Baccarat

Baccarat is a popular card game played at land-based and online casinos. It is a comparing card game that goes back to 19^th-centrury France.

The Baccarat rules aren’t too difficult in that the cards are assigned point values. Cards 2 through 9 are worth face value. However, unlike other games where the cards are assigned point values, 10s, jacks, queens, and kings are worth zero points.

Jokers are eliminated from the deck and aces are worth one point.

How to Play Baccarat

When playing Baccarat, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to the Baccarat rules.

If you have a hand with 2 and 4, the sum of the cards is 6. If the hand consists of 5 and 7, the hand is worth 2.

This is because you add the cards together for a total of 12, but the 2 is the rightmost digit in the sum of those cards. When you add different combinations, you will find the highest hand that you can achieve in Baccarat is 9.

You’ll notice in a game of Baccarat online that up to a dozen or more players can play at any time. You only have to worry about two bets, banker or player. There is a standoff bet, but it is rarely used. The cards are dealt by a virtual dealer and you are dealt two hands. You must decide which of those hands will win. You can bet banker or player. Don’t be surprised when the dealer bets banker.

A player can decide not to deal, which is called “passing the shoe.” As long as the bank wins, the shoe remains with that player. If the player wins, the shoe passes to the next player. When you win, the payoff is even money. The exception is when the round goes to a standoff where the payoff is 8:1 or 9:1. If the banker wins, you’ll lose 5 percent commission, which is the difference between the two bets.

During play, you will be dealt at least two cards and no more than three. The dealer puts two face-down cards under the shoe. The player with the largest bet on the player will receive the other two cards. The player holding these cards then looks at them and returns them to the dealer. The dealer then flips over the cards of both hands and the winner is announced. If a hand has an 8 or 9, it is called a “natural” and no further cards are dealt. If a natural isn’t present, a third card may be dealt depending on the value of the initial two cards.

Baccarat Odds

In Baccarat, online, the banker has a house advantage of 1.17 percent and the player bet has a house advantage of 1.36 percent. A standoff occurs when there’s a tie, which is a 14.12 percent house advantage with an 8:1 payout.

The odds are rather solid, despite the simple rules. The house odds stay rather low, but many online Baccarat tables have higher limits compared to other table games. However, don’t let a $50 minimum bet scare you if you are willing to play high stakes with a good chance of winning.

All in all, Baccarat is the ideal table game for players looking for good odds and simple rules. You don’t have a large number of bets to remember, it’s easy to read the hands, and there is some strategy involved so you aren’t completely relying on chance. You also have some flexibility during play.