Baccarat

Baccarat - The Rules of the Game

by Eb Netr

Here is a brief explanation of how to play and the rules of Baccarat Two hands are dealt, one for the "player" and one for the "banker". You can bet on one or the other. If the hand you bet on wins, you receive a 1 to 1 (even money) payoff. You can also bet that the hands will tie, but as mentioned above, it is not recommended. You receive an 8 to1 payoff, but ties occur less than once out of every ten hands, making the tie bet a poor choice.

At the start, each hand receives two cards. When necessary, additional cards are drawn according to the rules. The hand closest to 9 wins. Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings count 0. The Ace counts 1 and cards 2 through 9 are at face value. The hand that comes closest to a count of 9 wins. Hands don't bust like in Blackjack, because the first digit of a two-digit number is always dropped. For example, if 5 and 7 are drawn for a total of 12, the count is 2. When there is a tie, nobody loses.

If the first two cards total 8 or 9, the hand is called a "natural" and it wins automatically, unless both hands have equal value "naturals", in which case it's a tie. If neither hand has a natural additional cards are drawn to determine a winner.

Banker and player bets pay even money when you win. However, winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. Even after paying a 5% commission on winning banker bets, betting on "banker" is still a slightly (0.19% to be exact) better proposition than betting on "player". Banker hands win more often.

All bets are made before the cards are dealt. In live games every player at the table gets a chance to deal the cards, but you don't have to deal, just pass the shoe to the next player.

That's all there is to Baccarat, but just because it is simple, don't think it is easy to win. As in all casino games, the house, or casino, has the advantage, so you start off with an uphilll battle if you want to come out ahead.

The secret to successful gambling is to bet with your head, not over it, as the signs say at the casinos. To keep gambling fun, never take more money with you than you can comfortably lose. Of course, we all hope that we win, but it doesn't always turn out that way. Read and learn all you can about gambling and your odds will improve significantly.

Author acknowledgment:

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