Baccarat is a classic card game of elegance. It is believed that it we created in France at the end of the 15th century. Also, James Bond, the famous 007 spy, has been seeing playing the game at a casino quite a few times in his earliest movies. As it is the case with classic casino dealers, when you play Baccarat online you have the chance to place a bet on the player’s side or the dealer’s side.
Just like Blackjack and some other casino games, the advantage of the casino in this particular game is very low, while the rules are also simple. Given that, if you take some time to study the rules a bit, you can minimize losses due to errors and significantly improve your game. For those who seek a game full of action with a very small advantage for the casino, but also a game that does not require you to learn difficult and complicated strategies, Baccarat is an excellent option. The game of Baccarat can be played either in a casino, or at online at home, whereas there is also a mini version of the game available.
Baccarat rules
The rules of the game are actually pretty simple. The player’s target it to have a card sum as close as possible to 9. The player is given two cards. These cards are worth their imprinted value, except from Aces (A) which are worth 1 point, and Jacks (J), Queens (Q) and Kings (K) that are not worth anything (0 points). When the sum is over 9 then it is reset to 0 and he has to start counting again. For example, if a player is given a two (2) and a nine (9), the sum is 11, but the actual value of the cards is 1. If he has a six (6) and an eight (8), the value will be four (4) and so on. The easiest way to understand these “strange” maths is simply by subducting ten (10) from two-digit sums, therefore 18->8 and 17->7 etc. There is nothing complicated about the rules of the game of Baccarat, either you play online or not.
Winning a game of Baccarat
If a player gets a value of 8 or 9, he has a “natural”, that means that he wins automatically if the dealer has also 8 or 9. If he has something else with his first two cards, the dealer may give or may not give an extra card, depending on the actual sum. This is not a decision taken by the player, but an automatic decision of the game, that is executed by the dealer. The same situation also happens when the dealer draws for himself. At the end, the one with the highest sum wins.
Baccarat type of bets
As we mentioned before, in a game of Baccarat the player is free to bet on his cards or the dealer’s cards. The player can also bet on a draw if he wishes to do so, but this bet offers bad odds compared to its value and therefore it should better be avoided. Therefore it’s practically very easy to learn to play Baccarat in a matter of seconds and start playing online or at a nearby casino. Baccarat may be considered a game of elegance, popular among the Kings, but it’s so simple to play and everyone can try it.
The basics
Baccarat is not a game of skill like poker. You are free to place your bet on your cards or on the dealer’s card but that’s where your options end. From then on the game is executed by the dealer automatically, and unlike poker there are no other decisions to make before your next bet. The players just pick a side and watch the game. This fact, together with the total absence of ingame tactics (except from betting strategies that can be used), make Baccarat a game of luck. On the other hand Baccarat is a very amusing social activity. Since you don’t control the game, just sit and enjoy it, and remember that you are not obliged to take part in every round of the game. As a result, if you choose to stay away for a few rounds, that’s absolutely acceptable.
When you pay a visit to a casino, just make sure you spend some time on a Baccarat table. With very little money you can spend some really good time playing Baccarat, and when you need a brake out of action, you are free to do so and then return back or stop.