INTRODUCTION TO BACCARAT
Baccarat is one of the most standard casino card games. The origin of the game comes from the country of Italy but the game then spread internationally to many places throughout the world, including Canada! Players playing the game instructed to make a decision about their play by selecting either the ‘player’, ‘banker’, or a ‘tie’, prior to the cards being dealt to them and then the game goes onwards from their.
BASIC RULES OF BACCARAT
The goal of this game is to collect cards that accumulate a total point score of 9 points or as close as possible to that number. The cards all count for a certain number value
Aces =1
2-9 = face value (ie 2=2)
10s, jacks, queens, kings = 0
In this game a score of anything over 9 results in the 10 being dropped away from the final number. For example if a player has cards totalling to 14 then 10 is dropped from this and the score is actually 4. The best winning hand is a combination of two cards that make up the number 9. The second best option is for your two card to equal 8. Winning with that type of combination is considered to be a natural win.
VARIATIONS OF BACCARAT
American Baccarat is probably the most common version of baccarat and is the game that is described above. Players simply select player/banker or tie within the betting area and the game moves forward. The same occurs when playing Punto Banco. The game is funded by the casino in American Baccarat.
There is also a French version of the game called ‘Chemin de Fer’. The goal of the game is the same as the game above but the main difference is that the game is funded by the players and the role of the banker is past on from player to player in a counter clockwise order.
Another version is the European version that is still player throughout Europe. The rules of the game are the same as the American version but the only difference is that everyone in the game is allowed to make a choice in hitting or staying on the number equalling to 5.
HOW TO PLAY BACCARAT
As the game begins the dealer deals two cards to everyone in the game including themselves. The cards are dealt face up and if anyone in the has a total of 8 or 9 with the first two cards no other cards are dealt and the highest point total wins, if both players cards add up to the same amount then a tie is called but if none of these combinations occur then another card is dealt. Another condition is as follows, if you, the player are dealt the first to cards that total over 6 than no more cards are dealt to you, if the point total is 5 or under than you will receive another card.
If the dealer’s hand totals 7 or more the dealer must stand on this hand. If the total equals 0, 1 or 2, the dealer will deal another card to themselves.
Circumstances when the house always hits:
- If the house hand totals 3 and the player’s third card is anything except an 8
- If the house hand totals 4 and the player’s third card is anything other than 1, 8, 9 or 0
- If the house hand totals 5 and the player’s third card is a 4, 5, 6 or 7
- If the house hand totals 6, and the player’s third card is a 6 or 7
The game is played without any participation from the player other than the initial call of either player, banker or tie, The dealer deals the cards and then announces the winner. The payouts are normally as follows.
If you bet on player/banker and player/banker wins: pay is 1:1, with a 5% commission to the casino
If you bet on a tie and there is a tie then you win: either 8:1 or 9:1.
Since there is obviously no strategy to the game, the best and more secure bet is to always bet on the banker.
The Punto Banco, another version of Baccarat give players the best odds by offering the lowest house advantage available in a casino game. Betting on player bet has a house advantage of 1.24% and betting on the banker has an advantage of 1.06%. The tie bet has a higher house advantage of 14.44%.
Baccarat Strategy
Baccarat is an easy enough game to follow. The rules are generally straight forward and the amount of decision making on the players part is minimal. And while these strategies can be good fun to play, always remember that Baccarat is a game of chance so there are no guarantees they will always work to your advantage. However learning a few of these strategies definitely makes the player experience even more exciting and challenging.
Strategy 1: Put your money on the banker
This is the most logical strategy you can play because it is a safe bet. As in most casino games the house has the better edge and this remains true for the game of Baccarat. The banker or dealer in this case has a slightly higher edge of winning so making a bet on the banker winning offers you a better chance of winning too. This strategy is great for the logical and patient player however there would be no fun to the game if you always make the same bet! Feel free to vary it up as bets on the player are sure to win as well but always keep in mind that the banker bet is mathematically speaking, the stronger bet of all the Baccarat bets.
Strategy 2: Avoid the tie bet
The tie bet is one of those bets that players are always drawn to. They take one look at the odds, they do a bit of mental math and realize, wow, this could mean a nice payday for me! But what you have to realize is the odds are so high because this bet rarely wins! Of course it’s always fun to go with your gut and place a few wagers on this spot but try to avoid it as much as possible. After all, walking into a bet where the house edge is a high as 5% isn’t the smartest move if you’re in the game to win!
Strategy 3: Avoid using pattern spotting
Pattern spotting involves watching the scoreboard to see which bets have won within recent hands. Land-based and online casinos will often show you a score board and you will also often see players’ using it, to what they feel is an advantage. Players often believe that seeing a pattern and attempting to bet with the pattern is a good strategy. In actuality though, the math states that the previous hands will have no bearing on what the next hand will be as the odds of each bet remain the same, even if the dealer has won the past 9 hands. So while spotting patterns and having some fun with your bets is an entertaining strategy to try, don’t let your bets get caught up in too many patterns.
Strategy 4: Try to play single deck Baccarat as much as possible
Playing any game in single deck format will always give you better odds than multiple decks so always look for Baccarat games with as little decks in play as possible. Single-deck Baccarat only carries a house edge of 1%. Unfortunately though for those playing online, single-deck doesn’t really exist because the casino software randomizes the cards and essentially reshuffles after each hand.
BACCARAT
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