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. A bet on the Banker pays even money minus a 5% house commission. A bet on a Tie pays 8 to 1. After players make their bets the dealer deals a two-card hand to the Banker and Player. A Tie at any point in the game ends the hand and pays Tie bets. Eventually, baccarat evolved into European baccarat and the French game 'chemin de fer'. The title of banker rotates around the table in a manner similar to the dice at a craps table. The interesting bit to observe of course is that the casino is taking no risk here; they simply charge a fee from each banker. The Baccarat we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. Baccarat has a history overseas too, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. 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. The layout, conforms to the regular baccarat table and each of the seven seat positions correspond to a number and betting box with spots for banker, player, and tie. The limits are lower and usually range from a $2 to $5 minimum, up to $500 maximum.

Baccarat Rules

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. The hand closest to nine wins. When nobody has a natural additional cards are drawn to determine the baccarat winner. When there is a Tie and you did not bet on it nobody looses or wins. That is why the Ten, Jack, Queen and the King count 0 and the Ace only one. Unlike in Black Jack it is impossible to overdraw in Baccarat. Much like blackjack, two hands are played - a dealer and a player hand pitted against each other. 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. If both hands are the same, the game is deemed a tie. Please note that both hands are allowed a maximum of one card draw. For instance, a hand of 6 and 10 will have a total value of 6. (7 + 4 = 11 - 10 = 1) A hand that has drawn and composed of three cards is calculated in the same fashion. If such is not the case, the Player Hand makes the first move. Player shows a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0 Player Hand must Draw. After the dealer has finished drawing, the hands are added up and a winner is declared. Winning bets on the player hand pay back 1 to 1, while winning bets on the banker hand do the same, but with a 5% vig (commission) winning tie bets pay back 9 to 1. The player's objective is to get a hand that is closer to 9 in value than the banker's. 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.
  • 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
. The payout for winning a bet on the banker's or the player's hand is even money, or 1 to 1 and winning draw bets are paid off at 8 to 1 odds or 9 to 1 depending on where you are playing. 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 game of baccarat is unlike most casino games as the is no level of skill involved the reason for this is that neither the player or dealer has any options or decisions to make during the course of the game. If the hand is greater than 10 then 10 is subtracted from the total, this means that the value of the hand is always 0-9. If your score is below 6 then you must hit and receive a third card, if you receive a third card then the dealer takes another depending on your total. 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 5 then he must draw if your card is a 4-5-6-7. 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%. This tip is not to say that a player should never bet on the player hand, for sometimes a hunch can be the best thing going for a gambler. 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.
- Play Baccarat Games with the fewest decks. A slight difference of only one hundredth of a percent shows, which is apparent when looking at the House Edge.
- Play Baccarat at Casinos with the lowest commission possible. Any informed player would see that this bet is one of the best in the casino.
- Any system like the Martingale, which is designed to cover losses, should be avoided. If you want to take your chances, then by all means use a system - just know when to quit.

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