|
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
In
the classic game of Baccarat the deal rotates among the players. Even though the player dealing is acting as the Banker, he is not
obligated to bet on the Banker’s hand. After players make their bets the dealer
deals a two-card hand to the Banker and Player. If
neither hand is 9 a hand with a total of 8 is a Natural winner. If neither hand is an 8 or a 9 and there is no Tie
additional cards may be dealt according to a standard set of rules. There are many debates pertaining to the history of baccarat, particularly where the game was invented: France or Italy. Eventually,
baccarat evolved into European baccarat and the French game 'chemin de fer'. Falguiere based the game on an old Etruscan ritual of the nine gods, who prayed to a blonde virgin on their tiptoes waiting for her to throw a nine-sided die. The Baccarat we know today originated in Great Britain and was then passed along to South America and finally to Nevada. The infamous Dunes casino introduced baccarat in the late 50's. Although a few rules have been changed here and there to accomodate the individual taste of a certain country, the style has remained the same. The table is staffed by only one dealer who is responsible for handling the cards. 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
Betting on Tie is not really recommended because it decreases your winning
chances. Baccarat is a game of chance, all you have to decide is which
hand you think will win. 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. Each player is given the bank in
turn and can hold the bank as long as the bank wins. The player with the bank deals two sets of two cards, if of course the
game is played by two players. You can bet on a Tie where
you get a one to eight payoff but a Tie is very rare, it occurs
less than once in ten hands. Unlike in Black
Jack it is impossible to overdraw in Baccarat. The game begins with players placing bets. Two components of the game need clearing up at this
point. 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. A hand of seven and four has a
value of 1. For instance, a hand of 5, Queen and 9 has a
value of 4 (5 + 0 + 9 = 14 - 10 = 4) Card draw determination is slightly more
involved and is often explained with a chart. First off, know that right from
the beginning a hand of 8 or 9 automatically wins. If
both hands have an 8 or 9, the game is deemed a tie, in
which all Tie Bets win. Player shows a 6, 7, 8, or 9
(8 and 9 win)
Player Hand must Stand. Once the player hand is finished and
standing, the bank hand will determine whether it must
draw a third card. Banker shows a 6
Banker Hand must Draw if player's draw card is a 6 or 7
Banker Hand must Stand if player's draw card is a 0,1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 9. The game is played modulo 10, that is if the total of the hand is greater than 10, then 10 is subtracted from the total. (Thus the value of a hand is always between 0 through 9). There are two hands dealt regardless of how many players there are: the banker's hand and the player's hand. Although the payoff for winning a draw bet is much more appealing, the chances of actually getting it are pretty low. The other must do so also. Tied 9s or tied 8s are a stand off; no money changes hands (unless ties can be bet on)
If neither the player or the banker has a natural (a total of 8 or 9) then play goes to the player. Three dealers run the game and one of these is the caller who runs the game and stands between positions 1 and 15. The aim of the game is to get as close to 9 as possible and if you are nearer then you win. 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. If the dealer has 0 then he must draw. If the dealer has 1 then he must draw. If the dealer has 5 then he must draw if your card is a 4-5-6-7. If the dealer has 9 then he must stand.
Tips
- When the wager is counter-weighed by the player hand, the edge lowers to more near the 1% mark. in the long run, a player should be making more bets on the banker than on the player.
- Many online casinos will offer different versions of baccarat, such as a one deck version, and a 6 or 8 deck version with higher minimum betting amounts. 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. These same probabilities in a baccarat game with six decks are 457% on the banker hand, 443% on the player hand, and 91% on the Tie.
- Play Baccarat at Casinos with the lowest commission possible. On the banker bet, the casino charges a vig, or commission to counter the players advantage.
- As for other bankroll management strategies, a good one is posted on this website. At the least, set yourself limits on losses and stake amounts.
Baccarat game for United Kingdom players: find tips for baccarat, strategies, terms, top baccarat casinos and other gambling information at Baccarat9 UK
Baccarat Best | Baccarat Games | Baccarat Software For Fun | Baccarat Table Gambling Information | Casinos Games Baccarat Online | For Real Internet Baccarat | Games Online Baccarat Play | Internet Games Online Baccarat | Optimal Gambling
|