Baccarat has always been one of the fascinating casino games. In Las Vegas casinos (unfortunately not found in French casinos), the Baccarat tables, like the craps tables, are always very lively.
This game was invented by Italians in the Middle Ages. He found his audience among aristocrats and was popularized in the 20th century by the novel by Ian Flemming in the James Bond series.
Baccarat Principle
The game of Baccarat is a card game where the player is against the bank (as in blackjack). The object of the game is to guess which hand (your own or that of the casino) will have the value closest to 9, knowing that the scores are between 0 and 9.
To play a hand of Baccarat, you place your bets on the table (below) by choosing to bet on the player (player = you), the casino (banker = the bank), or on a tie (Tie).
Card Counting At Baccarat
The card value is specific to Baccarat. Indeed, an Ace is always worth 1, and a figure is always worth 10. Cards from 2 to 9 take their face value.
To count a hand, you add the value of the cards you receive, but only the rightmost digit is taken into account for the account (Remember, the account cannot exceed 9).
For example, if you receive a 10 and a 5, the total is 15. Your account is, therefore, 5.
A Course Of A Game Of Baccarat
After placing the bets, two cards are dealt with the player and the bank. Depending on the score, a new card can be drawn by the player. Here are the “rules of the player” depending on the hand obtained:
- 8 or 9: Stay (natural)
- 6 or 7: Stay
- 0 to 5: Draw a card
If one of the two games immediately obtains an 8 or a 9 and the other does not make a better or a tie, no third card is drawn, the game is stopped (natural rule).
Note that the bank applies the player rule when the player has 2 cards. From the moment the player has 3 cards, the “banker’s rule” applies. Here are the rules of drawing according to the value of the two cards of the bank:
- 8 or 9: Stay (natural)
- 7: Stay
- 6: Draw if the new player total is 6 or 7
- 5: Draw if the new player total is between 4 and 7.
- 4: Draw if the new player total is between 2 and 7.
- 0, 1, 2 or 3: Shoot
Payment Of Baccarat Winnings
When you have bet on the right winner, you win once your bet. If you bet on a tie, you will receive 8 times your stake. However, this bet is to be avoided because it gives a much higher advantage to the casino.
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