Mini baccarat is a smaller edition of the original game. The main differences between the two are the stakes and number of card decks in a shoe. Mini baccarat has lower stakes and a smaller number of decks. While the full baccarat version uses eight decks, mini-baccarat is usually played using six decks. With a fewer number of decks, the house edge is automatically reduced. This makes the game more player-friendly.
The mini version of the game also has smaller limits, with most houses placing a bet floor of $2 and a ceiling of $500.
These differences are more evident in physical casinos than when playing online. In a brick-and-mortar casino, the mini baccarat table is literally smaller than the baccarat table. The smaller table accommodates between seven and nine players while the larger table can take up to 14 players.
Players in mini-baccarat do not pick up their cards. When players decide to play mini-baccarat free, only one player acts as the banker. This is the opposite of the baccarat table where players exchange the banker role.
These differences may not be seen when playing online. However, the advantages of the mini baccarat version to the player remain even when playing online.