Baccarat History

The present form of Baccarat can be traced back to Italy. The game was introduced to the French Court in the 15th century and became the favorite game among French nobility.

How to Play Baccarat

Baccarat is a very simple game to play with no decisions made after a bet is placed. A bet on the Banker pays even money minus a 5% house commission. If neither hand is 9 a hand with a total of 8 is a Natural winner. 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. 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. It's been suggested that the game was first played with a deck of Tarot cards in the middle ages. 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 result of the die decided her fate. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's. It has kept it's elegant trait and is still one of the most appealing games to the well situated individuals in our society. The highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled.

Baccarat Rules

The most important thing you need to know is whether you are betting on the Player, on the Bank or on Tie. 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. The only thing you are betting against is the cards. The hand closest to nine wins. 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. Much like blackjack, two hands are played - a dealer and a player hand pitted against each other. The hand closest to a total value of nine wins. One factor is how hand values are tabulated. The other is how drawing a third card is determined. Please note that both hands are allowed a maximum of one card draw. In order to calculate a hand total, simply add the value of the two cards. 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. (7 + 4 = 11 - 10 = 1) A hand that has drawn and composed of three cards is calculated in the same fashion. 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.
  • 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. 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. The player stands on a total of 6 or 7, but if the player has a total of 5 or less he/she must draw one card (face up) Now it is the bankers turn. Baccarat rules state that winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. So from reading this page you should have picked up enough about baccarat rules to play a game. 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. 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. When the bank wins the house claims a %5 cut of the winnings and the total amount is collected every time the shoe is reshuffled. 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 7 then he must stand. If the dealer has 8 then he must stand. If the dealer has 9 then he must stand.

Tips

- Bet on the Banker Hand most of the time. When the wager is counter-weighed by the player hand, the edge lowers to more near the 1% mark. Since the house edge is relatively similar for both bets, it is presumptuous to entirely negate the player hand wager.
- For an eight deck game, the casino advantage on the banker hand is 16%, whereas it is 15% in a six deck game. For the player and tie hands in an eight deck game, the edge is slightly better in the eight deck games.
- On the banker bet, the casino charges a vig, or commission to counter the players advantage. sometimes casinos will only impose a 4% commission, which brings the House Edge on the banker bet down to only approximately %.
- Unless you have a very hearty bankroll, and do not mind losing every bit of it, play with a money management system that does not try to chase after losses. As for other bankroll management strategies, a good one is posted on this website.

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