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Baccarat History

The game was introduced to the French Court in the 15th century and became the favorite game among French nobility. 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. A bet on the Player pays even money. A bet on a Tie pays 8 to 1. Aces count as One and Two through Nine are counted at face value. In the classic game of Baccarat the deal rotates among the players. It's difficult to trace back the origins of this game mainly because slight variations of it name are used in both countries, each wanting to claim it as theirs. It's been suggested that the game was first played with a deck of Tarot cards in the middle ages. It was later on introduced in France around 1490 A. 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 basis of this game is very similar, but the rules and payoffs are much less dramatic. The Baccarat we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's.

Baccarat Rules

The most important thing you need to know is whether you are betting on the Player, on the Bank or on Tie. 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. So never mind what the other players bet on or how much they bet. Then he will take the very first card out and whatever the value of this card is indicates how many cards will be Burned. The player with the bank deals two sets of two cards, if of course the game is played by two players. At first the value of the cards might seem a little odd, but it's really simple to understand. In Baccarat you always have to keep in mind that the fist digit in a two-digit number does not count. This is not only the case with single card values but with the result of two cards combined. Unlike blackjack, but rather, like craps, multiple players around the table can bet on which hand will win. After all is said and done, the hand with a point total closes to nine wins. Essentially, only three bets can potentially be made - A bet for the player's hand to win, the banker's hand to win, or a tie. Two components of the game need clearing up at this point. The other is how drawing a third card is determined. Please note that both hands are allowed a maximum of one card draw. If this sum goes over ten, subtract ten and you will have the final value. 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. First off, know that right from the beginning a hand of 8 or 9 automatically wins. Player shows a 6, 7, 8, or 9 (8 and 9 win) Player Hand must Stand. Banker shows a 7, 8 or 9 (8 and 9 win) Banker Hand must Stand. 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. Both the banker and the player are dealt two cards, and depending on the value of the hand, might be dealt a third in either case. Although the payoff for winning a draw bet is much more appealing, the chances of actually getting it are pretty low. 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. 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. Player and dealer are both dealt two cards to start with, if either of them has a two card total of 8 or 9 then they must immediately turn over the cards. If the dealer has 0 then he must draw. If the dealer has 1 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 6 then he must draw if your card is a 6-7. If the dealer has 7 then he must stand. If the dealer has 9 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%. 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.
- 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. 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.
- Usually this commission is 5%, which returns a House Edge of approximately 15%. Any informed player would see that this bet is one of the best in the casino.
- 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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