Baccarat is one of the most fascinating casino games in the sense that there are just as many gamblers who love playing it as there are gamblers who are intimidated by it. We have therefore put together this article to serve two purposes; to educate beginners about the game of baccarat and to provide experienced players with a little insight into the game they love to play!
Although the game of baccarat has been around for several centuries, its popularity didn’t increase worldwide until the 1950’s. That’s when the game was first introduced in Las Vegas, which is of course the gambling capital of the world. When the game of baccarat was first introduced to a worldwide audience, it was a far more complex game than what it is today. In the game’s early days, it was played on an extremely large table that took up valuable real estate on the casino floor. As a result, it was often tucked away in the high roller section of the casino, which is partially why the game is commonly associated with high rollers.
In an effort to make the game of baccarat more appealing to a wider audience, casinos modified the rules of the game and condensed it into a version called mini baccarat, which is played on a smaller table about the size of a blackjack table. Mini baccarat became an instant success amongst players from around the world and as such this is the only version of the game you are likely to encounter in casinos today. This is especially true with regards to online casinos given that this is the default version of baccarat that is available at virtually every online casino.
The reason why many gamblers are intimidated by the game of baccarat is because the rules of the game appear to be complex at first glance. However, we’re happy to report that the rules of baccarat are far less complicated than they appear. We’ll go over the rules of baccarat with you below, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll condense them as much as possible so as not to confuse you! Besides, if you stick to playing online baccarat, the computer will do practically all of the work for you!
In the game of baccarat, two cards are dealt to the player and two cards are dealt to the banker. It’s important to note that you are not actually the player; the player and banker are merely the designations for each hand. The goal of baccarat is to predict which of the two hands will score closest to nine points. You can place a bet on the player, on the banker, or you can bet that the two hands will tie. Hands with totals of eight or nine are considered “naturals” and automatically win (unless there is a tie). If both hands have a natural, the hand with the highest total wins. If both hands have a natural of equal value, your bet will be returned to you as a push, unless of course you bet that the hands would tie.
After the player and banker receive their first two cards, if neither hand is a natural, play continues with both the player and banker either drawing a third card or standing. The player will draw a third card when the total of their first two cards is between 0 and 5 or they will stand for all other totals. Whether the banker draws a third card or stands depends on the player’s hand, but you don’t need to familiarize yourself with the different scenarios because you won’t need to make any decisions beyond this point.
If you’re playing online baccarat, the computer will calculate the point totals for you, but it’s still helpful to know how to calculate the totals should the situation ever call for it. In order to calculate the total of each hand, you’ll need to remember these three things; cards 2 through 9 are worth face value, all 10’s and face cards are worth zero points, and all aces are worth 1 point. To get the total of a hand, add all the cards together and if the value is greater than 9, you simply drop the first digit (i.e. a hand that adds up to 21 would actually be a 1 point hand).
If you place a bet on the player and that hand wins, your payout will be even money. If you place a bet on the banker and that hand wins, your payout will be even money less a commission of usually 5% that the casino charges. If you bet that the hands will tie, you will generally be rewarded with a payout of 8 to 1!
Like we said earlier, the game of baccarat is fascinating because there are just as many gamblers who love playing it as there are gamblers who are intimidated by it. However, now that you’ve read through this article, we think you’ll agree that baccarat is game that players of all skill levels can enjoy playing! So whether you’re a baccarat veteran or you’re considering playing baccarat for the first time, we encourage you to try your luck at online baccarat today because you just might be the next big winner!
