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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
A bet on a Tie pays 8 to 1. Even though the player dealing is acting as the Banker, he is not
obligated to bet on the Banker’s hand. If either hand dealt is
a total of 9, it is called a “Natural” and automatically wins. If neither hand is an 8 or a 9 and there is no Tie
additional cards may be dealt according to a standard set of rules. After the Player’s hand is
complete, the Banker’s hand is dealt out according to the following
set of rules: If the Player did not draw a third card, then the
Banker only draws a card to a hand of 4 or less. It's difficult to trace back the origins of this game mainly because slight variations of it name are used in both countries, each wanting to claim it as theirs. The title of banker rotates around the table in a manner similar to the dice at a craps table. 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. It has kept it's elegant trait and is still one of the most appealing games to the well situated individuals in our
society. Baccarat has a history overseas too, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. The highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. Unlike the heavily ordered and systematic American casinos, these Portuguese tables often allow multiple players to bet on a single spot at the same time, while the expert dealers mentally keep track of each players commission on winning bank
bets.
Baccarat Rules
The most important thing you need to know is whether
you are betting on the Player, on the Bank or on Tie. Knowing the basic rules will help you
understand what is going on on the baccarat table and will make the game more fun to play for
you. At the
beginning of a new game or when the Cut Card in the Shoe is dealt, the dealer will shuffle all decks together and put them back in the
shoe, called "The Bank". Each player is given the bank in
turn and can hold the bank as long as the bank wins. When there is a Tie and you did not bet on it
nobody looses or wins. In Baccarat you always have to keep in mind
that the fist digit in a two-digit number does not count. 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. 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. Tabulating the hand value is straightforward
and only takes simple mathematics of addition. All other cards (tens and picture cards) are
worth zero points. If this
sum goes over ten, subtract ten and you will have the
final value. A hand of seven and four has a
value of 1. I will try to simplify this as much as possible with a
few brief guidelines. If
both hands have an 8 or 9, the game is deemed a tie, in
which all Tie Bets win. 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. 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. Banker shows a 6
Banker Hand must Draw if player's draw card is a 6 or 7
Banker Hand must Stand if player's draw card is a 0,1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 9. The player's objective is to get a hand that is closer to 9 in value than the banker's.
- The maximum number of cards in a baccarat hand is three,,
- If the banker or the player has an eight (natural eight) or a nine (natural nine) on the first two cards dealt, no further cards are
drawn,,
- The player always draws when the hand is a five or less, unless the banker has a natural, and stands on a six and
seven,,
- the banker always stands if the player stands on a six or a seven
. There are two hands dealt regardless of how many players there are: the banker's hand and the player's hand. The other must do so also. Baccarat rules state that winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. The advantage is slim, in the area
0,,8%, but in the world of gambling that's really not that small. 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. The aim of the game is to get as close to 9 as possible and if you are nearer then you win. If the dealer has 2 then he must draw. If the dealer has 4 then he must draw if your card is a 2-3-4-5-6-7. If the dealer has 5 then he must draw if your card is a 4-5-6-7. If the dealer has 7 then he must stand. Once all the hands are dealt it is closest to 9 that wins.
Tips
- Depending on the number of decks being played, the casino advantage for the player hand wager is generally 15%, whereas on the banker hand it is only 16%. When the wager is counter-weighed by the player hand, the edge lowers to more near the 1% mark. As for the tie wager, it should be out of the question since it gives a casino advantage of nearly 15%.
- Many online casinos will offer different versions of baccarat, such as a one deck version, and a 6 or 8 deck version with higher minimum betting amounts. Looking at the House Edge, it is lowered, albeit not substantially, for every deck taken out of the equation. A slight difference of only one hundredth of a percent shows, which is apparent when looking at the House Edge.
- Usually this commission is 5%, which returns a House Edge of approximately 15%. Any informed player would see that this bet is one of the best in the casino.
- Manage your money wisely, without a "system". At the least, set yourself limits on losses and stake amounts.
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