An overview of Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game that has the sole purpose of getting a hand that is as close as it can be to 9. In this game you are dealt two cards. If the total of the two cards is 9 or 8, which is called a natural hand, you will not be eligible to ask for more cards.
The major difference between this game and other gambling games is that the players have the choice to bet on either the hand of the dealer or the hand of the player.
The value of the cards
– The number cards from two to ten have the same value as their numbers.
-The ace is counted as one unlike Blackjack where it can be counted as one or eleven.
– Face cards are equal zero.
– If the value of the cards is more than 9, the 1st digit is dropped. For instance if you get a hand of 9 and 5, the value is 4 and not 14.
How to play Baccarat
The players place the bets before the hand is dealt. Each player gets two cards facing up. Natural hands get called on the spot with nine of course being better than eight. If no natural hands are present, there is a set of rules to determine who can stand and who can hit and ask for a 3rd card.
A hand that has a value that is less than 5 or equal five receives a 3rd card. If the player doesn’t ask for a 3rd card then the bank will draw for players’ hands that are valued at 5 or less than 5 and stand for hands that has a value of six or more. On the other hand if the play draws a 3rd card, the dealer will stand at 7 or more and will take a 3rd card at 2 or less.
Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the most popular card games. Fans of this game can find it at every single gambling venue whether it is land based or exists on the internet. Baccarat means Zero in Italian which is very convenient for the game as a hand total of ten is equal zero, this is why players refer to these hands as “Baccarat”.
Since the name is Italian, people believe that the game originated from Italy while others may argue that it originated from France since Baccarat also means Zero in French. The game was mentioned for the first time in a documentation that dates back to 1400. Although the game has been around for more than 900 years, it only became a premier card game that is popular and played by millions of players after 500 years of its invention in 1900.
Baccarat Versions
Baccarat has many versions but there are 3 versions that are most commonly played around the world. The three versions are called Punto Banco which is sometimes referred to as North American Baccarat because it is the version that is commonly found in North American casinos, Baccarat Banquet and Baccarat Chemnin de fer. Two of these versions require skill and experience as players will have to make educated decisions during the game play, these versions are Baccarat Chemnin de fer and Baccarat Banquet. On the other hand, Punto Banco Baccarat is a game of pure luck where players will only place a wager on one of two hands and when the cards are dealt, the player will win or lose. It does not need any experience or skill because there are no crucial decisions to be taken throughout the game play.
Chemin de Fer
Chemin de Fer is the original version of Baccarat that originated in Italy or France in the 1400s. The name of the game is inspired by the iron case that used to hold the cards as Chemin de Fer translates to Iron Rod in English. The cards that are dealt in this game come from six different decks of cards that are shuffled together by the dealer and the players seated at the Baccarat table. The Baccarat table has an oval shape and players would be seated around it. The order of the game starts with the person who is sitting on the right hand side of the dealer and it goes in a counterclockwise direction from there.
One of the players will be the banker. This player is going to deal the cards to the players at the table. He is going to represent the bank while the rest of the players sitting the table will be the punters. The banker can still join in the game play and place wagers on himself. The banker will start by placing a wager. Players will then start to place the wagers and any players who want to “Go Bank” will be able to do so. Going bank means matching the wager that the banker has placed. If no players decide to go bank, the player who has placed the highest wager will be the person who will speak for the punters. So the game is basically against a player who represents the bank and another player who is representing the remaining punters at the Baccarat table.
After the player who will represent the punters is decided, the banker will deal two cards to himself and another two cards for the player and the punters. The banker and the player will see their cards and if any of them have a hand total of eight or nine, then they have to state that. When they do, the four cards will be revealed and the hands will be compared and the winner will be declared. If none of them have a hand total of eight or nine, then the player will check his cards and he will then decide if he will ask for an additional card. It is advised that players do not ask for an additional card if their hand total is equal six or seven and they should always ask if their hand total is between zero and 4. This additional card will be dealt facing up. After that, it will be the banker’s turn to make the same call, whether he wants a 3rd card or not. After they both take the decision, the cards will be revealed and the showdown will take place and the winner will be announced.
There are three possible outcomes. The first one, if the banker wins, players will lose the bets that they have placed. The banker will still be the banker for another round. If the banker wishes to leave the game, the player who can match the amount of the bank will become the banker, if no players wish to match the banker’s amount, the next player in the order of the play will be the banker.
The second possibility is that the player’s hand will win. In that case, players will be paid their wagers plus their winnings and the banker position will be moved to the next player and the banker will lose his bets. The third and the last possibility is the tie. When that happens, the banker will stay the same and the bets that players have placed will also stay the same for the next round.
Punto Banco
Punto Banco is a Baccarat version that is usually found in casinos in the United States, Macau, Sweden, Finland and Canada. In this version, there will be two hands on the table and the player will place a bet on one of two outcomes, the hand of the dealer or the player.