How to Play Baccarat
So you want to play baccarat? Great! You've come to the right place. Use this basic guide to understand the very basics of baccarat.
Card games rank high in the preferences of online casino players and baccarat is at the top of the list. Back in the day, it used to be a game reserved to the rich and famous. It is now accessible to casual and recreational players alike, but it still retains that unique flavor that makes it special. Anyone can enjoy the thrills of real money baccarat and by following a basic set of rules they can boost the odds of winning.
Betting Options in Baccarat
Compared to other card games that are played against the house, baccarat gives punters more flexibility. That’s because they can bet on the banker, the player or the tie, although the latter carries an unreasonably high house edge and should be avoided. It stands at 14.4%, compared to a 1.06 percent for the banker bet and 1.24 when backing the player. While the differences between the banker and the player hand are negligible, the crushing house edge for the tie makes it impossible to recommend.
The Rules of Play for Baccarat
Punters need to make a decision between the banker bet and the player bet, which pay 1:1 and have a roughly 50% chance of winning. Subtract the commission, called vigorish, which amounts for 5% and you’ve got the potential winnings after each hand. Punters who are willing to take extra chances for the chance of bigger profits can bet on the tie and be paid 8:1, or even 9:1 at some casinos.
The value of the card is easy to calculate as they have the value described on them, except for face cards and 10-value cards which count for 0. Aces are one and players are tasked with getting a hand as close to nine as possible to make the best hand in Baccarat. It is not possible to go bust, so if your hand totals exceed nine, you just ignore the numbers in the “tens” column and look at the single digits.
Players are compelled to stand at cards totals of 6+ and must draw another at five or less. Bankers must stand at 7+, but in the first two cards amount for zero, one or two the banker must draw another one. It can decide to hit or stand for cards totals of three, four, five or six based on what the player is holding.
