Baccarat is a fun, challenging, card game that is played at online casinos and land based casinos all around the world. Baccarat is essentially a game of chance, and a win can simply be put down to luck. Despite this, all is not lost, because there are some strategies associated with the game, and when these are put into practice, then a win is possible.
Baccarat has always been considered a very sophisticated and elegant casino game. However, some customers don’t realize how easy it is to play, because it often seems something of a mystery, as it is played in a separate area in the casino.
Baccarat has a relatively low house edge, which means that it has better odds than many of the other casino games. Because of the good odds associated with baccarat, it does tend to pull in high stakes. The objective of the game is to obtain a hand with 2 or 3 cards that have a value close to 9.
Rules
Baccarat is played between 2 players, one is simply the player, while the other is the banker. The banker has control of the cards, and keeps the shoe with the cards. The banker also has the highest amount of money.
Baccarat is played with 8 decks of cards. In terms of card values, the ace has a value of 1, the numbers 2 through 9 retain their numerical value, and 10 and the face cards, (Jack, Queen, King), have a value of 0. A player must only have 2 or 3 cards at a time.
The game has only 3 possible wagers ‘banker,’ ‘player’ and ‘tie.’ You get the best odds when you wager on the banker’s hand, and the worst, when you wager for a tie. The banker’s hand carries with it the lowest house edge, but if you win, there is a commission that is due to the casino.
The banker deals the cards, 2 to the player, and 2 to himself, and they are placed face down. Depending on the value of the cards that have been dealt, both of them can opt to either draw another card or ‘stand.’ An additional card is drawn if the value of the cards in hand is 5 or less. However, if the value is 6 or 7 the player should stand.
At the end of the game the total card values are calculated. This is done by adding the values of all the cards in hand. The result is then divided by 10. If the sum of the cards is 9, then you have the perfect hand. If the cards go into double digits, then you only use the value of the second card as the total. Nine is the highest value that can be obtained, and zero is the lowest.
When the banker loses the game, then the shoe passes to the next player, who then becomes the banker. As with any other casino game, it is important to stay relaxed and confident while playing baccarat.
