Baccarat is one of the most glamorous table games in the world. Not only is the game featured in great James Bond Blockbusters, but also it’s very common to see in luxury hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and Monaco. It doesn’t come with a surprise it might look intimidating for especially new players, but the reality is, the game is in comparison to Poker or Roulette one of the simplest games you could find in a Live Casino.
When joining a table, expect excitement. As soon as you master the basic rules, it’s going to be difficult to absent yourself from it. Read on to get a full understanding of how the Baccarat game works, how the table looks like, the different betting options as well as different variants you can find and play.
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The Objective of Baccarat
Should you decide to play in an Online Casino, you’ll figure quickly almost all Baccarat games are played the same way. You have three kinds of bets to choose from, the player’s hand to win, the banker’s hand to win, or on a tie. To be crowned the winner of the gambling round, you need to bet on the winning hand. The winning hand is determined by the highest number. Sounds pretty simple so far, right?
The Baccarat Table Layout
When looking at the Baccarat layout from back in the days and nowadays, you’ll notice it has barely changed. Independently which version you play, or which casino you choose, the table will include always the same elements.
The important elements on the table are the boxes labelled ‘Banker’, ‘Player’, and ‘Tie’. These are the fields where you place your chips. That’s the part where you need to make a decision. Should you think the player’s hand wins this round, place your chips into the ‘Player’ box. Should you think the banker’s hand wins this round, place your chips into the ‘Banker’ box. And should you think there will be a tie in this round, place your chips into the ‘Tie’ box.
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Pay Tables & Card Values
Due to only having three main bets to choose from, the paytables is very straightforward. Looking at these odds in general, the banker or player bets pays out 1:1, and if a tie bet wins it pays out 8:1. However, when winning a bet on the banker hand, the payout comes with a 5% commission for the house. This is caused by the RTP (return to player) is always higher on the banker’s hand.
At the beginning of each round, the player and banker are dealt with two cards. To get a better understanding of the hand value, make sure to familiarise yourself with the values of each card. All numbered cards are worth their face value. Therefore, a six will be count as six and an eight will be count as eight for example. Jacks, Queens and Kings count 10 each, while the Aces count as one. The maximum score at the Baccarat table is nine. Should you exceed this score, it starts again from zero.
Before you get confused at this point, give the game a go for one or two hands and you’ll get the hang of it. Let’s say you get dealt your first card a seven and as your second card a four, the score will be one. You count seven, eight, nine, zero, one. This means, instead of counting 10 and higher, the 10’s equal value is zero and the counting continues from there.
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Placing Bets at the Baccarat Table
Before each round, you need to predict the result. When decided, the player places the chips in the respective box. Then, the player, and the dealer are dealt two hands. Scores will be counted and the winning bets are paid.
These are the very basic rules of Baccarat and you might think, there must be a snag in it. You are right, there are some things you need to know before sitting down at the table. However, it’s nothing too complicated, so you’ll catch on very quickly.
The Tie Bet
Should the banker and the player hand have the same score, the hand is considered a tie. This betting option usually comes with a much higher payout, should your predictions turn into winning bets. If you however bet on either hand instead, usually your bet will be pushed, which means it will be returned to you. This might depend on the variant you are playing, so check this before placing your bets.
The Third Card Draw
Generally, most hands will end with both sides having two cards. In the initial deal, there is a chance to score natural results, meaning you score eight or nine with the first two cards. In the event of either hand scores a natural eight or nine, both stand. However, should the player scores five or less, an additional card will be dealt. Depending on the value, the banker might hit as well. In the event the player stands after two cards, the banker will hit on five or less too.
Baccarat Side Bets
As you know from other tables games, like for example Blackjack, you also have the option to place side bets here. On this note, there is something special when you play Baccarat and that’s you can bet on the side without placing a main bet. We listed the most common side betting options for you below.
Player Pair & Banker Pair
You can win the player or banker pair hand when the player’s or banker’s hand is dealt any two matching cards, irrespectively the suit. Here, only the number or value of the card is important. Normally, this pays out 11:1 and has an RTP of 88.46%. That makes it the least generous side betting option of the game.
Either Pair
You win should one of the two hands will be dealt a pair in the initial deal. With this option, you’ll have a higher chance to score winning bets. The payout is slightly lower with 5:1but comes with a higher RTP.
Perfect Pair
You win when two of the first four cards dealt between the banker and player make an exact pair. This pair needs to be matching in suit and value, like two kings of hearts or two fives of clubs. The winnings bets come with odds of 25:1 and a low RTP of 82.93% though.
Big & Small
Big focuses on the result of a cards total of five or six. Therefore, should the player or banker receives further cards, you win.
Small on the other hand focuses on the result of neither player nor banker gets dealt an additional card.
Dragon Bonus
This bonus is paid on the side wager and will be paid for a natural win or on a margin of a non-natural win for the corresponding side. Should a player wins a non-natural nine, it’s paid 30:1. Dragon bets are lost on non-natural ties. Natural winning bets are paid even money and natural ties are pushed.
Baccarat Variants
Now that you have a full overview of how to play Baccarat, let’s explore some of the most popular variants of the game and see, which one suits you best.
Punto Banco
When playing at Online Casinos, it’s most likely to run into this version. Even though the game is featured as ‘Baccarat’, you will be participating in Punto Banco. In Punto Banco, all players bet against the house and therefore, are equal to the standard rules of Baccarat.
Mini Baccarat
If you joining Mini Baccarat, you can expect to play according to the rules, which we have explained earlier in this article. The only difference will be the exclusion of less important details on your screen and makes the experience a bit more cleaner for you.
Chemin de Fer
The name was given by the French when the game originally spread in France. When comparing the previous explained Baccarat to Chemin de Fer is especially the increased speed as well as that players make important decisions throughout each round and play against each other.
Baccarat Banque
Baccarat Banque is basically the same as Chemin de Fer and only comes with one important change. Here, the role of the banker is not done by players on a rotational basis, but by a professional dealer to represent the house. It’s the version of Chemin de Fer you will find most of the time in casinos in France.
Now, as a final and important piece of advice, even though Baccarat is a fairly simple game, keep in mind it’s still a game of chance and can lead to a gambling problem if not participated responsible. Therefore, set yourself limits and keep an eye on your bankroll to always play responsibly.
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