The Basics of Baccarat
Baccarat is one of the world’s most popular casino games. It’s often described as “a game for high rollers” due to the game’s long history and association with wealth. However, baccarat’s rules are actually quite simple and the house edge is low enough to make it an excellent game for the casual player.
In baccarat, players sit in designated seats and place their chips in the area labeled for player, banker, or tie bets. Once a player has placed their bet, the dealer will shuffle the cards and begin dealing. Each hand consists of eight cards: seven of which are drawn from the shoe and one from the banker’s hand. The card values are based on the pips (the dots on a playing card that represent clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) and the ace. The goal is to have the banker or player’s hand with a value closest to 9.
A hand will only draw a third card if the initial total is 8 or 9 for either the Banker or Player hand. If the total is 0 for the Banker or Player hand, it is a natural and wins the round. If the Banker and Player hands have equal totals, it’s a tie. The winner of a tie bet receives his or her bet back plus the winnings for bets on the Banker hand. If the Banker hand wins, it pays out bets on the Banker hand at a 1:1 payout, minus a 5% commission that is collected by the dealer.
Whether you bet on the Player, Banker, or Tie, every round in a game of baccarat is completed within about 15 seconds. Baccarat is not only the fastest game in a casino, but it’s also the least intimidating for the new gambler because you don’t bet against other players. The only decision you have to make is which bet to place, and that’s a close call (
As the popularity of baccarat has grown, so have its variations and side bets. For example, Mini baccarat has become popular at many casinos in the United States. This is a smaller table that offers the same rules as regular baccarat, but with reduced betting limits. Another variation is Super Six, an optional bet that wins if the Banker hand has a score of 6. It pays out at 12x your bet amount. In addition to these, there are several other types of bets you can place in a baccarat game. Learn about them all to increase your chances of winning. Moreover, it’s important to understand when the game is over so that you can place your bets properly.