There’s an old saying about games like poker that goes, “It takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.” Baccarat is nothing like that. The game of Baccarat takes minutes to learn and master. It’s one of the easiest games in the entire casino. Baccarat was often depicted as an elegant and serious game that was played amongst the royals, the wealthy and sophisticated aristocrats but Baccarat is actually one of the simplest games that involves a lot of luck and chance. Ian Fleming’s famous character James Bond introduced Baccarat to the pop culture and now everyone is playing it online.
The objective of the game is to draw a 2-or- 3 card hand that totals closer to 9 than the banker. The real purpose is to make the correct bet on the player, the banker or a tie. There are a few simple rules to follow but the rest is up to luck. The banker and the player also known as the Punto and Banco each draw 2 cards. Cards have a certain value and the game works on a points system:
- 10, J, Q, K = 0
- A = 1
- 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 = face value
The highest total is 9 where the lowest is 0 which is what Baccarat stands for. Whenever the total = 10 or more you drop the 10 and it becomes a 0, for example 8 + 5 = 13, making your total automatically becoming 3. If either the player’s or the banker’s total is 8 or 9 on the first 2 cards both automatically stand, this is called a ‘natural’ hand. If the player's total is 6 or 7 they should stand but if the total is equal to 5 or less this allows the player and banker to draw another card.
Third Card Rules Chart
Player's Hand |
Point Value of First Two Cards: |
Action |
0-1-2-3-4-5 |
Draw |
6-7 |
Stand |
8-9 |
Natural hand, no further draw |
There are many variants of the game which depend on the amount of players, how many decks are used and who deals (player, dealer or machine). The most common type that is played around the world is mini-baccarat where the odds are greater and the house edge is always low up to 1%.
Despite its foreboding original appearance, Baccarat is clearly one of the easier games to learn. All decisions are made prior to the actual game by betting on who you think will have the better hand.
If you can take a chance on the flip of a coin then you can play Baccarat!
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