Baccarat History

In the 1950’s the game was popularized in Vegas because of the efforts of Frank Sinatra, a co-owner of The Sands at the time. Targeted towards high rollers, Baccarat tables used to be exclusive territory with roped off access and dealers dressed in tuxedos.

How to Play Baccarat

There are three bets available: The Player’s hand, the Banker’s hand, or a Tie. A bet on the Banker pays even money minus a 5% house commission. A bet on a Tie pays 8 to 1. If either hand dealt is a total of 9, it is called a “Natural” and automatically wins. If the Player did draw a third card, the Banker follows the rules at right. There are many debates pertaining to the history of baccarat, particularly where the game was invented: France or Italy. 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. 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 was later on introduced in France around 1490 A. The result of the die decided her fate. It has kept it's elegant trait and is still one of the most appealing games to the well situated individuals in our society. In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled. Lacking the formality and large group of players, mini-baccarat is played fast and is a good place to learn how to play.

Baccarat Rules

Knowing the basic rules will help you understand what is going on on the baccarat table and will make the game more fun to play for you. 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. At the beginning of the new game the shoe or the bank is given to the player on the right of the dealer. Before the cards are dealt each baccarat player has to make his bet. The player with the bank deals two sets of two cards, if of course the game is played by two players. The hand closest to nine wins. If the first two cards dealt count Eight or Nine it is called a "Natural" and wins automatically, unless both hands have the same value then it is of course a Tie. At first the value of the cards might seem a little odd, but it's really simple to understand. After the players turn, and depending on both the outcome of the players hand and its own, the dealer hand will either draw a third additional card or stand. If both hands are the same, the game is deemed a tie. Two components of the game need clearing up at this point. All cards numbered 2 through 9 are worth their numeric value. All other cards (tens and picture cards) are worth zero points. 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. If both hands have an 8 or 9, the game is deemed a tie, in which all Tie Bets win. If one hand is an 8 and the other is a 9, the 9 wins. Banker shows a 7, 8 or 9 (8 and 9 win) Banker Hand must Stand. After the dealer has finished drawing, the hands are added up and a winner is declared. The player's objective is to get a hand that is closer to 9 in value than the banker's.
  • 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. If the player or banker has a two card total of 8 or 9, he/she turns the cards over immediately. Baccarat rules state that winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. It may still be a good idea to try it online first, and within minutes you'll feel comfortable enough to play anywhere. Three dealers run the game and one of these is the caller who runs the game and stands between positions 1 and 15. 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. If the hand is greater than 10 then 10 is subtracted from the total, this means that the value of the hand is always 0-9. 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 6 then he must draw if your card is a 6-7. If the dealer has 9 then he must stand. Once all the hands are dealt it is closest to 9 that wins.

Tips

- Bet on the Banker Hand most of the time. 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.
- Play Baccarat Games with the fewest decks. Looking at the House Edge, it is lowered, albeit not substantially, for every deck taken out of the equation. 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.
- sometimes casinos will only impose a 4% commission, which brings the House Edge on the banker bet down to only approximately %. If you can get a 4% commission, by all means take advantage of it - and bet on the banker every time.
- Manage your money wisely, without a "system". 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.

Baccarat game for United Kingdom players: find tips for baccarat, strategies, terms, top baccarat casinos and other gambling information at Baccarat9 UK

Baccarat Card Gambling Software | Baccarat Casino Game Best | Casinos Internet Baccarat Software | Casino Internet Baccarat Play | For Real Internet Baccarat | Games Internet Online Baccarat | Internet Casino Baccarat Internet | On Net Baccarat Gambling | Baccarat-Rules