Introduction to Baccarat Roadmaps

Baccarat is an exciting, fast-paced card game we have already written about in our strategy articles. We are sure that you are familiar with the game’s basic rules, so now we can go further and make an introduction of so-called Baccarat roadmaps which can come in handy if you want to play the game like a pro. Contrary to popular belief that this is the game designed for high-rollers, you can play it even if you are on a tight budget. Whether you are a high-roller or beginner, you will want to make the most of the game, so stay with us to learn about this tool that can help you make your moves when playing Baccarat also known as Punto Banco.

What Are Baccarat Roadmaps

Baccarat is a card game which involves only two participants, the player and the banker. It is based on comparing their hands of cards and since a round of Baccarat has three possible outcomes, you can keep track of them to predict future outcomes. This is when Baccarat roadmaps, also known as scoreboards, come into play. They allow you to keep track and take notes of each and every result of the game which you can use later and make your wagers based on the previous rounds. According to experienced players, Baccarat roadmaps are a tool that can improve your odds by helping you decide what future moves you should make.

Baccarat roadmaps were introduced in Asian casinos where this game is one of the most popular ones. They look like tables or charts filled with different elements based on the outcomes of the game. Regardless of the style used, the main goal is to place icons that represent outcomes on the score board so that their color and position indicate the game’s history for the current shoe. Initially, they were used as paper cards or bead plates, but today, they are displayed on screens at most land-based and online live casinos.  

Baccarat Roadmaps Types

Players can make use of five roadmaps. They are called the Big Road, Bead Plate, Big Eye Road, Small Road and Cockroach Road. The last three roadmaps are also known as derived roads and they are more complex than the Big Road and Bead Plate. They were introduced later, in 1970s, in Macau land-based casinos. 

Big Road

This was the first type of Baccarat results recording and all other roads were derived from it. It is a 6-row high grid with between 36 and 50 columns with hollow red circles representing banker wins and hollow blue circles marking player wins. When the game starts, you start recording the outcomes of rounds from the top left corner and keep doing this downwards vertically as long as the winning side remains the same. Once the winning side changes, you start entering red or blue circles in the next column. When a tie win occurs, you should add a green line across the last circle. If pair bets win, red and blue dots are added on the edge of circles while natural winners are marked with yellow dots in the middle of circles.

Bead Plate

In this one, red circles also stand for banker wins, blue ones for player wins while green represents tie. These are coloured circles featuring Chinese characters and you start entering then from the top left corner and continue downwards vertically. The only difference is in the way the columns are filled as there is no changing columns when the winning side changes. Also, you don’t add green lines to the last score when a tie win hits. Instead, a green circle is added to the next cell of the grid.

Small Road

With derived roads, things get complicated as they do not represent results but trends. The Small Road uses solid circles and it starts with the completion of the hand after the first hand in the third column of the Big Road. That’s why the number of symbols added to this chart is smaller than one in the Big Road. Red circles are added to the grid when there is a pattern while blue ones are used when no particular pattern is identified.

Big Eye Road

The difference between this one and the Small Road is that adding blue or red circles starts with the completion of the hand after the first hand in the second column of the Big Road.

Cockroach Road

The same goes with the Cockroach Road which starts with when the hand after the first hand in the fourth column of the Big Road is completed.

Conclusion

At casinos, you will see the Big Road at the top of the screen while the three derived roads are placed below it. The Bead Plate is in the bottom left corner but sometimes it can be placed above the Big Road. This is only an introduction to the system of recording outcomes in Baccarat, so if you want to master it, make sure to practice playing the game and studying patterns. Don’t forget to check out our articles providing you with an optimal Baccarat strategy and tips and the overview of side bets.