Best Baccarat Tips

Baccarat History

The present form of Baccarat can be traced back to Italy. Targeted towards high rollers, Baccarat tables used to be exclusive territory with roped off access and dealers dressed in tuxedos.

How to Play Baccarat

Baccarat is a very simple game to play with no decisions made after a bet is placed. There are three bets available: The Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a Tie. A bet on a Tie pays 8 to 1. In the classic game of Baccarat the deal rotates among the players. If neither hand is 9 a hand with a total of 8 is a Natural winner. It was later on introduced in France around 1490 A. And remained an exclusive game to the French nobility for some time before becoming a casino game. Chemin de fer is very similar to baccarat as it's played in American casinos today. 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. Baccarat has a history overseas too, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. It is played by the exact same rules, but lacks the accoutrements of the formal version. Lacking the formality and large group of players, mini-baccarat is played fast and is a good place to learn how to play.

Baccarat Rules

Baccarat is a game of chance, all you have to decide is which hand you think will win. It doesn't matter which seat you take at the baccarat table because unlike in Black Jack you are not playing against other players or against the house. If the value of the first card is a four, for instance, the dealer will take the next four cards out of the shoe and discard them in a tray next to it along with the first card. Once the bank looses it moves on to the next player. The player with the bank deals two sets of two cards, if of course the game is played by two players. You can bet on a Tie where you get a one to eight payoff but a Tie is very rare, it occurs less than once in ten hands. 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. After all is said and done, the hand with a point total closes to nine wins. If both hands are the same, the game is deemed a tie. Two components of the game need clearing up at this point. One factor is how hand values are tabulated. Please note that both hands are allowed a maximum of one card draw. All cards numbered 2 through 9 are worth their numeric value. All other cards (tens and picture cards) are worth zero points. In order to calculate a hand total, simply add the value of the two cards. For instance, a hand of 6 and 10 will have a total value of 6. Once the player hand is finished and standing, the bank hand will determine whether it must draw a third card. The following guidelines determine what action the Bank Hand will take: On a side note, if the player hand does not draw a card, the banker hand will always draw if its value is lower than the player hand or if its own two-card value is 0, 1, or 2. The player's objective is to get a hand that is closer to 9 in value than the banker's. The game is played modulo 10, that is if the total of the hand is greater than 10, then 10 is subtracted from the total. 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. If the player or banker has a two card total of 8 or 9, he/she turns the cards over immediately. 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. It may still be a good idea to try it online first, and within minutes you'll feel comfortable enough to play anywhere. 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. 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 1 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 6 then he must draw if your card is a 6-7. Once all the hands are dealt it is closest to 9 that wins.

Tips

- 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. As for the tie wager, it should be out of the question since it gives a casino advantage of nearly 15%.
- 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. A slight difference of only one hundredth of a percent shows, which is apparent when looking at the House Edge.
- On the banker bet, the casino charges a vig, or commission to counter the players advantage. If you can get a 4% commission, by all means take advantage of it - and bet on the banker every time.
- Manage your money wisely, without a "system". Any system like the Martingale, which is designed to cover losses, should be avoided.

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