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Baccarat History
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.
How to Play Baccarat
The winning hand is the
hand that holds two or three cards totaling closest to nine. 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. 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). Eventually,
baccarat evolved into European baccarat and the French game 'chemin de fer'. If an eight or a nine was thrown, she would become the priestess; if she threw a six or seven, she would be banned from any further religious activities; if she threw any number less than six, she would walk into the sea. The basis of this game is very similar, but the rules and payoffs are much less
dramatic. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's. There exists quite a diversity today, especially so since it has made its way onto the world wide web. Although a few rules have been changed here and there to accomodate the individual taste of a certain country, the style has remained the same. The highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled.
Baccarat Rules
The most important thing you need to know is whether
you are betting on the Player, on the Bank or on Tie. So never
mind what the other players bet on or how much they bet. Then he will take the very first card
out and whatever the value of this card is indicates how many cards will
be Burned. The hand closest to nine wins. At first the value of the cards might seem a little odd, but it's
really simple to understand. That is
why the Ten, Jack, Queen and the King count 0 and the Ace only one. So if you draw an eight in baccarat and a three, for
instance, the value of both together would be eleven but since the first
digit does not count your hand counts only one. Unlike in Black
Jack it is impossible to overdraw in Baccarat. The game begins with players placing bets. After all bets are made, which cannot be
added to or retracted once play begins, the House will
deal four face-down cards - two cards each to both the
player and banker (House) After the cards are
finished being dealt, they are revealed and tabulated. The hand closest
to a total value of nine wins. Two components of the game need clearing up at this
point. a baccarat hand will never exceed
three cards total. All other cards (tens and picture cards) are
worth zero points. I will try to simplify this as much as possible with a
few brief guidelines. If one hand is an 8 and the
other is a 9, the 9 wins. Player shows a 6, 7, 8, or 9
(8 and 9 win)
Player Hand must Stand. Player shows a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
or 0
Player Hand must Draw. Banker shows a 4
Banker Hand must Draw if player's draw card is a
0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7
Banker Hand must Stand if player's draw card is a 0, 1,
8 or 9. An ace counts as 1, two counts as 2,
etc,, , up through nine counts as 9, but tens (jacks, queens and kings) count as 0. There are two hands dealt regardless of how many players there are: the banker's hand and the player's hand. Although the payoff for winning a draw bet is much more appealing, the chances of actually getting it are pretty low. (In online baccarat cards are always face up) A 9 value wins over any lesser total, and if neither player has a 9 then 8 wins over any lesser total. Tied 9s or tied 8s are a stand off; no money changes hands (unless ties can be bet on)
If neither the player or the banker has a natural (a total of 8 or 9) then play goes to the player. Baccarat rules state that winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. Dealers normally wear tuxedos and the surrounding are is quite lavish. The table layout is quite simple and consists of fourteen numbered positions seven on each side of the dealer; the number thirteen is omitted as it is considered unlucky. A 9 is the best hand and beats all other totals followed by 8, if both the dealer and the player has an 8 or 9 the hand is tied and no money changes hands. If the dealer has 4 then he must draw if your card is a 2-3-4-5-6-7. If the dealer has 7 then he must stand. If the dealer has 8 then he must stand. If the dealer has 9 then he must stand.
Tips
- The banker hand does carry with it a 5% vig, or commission, bringing the House Edge up to 2%. When the wager is counter-weighed by the player hand, the edge lowers to more near the 1% mark. When more 4's are leaving the deck, the banker bet has slightly better odds, whereas when 6's leave the deck, the player bet has a slightly better chance of winning than it does from the start of a fresh deck.
- These same probabilities in a baccarat game with six decks are 457% on the banker hand, 443% on the player hand, and 91% on the Tie. A slight difference of only one hundredth of a percent shows, which is apparent when looking at the House Edge. Although this difference is so negligible that most players do not advise picking one version of baccarat over the other, it is advisable to take all the advantage one can possibly take.
- Play Baccarat at Casinos with the lowest commission possible. sometimes casinos will only impose a 4% commission, which brings the House Edge on the banker bet down to only approximately %.
- Unless you have a very hearty bankroll, and do not mind losing every bit of it, play with a money management system that does not try to chase after losses. Whatever you decide to follow, be sure you plan ahead of time.
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