The Basic Rules of Baccarat

The origin of Baccarat is disputed. While a particular sect of gaming experts opines that the game is of French origin dating back to the 14th century, another school of thought is that the game owes its existence to Italy. The game, most often referred to as Baccarathas three popular variants. North American Baccarat or the PuntoBancois the easiest game and is always the novice’s favorite. It involves the bettor betting on the winning of the player hand or the banker hand. Chemin de fer, nicknamed Chemmy, is said to be one of the oldest Baccarat versions, belonging to the Napoleonic era. In this game, players take turns to be the banker and it involves a more complex betting process when compared to puntobanco. Lastly, baccarat banque(or à deux tableaux), the position of banker is stable and is always held by the casino. The meaning of the title is Baccarat on two tables.

Modern players play variants like mini-baccarat and midi baccarat. In mini-baccarat, the dealer is always the banker unlike Baccarat, where, players can alternate playing banker bypassing the shoe. The midi baccarat is viewed as an in-between between Baccarat and the mini-baccarat. The casino always gets more hands in midi-baccarat. The minimum bet values are not as high as in Baccarat, but not so low either, as in the mini-game. Picking the best game depends on table speed, risk per hour and of course, the betting budget of the player. And if the basic rules of betting are learnt right, then Baccarat extends the most favourable winning odds for casino lovers. Try out the most exciting round of table games at SunMaker Casino including roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. The mobile casino is also fully equipped, with Baccarat games powered by leading software makers like Microgaming and NetEnt.

There are only three possible outcomes of playing Baccarat – puntobanco in particular.The player wins or the banker wins or the outcome is tied.The term Punto  is used to refer to the player and banco relates to the banker. The Red Box casino offers the puntobanco in both RNG and live formats, with games from Ezugi, Lucky Streak, and Evolution Gaming. For the baccarat games, special promotional offers and jackpots are attached.The Baccarat hand with highest count bags the victory. Cards are dealt from a 6-8 decked shoe. The Casino banks the game, throughout the play. The Baccarat table, being not too large, is often located in an inconspicuous place, away from the large gambling tables. No matter how many players play, only two hands are dealt. Normally, the bettor can bet either the player or the bank. However in a full-scale game, when the shoe is held by the player, the option is to bet the banker or to pass the shoe. The buy-in procedure is almost similar to blackjack. The player places cash on the table for buying chips. The dealer provides them. Under no circumstances can the dealer take cash directly from the players. Depending upon your budget, expertise and time, you can go in for the high stakes (traditional version) or the mini-baccarat. If Baccarat has to be totaled up in two steps, the first one is that the player picks a side for placing a bet; step two is that two cards are received by both sides and the highest score is aimed for. Before proceeding with further rules, it is important to understand the value of cards.

The hand total is obtained by summing up the value of the first two cards that are drawn. The number of cards represents the face value, but the picture cards, though account for 10, do not have value. In other words, all 10 cards and face cards are valued at zero, while all other number cards from 2 to 9 have a point value that equals their rank. The game takes into account only single-digit values. For example, when a player picks a 5 and a 9, the total becomes 14. 10 is deducted from the total and the hand total remains at 4 -or simply, the double-digit loses the left-most digit. Cards of ace hold a worth of 1. The bettor can bet either on the player hand or the banker hand. However the bets must be made before the cards are dealt. Cards from the shoe can be dealt either by the player or the banker. The winning bet is one that is closed to a total of 9. The rules of play are quite simple and straight forward.

Unless the banker possesses a natural 9 or is in a tie with the natural 8, there is an automatic winning, without drawing any more additional cards. With a total of five or less than 5, the player can get an additional card. However, if the banker total is 8 or 9, the win is secured by the bank hand. There is no more draw. The players hand is the first to be completed. Players are likely to get 1:1 on punto and banco, while the payment is either 9:1 or 8:1 in the case of a Standoff. Standoff is nothing but a tied situation. To summarize player hand rules, when the first two cards total 1,2,3,4,5 or 10, the player draws a card. When the total is 6-7, the player stands; when the total is 8-9, it is a natural win.

As for the banker’s draw or stand options, the rules are a little more complex. A few of these rules are explained. The actions depend on the player’s hand. For the players hand of either 9,10, a picture card or the Ace as the 3rd card, the banker draws 0-3 and goes on to stay for a 4-7 total. Similarly, if the player has a 2 or 3 when chooses the third card, the corresponding banker action is a draw for 0-4 value or stay for a total between 5-7. In the case where the player hand for the third card is 4 or 5, the banker can draw 0-5 and when the total is 6 or 7, the banker stays. When playing at online casinos, pay attention to the range of payment options. Bcasino offers excellent Baccarat games the most attractive being the Baccarat Pro Live Casino Dealer game, which is a perfect simulation of the table game in a live format. Go in for the online casinos for a super-fast multi-player experience.

Traditionally a table game for the star-studded royalties, with the tables being reserved mostly for high rollers. Online casinos have done the job of making Baccarat accessible to the common man. Players are admitted for bets as low as £1 and the usual ceiling amount for online casinos is as £200. For live casinos, bets can be placed up to a maximum value of £ 500. Players prefer Baccarat mainly because of the low and justifiable house edge. There is only a slight favorite that the banker has against the player. A fair rate of commission irons out this hitch. Usually commission rates do not exceed 5 percent. On the assumption that commission is 5 percent and there is a 8:1 payout for the tied bets, the house edge in most online casinos is roughly 1.06 percent. But it must be remembered that both the player and the banker bet are close to wagers of even-money. As opposed to Blackjack where skilled card counters can use their expertise with a smaller number of decks, Baccarat has no place for such quickies and smart player decisions to beat the house. This is all the more reason, why you need to be well aware of betting rules. The knack of betting on the most likely winning outcomes is a matter of luck as well as skill. Even when the card rules seem a little daunting for the first-timers, it takes only very little, to master them. Soon, baccarat can become a gaming choice for ages.

One thing that boils down from the discussion is that the process of betting is of great significance in Baccarat. So think twice before placing the bet. This guessing game works only when you have mastered the art of making well-informed guesses. It is recommended to place the bet on the Banker, while it is unwise to go in for the tie bet. The tie bet is a tricky one where the house has the highest edge. Betting can become addictive unless you chalk out a realistic betting strategy and also set limits on the losses. So, for all those wannabe James Bonds out there, the thumb rule is to know your odds and the house edge and keep improving your guessing strategies.