How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is an elegant and simple casino game that has been known to make or break fortunes. It is popular among the rich, and is in fact, the favorite game of the fictional super spy, James Bond.
In Baccarat, a player simply bets on one of three options, “player,” “banker,” or “tie.” These are just generic terms, as there is no actual person playing those cards. The possible scores range from 0 to 9, and players win if they bet on the option that comes closest to 9.
Basic Baccarat Hand
A baccarat hand begins with all of the players placing their bets on one of the three aforementioned options, “player,” “banker,” or “tie.” The cards are then dealt, with two cards making up the “player” hand and two cards making up the “banker” hand.
The score of each baccarat hand is then totaled up. Face cards and 10s are worth 0, Aces are worth 1, and the score of the other cards is equal to their value. If the total of a hand is over 9, the last number is the score. For instance, if one hand has a 6 and a 7, for a total of 13, the score of the hand is 3.
Depending on the values of the two baccarat hands, third cards could be dealt to one or both hands. Once the additional cards, if any, are dealt, all of the players who bet on the hand that is closest to 9 win. If the two baccarat hands are tied, anyone who bet on “tie” wins.
Third Card
There is a set of baccarat rules that is followed to determine if a third card is dealt.
- If either baccarat hand has a score of 8 or 9, both hands stand. This baccarat rule trumps all others.
- If the baccarat player has a score of 5 or less, the player will receive a third card.
- If the baccarat player did not get a third card, the banker will be dealt a third card if the banker has a 5 or less.
If the player’s baccarat hand did get a third card, the following table will show whether or not the banker’s baccarat hand receives another card. Y is for yes, N is for no.
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Baccarat Banker
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Baccarat Player
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 7 | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| 6 | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | |
| 5 | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | |
| 4 | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | |
| 3 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | |
| 2 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 0 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
Baccarat Strategy
The accepted Baccarat strategy is very simple. Always bet on the banker. In the long-run, the banker will win slightly more than the player.
Mini-Baccarat
True Baccarat can be difficult to find in regular casinos, as it is often in separate rooms with very high minimum bets. However, there is a version of Baccarat known as Mini-Baccarat which is cheaper, both in minimum bets and quality of experience. It is a good place to get used to the Baccarat casino game.
Where to Play Online Baccarat
You can find many online baccarat sites on the internet. Most of our online casinos offer baccarat.