Baccarat is a good game and to be handled with care. I explained it to them a little bit and told them anytime you want me to explain more and show you how to do. Baccarat seems like a very simplistic game as its objective is very clear – bet on either Player or Banker and hope your hand is the winning one. However, if you go the whole nine yards and dive deep into the intricacies woven in by both experience and superstitious players, you will see there’s much more to it.

1. Baccarat Card Counting Explained
2. Baccarat Score Sheet Display Explained

Home > Online Casinos > Casino Games > Baccarat

One Sided Baccarat Strategy Explained Baccarat is the most popular casino game worldwide for a number of reasons. It’s easy to understand, easy to begin playing and among the most player favorable games in the casino. The clue to understanding it is actually in the game’s name, “Baccarat” means “Zero” in old French and Italian dialects. The game was given its name because the cards that would normally be worth ten points (10, Jack, Queen and King) are all worth zero. Aces are worth one point and the number cards are worth their face values.

Baccarat is a casino gambling game with a fairly long history.

Baccarat Card Counting Explained

Originating in Italy, this card game spread to France in the 1400s and eventually made its way to the western hemisphere. This gambling game may be unfamiliar to some casino goers, but it is a thrilling game that is offered on most online gambling sites.

Baccarat can be found in nearly every casino, but it is usually played by high-rollers and upper class gamblers. Internet baccarat is the perfect opportunity to join the wealthy gamblers and play with the best of them. Baccarat may appear confusing at first glance, but the rules are relatively simple.

Baccarat Rules

Baccarat exists in three versions but the most common is Punto Banco.

In this version a gambler can bet on one of three possible outcomes - Player, Banker, or Tie. The terms 'Player' and 'Banker' do not represent the better and the house, they are just betting options.

In most casinos baccarat allows for gamblers to do something other gambling games do not - players may take turns dealing the cards. Two hands are dealt in baccarat. The dealer's hand is designated as the banker and the other hand is designated the player. Gamblers may bet on either of these.

Two cards are dealt to both the player and the banker and the cards are assigned the following values:

The baccarat hand with the highest score wins. Totaling the scores in this gambling game is very unique, however. A score is calculated by adding the values of the two cards, and ignoring the tens spot. For example, if a hand consisted of two 8's the total would be 6, not 16. Baccarat hands range from 9, the best hand, to 0, the worst hand or 'baccarat.' Oddly, this casino gambling game is named after its worst possible hand.

Once the first two cards are dealt, a third card may be dealt based on the following criteria:

Player's Hand

• If the either the player or the banker have a total of 8 or 9, it is called a 'natural' and the hand is over.
• If the player has a total of 6 or 7, the player stands.
• If the player has a total of 0-5, the player draws a third card.

Banker's Hand

Whether the banker draws a third card is determined by the banker's hand, whether the player drew a third card, and which card the player received.

When the player did not draw a third card:

• If the banker has a total of 6 or 7, the banker stands.
• If the banker has a total of 0-5, the banker draws a third card.

When the player did draw a third card:

• If the banker has a total of 7, the banker stands.
• If the banker has a total of 6, the banker draws a third card if the player's third card was 6 or 7.
• If the banker has a total of 5, the banker draws a third card if the player's third card was 4, 5, 6 or 7.
• If the banker has a total of 4, the banker draws a third card if the player's third card was 0, 1, 8, or 9.
• If the banker has a total of 3, the banker draws a third card if the player's third card was 8.
• If the banker has a total of 0-2, the banker automatically draws a third card.

These third-card rules may seem confusing, but luckily you do not need to memorize them. Casinos will take care of all of this and with online gambling sites, the third cards may be automatically dealt when appropriate. The only thing the gambler has to worry about is placing the initial bet.

Baccarat Betting

As explained above, the gambler may bet either Player, Banker, or Tie. If a gambler bets on the player and wins, the payout is 1 to 1. If a gambler bets on the banker and wins, the payout is 1 to 1, minus a 5% commission. If a gambler bets on a tie and wins, the payout is 8 to 1.

Baccarat Strategy

Unfortunately, there is no way to control how the cards are dealt in baccarat. This limits the strategy that can be used. However, you can control how you bet. This is where baccarat strategy centers.

Any card game can be mathematically analyzed to determine the odds of each hand. Baccarat betting should be based on the calculated odds. For a full analysis of baccarat strategy and betting methods, check out our Baccarat Strategy page. We also rank the top Baccarat websites to make sure you find the best games available.

Additional Casino Games

To read about any other online casino game simply choose from the list below. We offer everything from basic rules of the game to in-depth strategy.

Home > Casino > Game Rules > Baccarat

Baccarat is probably the most lavish and least understood of all casino games. If you've ever been to a land casino, and taken a stroll by the baccarat pit, you may have glimpsed gorgeous women seated about the oversized table, and both players and dealers clad in tuxedos. Perhaps you expected to see special agent James Bond himself sitting in one of the chairs. If you ventured a little closer, you may have seen enormously large bets being placed on the table in this peculiar game where the player makes absolutely zero decisions to determine the outcome. Trying to take all this in at once may have left you feeling perplexed and maybe even a bit intimidated. You may have wondered: 'why would someone want to play a game where the rules and gameplay are already predetermined?' Or, 'what is it about the game that attracts so many high rollers to the tables?' These quandaries are just part of the mystique that is baccarat.

Baccarat Score Sheet Display Explained

Article Highlights:

History The Pit Rules Strategy Final Say

History

Believed to originate in Italy around the mid-nineteenth century around the same time as the invention of modern bingo, baccarat - also know as Baccarat Punto or Punto Banco, was a spin-off on the French game of vingt-et-un (21). The original rules of the game allowed a player to also act as the bank. This version is still found in some European casinos. This option caters exclusively to the high roller, because few players are willing or able to put up the bankroll required to be the house. During the 20th century, baccarat remained a fixture in most European casinos, and didn't make a strong showing in the United States until the late 1960s to early 1970s. In this period, Las Vegas was still entangled in a web of bad publicity related to various casino operators skimming profits and other scandals involving the mafia. Back then, the town was still viewed as a haven for outlaws - far from the family friendly, international tourist destination the city is today. In an attempt to 'class up' the casinos and cater to a broader audience, operators brought in the first baccarat games. They understood that baccarat was a game of style and sophistication, whose roots ran deep in the European gaming culture. They also saw it as an opportunity to bring in more high rollers. Apparently, it worked, as baccarat pits have become a fixture at every modern casino.

The Pit

Baccarat tables are usually found apart from the main casino floor, off in their own section known as a 'pit'. If you've ever seen one, then you have likely noticed the luxurious appointments that grace these pits, such as plush chairs, fine artwork, and the dealers all wear tuxedos. So why are these pits apart from everything and so lavish? The main reason is because they cater to the high roller. It is not unusual for players to use 1,000 credit markers (and higher) as betting units. The casino management is interested in making their elite clientele feel comfortable, so you won't find the clamouring sounds of slot machines near the pit. The other formal touches are pretty much a given. Don't feel intimidated, though. Even the low-roller can play and enjoy baccarat, as long as you understand the rules before you bet - like in any game.

Rules

The object of baccarat is to hold 2 or 3 cards, which count 9, or as near to 9 as possible. The values of the cards are: face cards and tens are worth zero, aces are 1, and any other card is worth its face value. Units of 10 points are disregarded so that 9+7 count as 6, not 16.

The dealer will deal out cards to both the player and dealer. Depending on the value the initial 2-card hands, a third card may be dealt to either one of the hands. Ultimately the winning hand will be the one closest to 9. When a tie arises, that is considered a push, just like in blackjack, and the bet is returned to the player. You may also bet on the tie, which is paid off at 8 to 1.

Betting Strategy

In baccarat, you have the choice of betting on either the player's hand or the dealer's hand to win. When you play baccarat at online casinos, to place a bet, you simply click either the 'Player' or 'Banker' button that corresponds to an area of the table and type of wager. The only other playing option is the 'Tie' bet, which is strongly recommend against, mainly because it carries the poorest odds of the three. The best bet in baccarat is for the banker to win. The banker bet actually carries a positive expectation for the player, meaning the odds are in favor of the player walking away with more money in the long run. However, the casino is wise to the discrepancy, so a 5% commission is taken on all banker bets to even the advantage. Similar to sports betting, the commission is called 'vigorish' or 'vig' for short. Even with the 5% house take, the banker bet still offers better odds - if only slightly - for players.

Final Say

Baccarat is a game wholly its own that can be enjoyed by both high and low rollers alike. It provides a relaxing respite from the other games found on the casino floor, and offers a sophistication that is reminiscent of the famous casinos of Europe and Monte Carlo. The next time you're playing at a favorite gambling hall, be it online or on-land, try a few hands of this unique and interesting table game, and you may discover the allure of baccarat.

Game Rules:

Main Page Baccarat Blackjack Craps Sic Bo Pai Gow Caribbean Stud Roulette

Play baccarat at one of the internet's leading casino sites.
Advertisement