How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is a very simple game to play with no decisions made
after a bet is placed. There are three bets available: The
Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a Tie. The winning hand is
the hand that holds two or three cards totaling closest to nine.
A bet on the Player pays even money. A bet on the Banker pays
even money minus a 5% house commission. A bet on a Tie pays 8 to
1.
All Tens and face cards have a value of 0. Aces count as One and
Two through Nine are counted at face value.
In the classic game of Baccarat the deal rotates among the
players. Even though the player dealing is acting as the Banker,
he is not obligated to bet on the Banker’s hand. In Mini
Baccarat a casino dealer handles the deal. After players make
their bets the dealer deals a two-card hand to the Banker and
Player. A Tie at any point in the game ends the hand and pays
Tie bets. If either hand dealt is a total of 9, it is called a
“Natural” and automatically wins. If neither hand is 9 a hand
with a total of 8 is a Natural winner. Natural hands always
immediately win or Tie (although a 9 beats an 8).
If neither hand is an 8 or a 9 and there is no Tie additional
cards may be dealt according to a standard set of rules. The
Player’s hand is dealt to first, and only if the current value
is 5 or less [top right].
After the Player’s hand is complete, the Banker’s hand is dealt
out according to the following set of rules: If the Player did
not draw a third card, then the Banker only draws a card to a
hand of 4 or less. If the Player did draw a third card, the
Banker follows the rules at right.
|
|
PLAYER’S 2-CARD HAND RULES
|
Total
|
Outcome
|
6–9
|
Stands
|
0–5
|
Draws 3rd card |
BANKER’S 2-CARD HAND RULES
(IF THE PLAYER HAS DRAWN A CARD)
|
Total
|
Outcome
|
7–9
|
Stands
|
0–6
|
Banker draws when:
|
6
|
Player has 6 or 7
|
5
|
Player has 4–7
|
4
|
Player has 2–7
|
3
|
Player has 0–7 or 9
|
0–2
|
Player has anything |
Tips for Baccarat Players
Although many US players are intimidated by
Baccarat because of its perceived exclusivity, it is a simple game of
luck that is one of the easiest casino games to play. With the
introduction of Mini Baccarat, the stakes have been lowered to allow the
casual gambler with a lower budget access to the game. Following are the
house advantages on Baccarat bets for a single deck game.
BANKER’S HAND
1.01%
PLAYER’S HAND
1.29%
TIE
15.75%
A bet on the Banker’s hand in Baccarat has one of the lowest house
advantages in the casino and qualifies for a Work the Odds Best Bet.
HISTORY
The present form of Baccarat can be traced back to Italy. The game was
introduced to the French Court in the 15th century and became the
favorite game among French nobility. Although it has always been a
popular game in European and Latin American casinos, it never caught on
as strongly as Blackjack in US casinos. In the 1950’s the game was
popularized in Vegas because of the efforts of Frank Sinatra, a co-owner
of The Sands at the time. Targeted towards high rollers, Baccarat tables
used to be exclusive territory with roped off access and dealers dressed
in tuxedos. More recently, a lot of US casinos have offered “Mini
Baccarat”. Mini Baccarat has the same rules as Baccarat but has lower
stakes and is played on a standard Blackjack shaped table. |
