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How to play baccarat?

Baccarat is a simple game and its rules are not complicated at all. Any beginner can learn it if he wants to. In this Trusted Casino’s article, we will tell you about the basic rules, as well as game differences. 

The history of baccarat

While it is generally accepted that baccarat originated in France, historical evidence indicates that Italy became the game’s home. The game of tarrochi was widespread in Italy in the 14th century and, although there is no connection between it and baccarat, tarrochi may have been the forerunner of all card games in general. It is believed that the Italian Felix Falgier invented the modern prototype of the game of baccarat using tarot cards. Another popular game in Italy at the time was Macao. It was played with cards, and the winner was the one with 9 points. This game is often called Italian baccarat and may have been the prototype of modern baccarat. 

Le her is another game that could have been the ancestor of the oldest version of baccarat, as this game also includes the principle of a fixed number of cards and winning if the player collects the highest number of points. Le her was played by two players, each receiving one card. The cards had face values ​​from 1 to 13, with the kings being quoted as the highest card and guaranteeing a win. Each player could exchange a card if it is not a king, which is essentially similar to dealing additional cards in baccarat.

The reasons to play baccarat

As we have already said, baccarat is an extremely famous game. Here are the main features that make the game stand out from the rest.

  • Playing rules are easy to remember.
  • The game offers great odds even to inexperienced novices. 
  • You can usually find high- and low-stakes versions of the game in a casino which is convenient.
  • Baccarat is also available in online casinos.

The basic information

Baccarat uses six to eight decks, with up to 16 players sitting at one table. The game is played against the dealer/bank. Before the cards are dealt, the player must make a bet. There are three types of bets in total:

  • Punto — a bet on the victory of a player who must score more points than the dealer.
  • Banco — the bet on the dealer’s victory.
  • Egalite — a bet on the fact that both the player and the dealer will have an equal number of points. It’s also known as a tie bet.

This is the main goal of the Internet game — to guess which hand will be stronger and to make the appropriate bet.

After the bets, the dealer deals two cards each (to the player and himself). The winner is the one with the stronger hand (the one who has a better combination of cards). The maximum number of possible points is 9. The calculation is carried out as follows:

  • aces — 1 point.
  • the 2 through 9 cards in each suit are worth face value (that is, 2, 3, 4, 5 points, and so on).
  • tens, jacks, queens, kings — 0 points.

If the total of points exceeds 9, then in this case the last digit is taken into account. For example, you have 10 points in your hands. This means your score is 0 (since the last digit is 0). If you have 12 points in your hands, then they are automatically transformed into 2 points (since the last number is 3).

In ordinary baccarat, the rules of the game are insignificant but still differ from similar gambling entertainment in online casinos. If among your friends your task is to collect as many points as possible to celebrate the victory, then playing online you must make the correct bet on the outcome of the game. The most popular baccarat in online casinos is called Punto Banco, which is played according to traditional rules.

The detailed scheme of the playing session

  1. After bets are made, two hands are dealt consisting of two cards to each hand (it’s known as the player hand and the Bank Hand).
  2. The goal is to figure which hand will have a total closest to 9.
  3. Players can wager on the Bank Hand, player hand, or the tie bet.
  4. There are house rules that define whether the bank or player hand gets a third drawcard (there is a maximum of three cards per hand.)
  5. Players who wager on a winning player hand receive a 1 to1 payoff.
  6. Players who wager on a winning Bank Hand also receive a 1 to 1 payoff but should pay a 5% commission.
  7. The payoff odds for a winning tie bet are 8 to1.

The versions of baccarat tables

There are three sizes of Baccarat tables. The rules for playing are the same; the differences are the number of players, how the cards are dealt, and the minimum and maximum betting limits. Here is the list of the available tables:

  1. Full-size Punto Banco Baccarat. Such tables can host up to 14 players, and the betting boundaries are often the highest. Gamblers handle the cards and the biggest bettor on the Bank Hand gets to turn over the Bank cards while the biggest bettor on the Player Hand turns up the Player cards. The table is staffed by three dealers.
  2. Mini-Baccarat. It is a low-stakes version of the big Baccarat game. The tables can accommodate up to 6 or 7 players. Minimum betting limits are usually $5 to $15, with a maximum betting limit of up to $5,000. The table has only one croupier.
  3. Midi-Baccarat. Tables can be held by up to 9 players and are staffed by one dealer. Bet limits are thought out to satisfy most players: $25 up to $10,000.

The things to remember

  • Excluding ties, the Bank Hand wins more times than it loses.
  • Including ties, the house edge on the Bank Hand is 1.06%; on the Player Hand it is 1.24%, and for the Tie, it’s 14.36%.
  • Baccarat’s overall house advantage is about 1.2%, which is one of the lowest in the casino.
  • Because the drawing rules are fixed, there is no opportunity for strategic decisions (like in the game of blackjack).