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Baccarat History
The present form of Baccarat can be
traced back to Italy. Mini
Baccarat has the same rules as Baccarat but has lower stakes and is
played on a standard Blackjack shaped table.
How to Play Baccarat
Aces count as One and Two
through Nine are counted at face value. In Mini Baccarat a casino
dealer handles the deal. After players make their bets the dealer
deals a two-card hand to the Banker and Player. If either hand dealt is
a total of 9, it is called a “Natural” and automatically wins. 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. And remained an exclusive game to the French nobility for some time before becoming a casino game. The difference is one of the players banks the game instead of the casino. 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 highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. 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. It is played by the exact same rules, but lacks the accoutrements of the formal version. The table is staffed by only one dealer who is responsible for handling the cards.
Baccarat Rules
Baccarat, pronounced "Bah-Caw-Rah", is probably one of the easiest and uncomplicated
table games there is. Betting on Tie is not really recommended because it decreases your winning
chances. 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. 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. The baccarat game is now ready to
play. Each player is given the bank in
turn and can hold the bank as long as the bank wins. 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. One factor is how hand values are tabulated. Tabulating the hand value is straightforward
and only takes simple mathematics of addition. All
cards numbered 2 through 9 are worth their numeric
value. All other cards (tens and picture cards) are
worth zero points. 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. If
both hands have an 8 or 9, the game is deemed a tie, in
which all Tie Bets win. Banker shows a 3
Banker Hand must Draw if player's draw card is a
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7
Banker Hand must Stand if player's draw card is an 8. 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. If the players cards total 15, 10 is subtracted and the value of the hand becomes 5.
- 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. The other must do so also. 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. There aren't many rules, and the baccarat rules that do exist are fairly simple, they just differ from other games you may have played at the casino, so may take a little getting used
to. 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. Three dealers run the game and one of these is the caller who runs the game and stands between positions 1 and 15. Each player takes it in turns to deal from the shoe there is however no advantage to be gained from it and it is just part of the tradition of the game. Player put their bets on the numbered box in front of the players after the winner is called the other two dealers pay out or collect from the winners and losers around the table. If the dealer has 0 then he must draw. If the dealer has 7 then he must stand.
Tips
- Bet on the Banker Hand most of the time. 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%.
- Many online casinos will offer different versions of baccarat, such as a one deck version, and a 6 or 8 deck version with higher minimum betting amounts. Looking at the House Edge, it is lowered, albeit not substantially, for every deck taken out of the equation. 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.
- Play Baccarat at Casinos with the lowest commission possible. On the banker bet, the casino charges a vig, or commission to counter the players advantage.
- 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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