Baccarat is one of the most simple yet exciting game provided by the online as well as land based casinos. This game is full of suspense and intrigue but does not require any mathematical genius to play it. Baccarat provides only three choices of outcome to choose from, which comprise of
- Player Win
- Banker Win
- Tie
In Baccarat, Banker does not stand for the house, he is just another player in the game. You can opt to bet either on the win of a player or banker’s hand. It is always better to learn a little bit about this game before indulging in it. Going through the rules and the game play can help you to make better strategies.
While playing Baccarat in a land based casino, you are required to place your bets either upon the player or the banker before the cards are dealt.
Game Play of Baccarat
Once all the bets are placed, two cards are dealt each for the player as well as the banker. A dealer or a player in possession of the shoe deals the first face up card on the player’s box. The next face up card is dealt to the banker’s box. Similarly the second face side cards are also dealt to the player and the banker in the same routine.
Announcement of Point Total
Once all the cards are dealt, the dealer announces the point total of player’s as well as dealer’s cards. While calculating the point total of the cards dealt, the dealer keeps the following rules in mind.
- Tens and face card provide zero points.
- All other cards have their own face value.
- The ace is worth one point.
If the total of both the cards is in double digits or more than 10, then the second digit of the number is considered as the value of the hand. For example if a player gets 9 and 5 with a total of 14 then it is a 4 point hand. In order to win, the total of both the cards should be closer or equal to nine.
Concept of Natural Win
There is a concept of natural win in the game of Baccarat. This means that if the total of two cards, dealt for either of players, has a point of eight or nine then the winner is declared straight forward. This ends the game and all the bets are cashed out.
Third Card in Baccarat
There is a provision of dealing a third card by the dealer. This decision is taken by the dealer after taking in account the point total of the player and the banker. If the player hand total is 8 or 9 then no additional card is provided. On the other hand if player’s hand stands at 6, 7 or ranges from 0 to 5 then a third card is dealt by the dealer.
Outcome of the Game
Once all the cards are dealt, dealer counts the points. The side with the total of 9 or closer to it is declared as the winner. The outcome of the Baccarat is provided in the following way.
- A bet placed on the Banker’s hand in case of a win receives an even-money payout minus 5 percent house commission.
- A bet placed on the Player’s hand in case of a win receives an even-money payout without any deduction.
- A bet placed on a Tie and in the case of a tie gives out 8-to-1 payout on your bet.
- In the case of a tie if you opt for either of the first two options, bet gets returned.