Baccarat
is a simple game
Movies
make baccarat out to be the most sophisticated and risky game in the
casino but in actuality it is incredibly simple and tens of thousands of
dollars are by no means necessary to play.
There are only two decisions made by the player during the game: how much to wager and what to wager on, the rest is pure
chance.
The
object of the game is to have either a two or three card hand which, when
the card values are added, totals or is closest to nine. Face cards and tens have a value of zero, aces equal one, and
all other cards are valued as marked.
No hand ever values more than nine.
Anytime a hand totals more than nine ten is subtracted and the
resulting number is the hand value (A hand of 9-6 would equal 5).
Game play is very organized and there are no real nuances because
every possible situation has a predetermined reaction.
The
standard rules:
·
Both
the player and the dealer receive two cards
·
If
either hand (player or dealer) equals either 8 or 9 (both numbers are
called “natural”) game play stops and bets are won, lost, or pushed
based on the original two card hands
·
If
neither hand is a natural the player’s hand is automatically played
first
·
If
the player’s total on two cards is 5 or less another card is
automatically drawn and then play moves to the dealer (no hand will ever
have more than three cards)
·
If
the player has 6 or 7 and the dealer did not have a natural no card is
drawn. Play stops and bets are won, lost, or pushed based on the original
two card hands
·
The
dealer only draws a third card if the player does and only if his card
total is equal to or less than the player’s total up to 7, when no card
is drawn.
The options for wagering are
threefold. The player can bet
on his own cards, the dealer’s cards, or that the game will be a draw. All winning bets on the dealer hand pay a 5% commission and
the edge is about 1.2%. Betting
on the player hand, when no commissions are paid on player wins, results
in a 1.06% house edge. Wagers
on the tie typically payoff at 8-1 but that is in the face of a 14% house
advantage; avoid the tie bet!
Once
the player has placed the bet everything is in the hands of the dealer and
no further decision need to be placed.
That’s not bad for a game with an edge that is among the lowest
in the casino.
Good luck!
|
