Baccarat looks simple, but table rhythm and side bets can quietly inflate risk. This guide gives you a repeatable anchor bet framework (Banker/Player), disciplined tie sprinkles, and short 12–15 minute blocks with firm exits. No systems—just structure you can run every day.
1) Anchor bet: the engine of your session
- Flat unit: main wager = 1–2% of bankroll per round; never scaled mid-block.
- Pick one anchor: Banker or Player for the entire block (consistency & data quality).
- Streaks are noise: do not flip anchors because of “three in a row”. The timer ends blocks, not runs.
2) Tie sprinkles (cap & rotation)
- Cap: all side bets together ≤ 25–33% of your main unit.
- Rotation: at most every 3rd round (two off, one on). If two ties appear close together—do not increase size.
- No side stacks: avoid Pair/Perfect Pair inside the same round as Tie unless you reduce Tie to keep the cap.
3) The 12–15 minute block
- Setup (2 min): write anchor side, unit size, side-bet cap; set day exits: +2 units or −3 units from the day’s peak.
- Play (8–11 min): same anchor every round; sprinkles by rotation; no martingale.
- Log (2 min): start→end, peak, drawdown, sprinkle frequency, mood 1–5, note ≤ 8 words.
4) Micro-metrics that matter
- Splash rate: (side-bet stake volume) ÷ (main-hand volume) — target ≤ 0.30.
- DD from block peak: close block at −10–15%; respect day exits regardless of “almost”.
- Outcome summary: anchor win %, number of sprinkles placed vs. allowed by rotation.
5) Two ready-to-run profiles
- Calm session: Anchor = Banker, Tie sprinkle ≤ 25% unit, rotation 1-in-3. Goal: smooth curve.
- Spicy session: Anchor = Player, Tie ≤ 33% unit, rotation 1-in-3 with one Pair swap allowed per block.
“You don’t control the shoe—you control exposure. Keep the anchor flat, sprinkles capped, and blocks short. New peaks? Skim 20–30% into a vault and don’t reuse it today.”
6) Frequent mistakes (quick fixes)
- Anchor flipping mid-block: kills signal — fix: one anchor per block.
- Every-round ties: variance spike — fix: enforce rotation and cap.
- Unit creep after a loss: forbidden — fix: unit stays flat; exits handle bad runs.
Checklist (60 seconds)
- Anchor chosen (Banker/Player), unit = 1–2%, side-bet cap ≤ 33%.
- Rotation set (Tie every third round max), timer 12–15 min running.
- Day exits written (+2/−3), vault skim 20–30% on new peaks.