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Baccarat History
The game was introduced to the French Court in
the 15th century and became the favorite game among French nobility. 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
There are three bets available: The
Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a Tie. Aces count as One and Two
through Nine are counted at face value. After players make their bets the dealer
deals a two-card hand to the Banker and Player. 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. The Player’s hand is dealt to first, and only if the current value
is 5 or less. There are many debates pertaining to the history of baccarat, particularly where the game was invented: France or Italy. According to many, the game was first invented in Italy by a gambler Felix Falguiere, where it acquired the Italian name 'baccara', meaning zero in English. The difference is one of the players banks the game instead of the casino. The result of the die decided her fate. The basis of this game is very similar, but the rules and payoffs are much less
dramatic. The Baccarat we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. There exists quite a diversity today, especially so since it has made its way onto the world wide web. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled.
Baccarat Rules
Betting on Tie is not really recommended because it decreases your winning
chances. Baccarat is a game of chance, all you have to decide is which
hand you think will win. 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. Baccarat is played with eight decks of cards without Jokers. 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". Before the cards are dealt each baccarat
player has to make his bet. At first the value of the cards might seem a little odd, but it's
really simple to understand. 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. Depending on hand outcomes, the player hand will either
draw a third card or stand. One factor is how hand values are tabulated. A hand of seven and four has a
value of 1. For instance, a hand of 5, Queen and 9 has a
value of 4 (5 + 0 + 9 = 14 - 10 = 4) Card draw determination is slightly more
involved and is often explained with a chart. First off, know that right from
the beginning a hand of 8 or 9 automatically wins. 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. Once the player hand is finished and
standing, the bank hand will determine whether it must
draw a third card. 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.
- 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
. Both the banker and the player are dealt two cards, and depending on the value of the hand, might be dealt a third in either case. 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. This is of course because there is more of a chance for a banker win. This means the game is quite simple especially as there are only three possible bets that can be made. 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. Player and dealer are both dealt two cards to start with, if either of them has a two card total of 8 or 9 then they must immediately turn over the cards. If the dealer has 0 then he must draw. If the dealer has 3 then he must draw if your card is a 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9. If the dealer has 4 then he must draw if your card is a 2-3-4-5-6-7. If the dealer has 6 then he must draw if your card is a 6-7.
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%. The banker hand does carry with it a 5% vig, or commission, bringing the House Edge up to 2%. Going back the card-counting issue, if a player does indeed insist on counting cards, they should pay attention to 6's and 4's.
- Play Baccarat Games with the fewest decks. Looking at the House Edge, it is lowered, albeit not substantially, for every deck taken out of the equation. A baccarat game using eight decks will deliver a probability of 456% of winning on the bank hand, 442% of winning on the player hand, and 92% of winning on a Tie.
- On the banker bet, the casino charges a vig, or commission to counter the players advantage. Any informed player would see that this bet is one of the best in the casino.
- If you want to take your chances, then by all means use a system - just know when to quit. Whatever you decide to follow, be sure you plan ahead of time.
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