How to Win at Baccarat
Baccarat, the casino card game with a Bond-dipped mystique, is not for the faint of heart. But it’s also not as difficult as you might think. Tucked away in high-limit gaming areas, the game has cultivated a reputation of sophisticated refinement – an aura that carries the air of an exclusive club. But, in truth, baccarat’s Zen-like minimalism makes it an ideal game for players of all stripes to play.
In a nutshell, the goal is to get a hand closer to nine than the opponent’s. The winning hand is whichever one comes closest to 9 when the sum of all the pips (cards numbered from 2-9, plus the ace) is added up. Picture cards count zero points, tens count as 10, and aces count as 1.
There are from seven to 14 seats for players, and a dealer’s area, depending on the version of the game. When the cards are dealt, players place their bets on whether they think the player’s hand will win, the banker’s hand will win, or a tie will occur. The croupier deals one card to the player’s area, then one to the banker’s area, and finally two to the tie area.
The croupier will then announce the results of the hand. If the player wins, he or she receives a payout equal to the total amount bet on that round. If the banker wins, he or she will receive a payout equal to the total amount bet by all players on that round. The remaining balance is distributed to those who placed bets on the tie. The amount of money awarded varies from casino to casino, but typically ranges from $20-$25 per bet.
Baccarat’s history is not completely clear, but it may have spun off from pai gow, an ancient Chinese tile game that was brought to Italy by Marco Polo during his travels in the 13th century. Regardless, the game quickly became popular in France, where it was called Chemin de Fer, and has since become the preferred casino game of Asian high rollers.
The best way to win at baccarat is to set a fixed budget before you play, and stick to it. This will prevent you from getting carried away by excitement and potentially huge losses. Another helpful strategy is the 1-3-2-6 system, which helps you manage your bets and increase your profits by a fixed amount each round. For example, if you bet $10 in the first round, you’ll bet $30 in the second, then $60 in the third. If you keep winning, the number of units you bet increases each round, which allows you to maximize your profit while managing your risk.