Baccarat is well known to maintain its aura of romance and mystery. In fact, some people are so fascinated that they term it as a complex game. This is probably fueled by the specific clientele of high rollers that appreciate the gamble. In truth, it is only as simple as you let it be. More and more people continue to get hooked on it as it subsequently becomes popular with several American Casinos.

Every move you make at the table could make a thousand-dollar move. However, bonus features are largely dependent on the casino you choose to play at. Various software providers pack the game with bonuses to their liking.

There are two types of bonuses: cashable and non-cashable. The first ones can be converted to real cash once you meet the casinos wagering requirements. For non-cashable bonuses, you are only allowed to cash out winning accumulated by wagering on bonuses. You, however, cannot cash out the bonuses.

The Baccarat Basic Rules

A mere six-deck or eight-deck shoe is all that’s needed to kick off the game. Depending on the casino, you may or may not deal the cards. In the case of the latter, the casino provides a dealer who handles the cards. When playing online, cards are automatically dealt as it features a virtual dealer.

Unfortunately, for blackjack lovers and the like, face cards, 10s and even suits have no value. Baccarat strictly allows single digit cards only. In fact, in the event a count clocks two digits, the left digit is dropped. The value of Ace is 1 while any card whose value is lower than 10 is counted at face value. The bettor is tasked with striving to wager on the hand that he believes will result in the highest total value.

Two hands are dealt and players place wagers on which shall be the winning hand or whether the two hands will stand at a tie or not. First, 2 cards, both facing downwards, are dealt and placed under the shoe.

The player with the largest wager is dealt the second 2-card hand, face down. Each hand bears a 2-card minimum and a 3-card maximum. There are specific conditions that warrant that a third card be dealt under particular conditions only. These do not pertain to basic play.

A total of 8 or 9 on a hand, which is natural, will warrant the player to stand. If a hand is less than 5, you can hit in the event you strike less than 5 on hand. However, you may also choose to stand and thus dictate the subsequent banker’s action.

Upon flipping and viewing the cards, you hand them back to the dealer, who then reveals the winner by turning over both hands. Automatically, the highest count wins the round. Normally, bets that lose are collected first. Afterward, the winners are rewarded. In punto banco, the payoff is even money 1:1. However, the standoff is rather different and may pay 8:1 or 9:1. Placing a stake in the bank costs 5% of the win, which is payable to the casino. It is basically, the built-in house advantage. This is because, typically, in 8 decks, the bank wins 3 to 4 hands more than the player.

Baccarat For Real Money Bets Presented

When you happen to be one of the most popular online table games internationally, it would be best to bank on diversity. In that spirit, punters are treated to two principal bets: the rare standoff and the player or banker bet. The latter brands the game with the name ‘punto banco’, which is preferred by many.

It is standard for the dealer to place his bet on the bank. However, in Punto Banco, this may be bent allowing all players, including the dealer, to either bet on the banker or the player. It may happen that the latter does not want to deal. In that case, he may pass the shoe to the next player. As long as the bank remains on a winning streak, the shoe remains with the same punter. The shoe moves to the next player once this streak breaks.

In Punto Banco, the casino not only banks the game throughout but also focuses on playing out both hands according to fixed drawing rules – the tableau. This is not in line with the more historical baccarat games where there’s a player who makes drawing choices for each hand. Simply put, they are two results that the one placing the bet can back. The player doesn’t have any association with the gambler; neither does the Banker with the house.

Facts & Rules About Baccarat

Here we gathered some fun facts that even the experienced players might not be aware of:

  1. According to history, the first version of the gamble was introduced in France by Italians between the years of 1483 to 1498.
  2. Felix Falguiere, an Italian gambler, is the one who invented Baccarat.
  3. There are three types of the gamble that are widely accepted, and they include Baccarat Banque, Chemin de fer, and Punto Banco.
  4. The game was introduced to Vegas in 1959 at the Sands, who lost C$250,000 on the tables overnight.
  5. It is named after the worst hand, a zero, rather than a winning combination or other.
  6. The main plot of 007’s Casino Royale is centered on the Baccarat Table.
  7. Asian make up a majority of punters in Las Vegas.

Need to Know

It’s interesting that Punto Banco bears some of the lowest as well as the highest house edges in the casino world of table games. The Banker bet has an incredibly low house edge of 1.06%, in spite of the 5% commission on the win. The house edge on the Player bet stands at 1.24%. On the other end, the tie bet’s house edge stands at a whopping 14.4%, despite its 8-to-1 payout.

The European games Punto Banco and Chemin De Fer are responsible for inspiring the existence of the Baccarat as we know it today. It traces its roots as far back as 1490 when France was introduced to the Italian baccarat.

During King Charles VII’s reign, the gamble warmed its way to becoming a favorite among nobles and soon the rest of Canada. Much later, in 1959, the play found its way to Vegas. Here it was well appreciated, and it became very popular in no time. The classical version once played in the 15th century is pretty much similar to the modern one, aside from a few modifications to give it a modern touch. This is also true for an online mode.

Myths or Intentional Stray Path?

There several mythical strategies that are purported to help you to strike win after win. Keep in mind that the gamble is purely about chance and luck. While some strategies may increase your odds of winning, some only work to your disadvantage and end up building frustration. Get equipped with the rules and know how to manage your money before betting. Bring lady luck with you to the table!

Some strategies to avoid include:

  • Winning run. You may have heard that if you are on a winning streak, you should play on to the end. Well, if you are looking to lose all your money, try this. The best strategy, practically the hardest too, is to leave while the winning streak lasts with whatever you have accumulated before you get too excited and lose all your money in the next round.
  • Don’t use previously placed bets. Again, this is a game of chance, and the last move has no effect whatsoever on the next move made. Use it at your risk.
  • Patterns. It’s utterly irrelevant to spend your precious time trying to learn patterns that work. With the amount of shuffling that constantly happens to randomize the cards dealt as much as possible, finding a pattern is impossible.

Specific Terms

Here are some of the commonly used terms:

  • Tie: this is a scenario in which the hand of the banker is equal to the sum value of the hand of the player. A winning bet on a tie provides the highest payout of any baccarat bet.
  • Face cards: The jacks, queens, and kings of any suit. Face cards and tens have a value of zero under the rules of baccarat.
  • Punto Banco: Also familiar as American Baccarat.
  • Commission: This is a 5% tax that is usually deducted from any bet that wins the hand of the banker.
  • European Baccarat: A game in which the dealer is the banker and the casino finances the banker’s hand.

Baccarat Betting Principles

It’s pretty much basic knowledge that the more cash you bet, the more you stand to win. Players stand to make C$500 in an average high limit baccarat games for player or banker bets. C$1,000 is up for grabs for combination bets such as player and tie or banker and tie. Betting limits vary from one casino to the other, with limits up to a whopping C$5,000 at some casinos.

Nonetheless, penny players who are not out to spend huge dough at the table are also welcomed. Stakes go as low as 1-5 Euros at some casinos. So whether you are a novice or a high roller, you’ll get covered.