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Baccarat History
The present form of Baccarat can be
traced back to Italy. 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 a Tie pays 8 to 1. In
the classic game of Baccarat the deal rotates among the players. After players make their bets the dealer
deals a two-card hand to the Banker and Player. Natural hands always immediately win or Tie (although a 9 beats an
8). 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. Chemin de fer is very similar to
baccarat as it's played in American casinos today. Falguiere based the game on an old Etruscan ritual of the nine gods, who prayed to a blonde virgin on their tiptoes waiting for her to throw a nine-sided die. 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. Baccarat has a history overseas too, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. The limits are lower and usually range from a $2 to $5 minimum, up to $500 maximum.
Baccarat Rules
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. The only thing you are betting against is the cards. So never
mind what the other players bet on or how much they bet. At the beginning of the new game the shoe or the bank is given to the
player on the right of the dealer. Before the cards are dealt each baccarat
player has to make his bet. When nobody has a natural additional
cards are drawn to determine the baccarat winner. This
is not only the case with single card values but with the result of
two cards combined. 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 is said
and done, the hand with a point total closes to nine
wins. The game begins with players placing bets. If both hands are
the same, the game is deemed a tie. (7 + 4 = 11 - 10 = 1) A hand that has drawn
and composed of three cards is calculated in the same
fashion. I will try to simplify this as much as possible with a
few brief guidelines. Player shows a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
or 0
Player Hand must Draw. 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. 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 5
Banker Hand must Draw if player's draw card is a 4, 5,
6, or 7
Banker Hand must Stand if player's draw card is a 0,1,
2, 3, 8 or 9. 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 task for you as a player is to bet on the banker's hand, the player's hand, or a draw, which means that the two hands are tied. If the player or banker has a two card total of 8 or 9, he/she turns the cards over immediately. (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. It may still be a good idea to try it online first, and within minutes you'll feel comfortable enough to play anywhere. This means the game is quite simple especially as there are only three possible bets that can be made. 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 the dealer has 0 then he must draw. 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 8 then he must stand.
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%. When the wager is counter-weighed by the player hand, the edge lowers to more near the 1% mark.
- 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. 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. 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.
- On the banker bet, the casino charges a vig, or commission to counter the players advantage. Usually this commission is 5%, which returns a House Edge of approximately 15%.
- Any system like the Martingale, which is designed to cover losses, should be avoided. As for other bankroll management strategies, a good one is posted on this website.
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