of the classics, whether it’s blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, or craps, I’ve found that the easiest way is to see if it’s available in the free-play demo mode at any of my favorite online casinos.

This useful, risk-free mode is something that would never be available at a legally permitted land-based venue, which is why I love playing online. Most of the sites I have joined allow me to practice playing in the free-play mode using a fun balance, which I think is fantastic.

It means I can learn how to play or try new strategies in any of the classics that I’m already familiar with without risking losing money. If I find that I like the game or that my new strategy is working in the free-play mode, then I can switch to playing in the real money mode and play with complete confidence.

In other words, playing online and practising in the free-play mode is by far the best way to learn how to play baccarat and blackjack, or any other game you have wanted to learn how to play.

The only thing to remember, though, is that live dealer blackjack and baccarat are never available in the free-play mode, and the reason for this is that it’s just too costly for the operators of the sites that host live dealer content, and the software providers who make, maintain, and supply these services.

One of the things I love about live dealer blackjack and baccarat is that you can join your friends and communicate with them (and the live dealers) using the instant/real-time chat messaging feature.

Instead, you can typically find a decent range of computer-generated blackjack and baccarat titles from various award-winning providers that are available in the free-play mode. To play online baccarat or blackjack, you must be of legal age in your country.

I also find that watching videos of other people playing on Twitch or YouTube has helped me quickly learn how to play certain titles. Plus, I also strongly recommend that you read through the rules before playing anything new that you’ve had your eye on.

One final piece of advice I will give to anyone who is considering learning how to play blackjack or baccarat and then put their skills to the test by playing for real would be to start by playing at the low-stakes tables and stick to the less complex formats with fewer side bet options.

Also, perhaps start at the single-hand tables before trying the multihand variants, just until you get good, that is.

Finally, only play blackjack and baccarat on fully licensed and regulated sites known to be controlled by reputable operators, and to ensure you never spend more than you can afford, remember to set as many safer gambling controls as possible.