Baccarat like blackjack is another casino game that offers a really low house edge and is exceptionally easy to learn. Despite how easy it is to learn how to play Baccarat, the intricacies of the game still remain something of a mystery to many players.
However, once players read the rules for Baccarat outlined below, it will seem less complicated. I’m confident that you will be keen to join a baccarat table at your favourite online casino following in the footsteps of James Bond to give this game a proper try.
Baccarat Rules
The ultimate goal in Baccarat is to make a hand that has a value as close to 9 as possible.
• All of the card’s value is determined by their face value. So for example, a 5 would be worth 5 points, 3 would be worth 3 points, 2 would be worth 2 points and so forth.
The exception to this rule is that all face cards have a face value of ‘0’ points and aces have a value of 1.
Whenever a player has a face value of over 10, then the 10’s place is dropped to give the true value. For example, if a player has a face value of 19, then the tens place would then be dropped and the real value of the hand would be 9. The same thing applies if a player happens to have 26 (or something similar). The tens place would then be dropped and the player’s true value would then be 6.
• Now, before the cards are dealt a player must first decide whose hand their going to place their bet on. They can place their bet on themselves, the banker or wager that the hand will result in a tie. Betting on your own hand pays out odds of 1 to 1 while betting on the banker pays out 1 to 1 minus a commission that will vary from casino to casino.
• After a player choose which hand they would like to wager on, the dealer than deals the player two cards. Now, based on the following rules that is common at most casinos, players will either have to ‘stand’ or will receive a 3rd card.
• In the event that a player is dealt an 8 or a 9, then the player will be considered to have been dealt a natural Baccarat and will then have to stand.
• If a player is dealt a 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, then that player is dealt another (3rd) card.
• In the scenario that a player is dealt a 6 or a 7, then that player is forced to stand and will not be dealt another card.
• If the player does not draw a card, then the banker will not be able to draw a card if they have a 6 or a 7.
• When the player does not draw another card and the banker has less than 5, then they are dealt another card.
• In the situation that a player draws a card and totals a 2 or a 3, then the banker will get another card if it is a 0 thru 4. If it is a 5, 6 or a 7, then the dealer will then have to stand.
• If a player draws a 4 or a 5, then the banker will stand on a 6 or a 7 and will draw a card if the dealer has a 5 or lower.
• When a player draws a 6 or a 7 the dealer will stand on a 7 and will draw on any hand 6 or lower.
• If a player draws an eight, the dealer will draw if they have a 0, 1 or a 2 and will stand on everything else.
• When players draw a face card, 10, ace or a nine, the banker will draw if they are holding a 0, 1, 2 or a 3 and will stand on everything else.
Playing Baccarat Online
Hopefully everyone can see how easy Baccarat is to learn and play. It is a game with a very interesting and colourful history, made glamorous by numerous appearances of Baccarat in films and is undoubtedly a favourite of James Bond.
It really only takes a matter of minutes to learn and all of the rules that the casino has to follow depending on what cards a player or dealer is dealt can basically be ignored as players simply have no control over it. So, players just need to be familiar with the card values and the overall objective of Baccarat and the rest will simply come with hands on experience playing Baccarat at their favourite online casino.
