Baccarat, How to Play The Game
How to Play the Casino Game of Baccarat
Baccarat is unique in that it is one of the only casino games where there is barely any house edge and players enjoy a nearly unparalleled possibility for making big money if luck is on their side. This comes at something of a disadvantage (to some) however considering that the game is also one of almost no strategy past learning the rules and necessitates pure chance to win.
In spite of limited decision making, Baccarat is still a game of fairly complex design and rules where players must make quick decisions. There are several different styles of the game stemming from its traditions as a high-roller only event but the basic principles remain the same. Here we will look at the most common form of Baccarat; Mini-Baccarat, which is played in the majority of global and online casinos due to its face pace and smaller buy-in.
A play begins when the dealer sets out two hands of cards; a ‘banker’ and a ‘player’ hand. Gamblers must then make bets on either hand in an attempt to guess which of the two will create a total closest to, or exactly of, nine. Tens and all of the face cards are worth zero points with the ace worth one point and the numbered cards representing the value written on them. If the cards have a total greater than ten the second digit represents the value they become. For example, a seven and five totals twelve (12) but in Baccarat equals a value of two points because of the last digit [1(2)].
The object of the game is to bet on the hand which will accumulate a total exactly of or closest to nine. This is carried out when the dealer provides two cards for each hand. Bets have already been placed and further card dealing is then determined by the existing totals. The player hand is dealt with first; an eight or nine in the cards is called a ‘natural’ hand, a six or seven stands and anything five or below must draw. Banker hands are similar in that they stand on seven, eight or nine and must draw on a zero, one or two but bets in between become dependent on the third card in the player hand.
In the end only three cards can be drawn for both player and banker hand however, and once the values are totaled betters know whether their wager won or lost. Although the rules may seem complex watching a few hands go by is usually enough for the uninitiated to get a good enough feel for the game to throw in a bet.
Baccarat is ultimately a game of luck but players can try to eke out an edge through smart bankroll management. Although it’s almost impossible to tell what the cards have in store next, a smart Baccarat gambler can place limits on themselves based on their winning and losing history and know when they’re up about as much as chance will provide before walking away.
The banker hand usually has a slight edge over the player hand because of its secondary play but this doesn’t necessarily mean that bets should be consistently placed on the latter. In the end, Baccarat is a game that most gamblers find themselves successful at through fortune, restraint and a good handle on the rules.