Baccarat

Simple rules, high payback, unique atmosphere, growing adrenaline… These are common denominators for the popular Baccarat card game. If you like high-quality and sophisticated games that are not only about luck, but also about your skill, then the game of Baccarat is a perfect suit for you. You can either play in casinos around the world in enclosed rooms that offer privacy, pleasant sense of security and complete peace. However, if you prefer convenience and want to enjoy the game from your living room or office then you will love the online casino.

An insight into the history of the Baccarat card game

It is said that the Italian gambler Felix Falguierein (sometimes referred to as Falguiere), who named the game “Baccara”, is behind this game from the 15th century. During the reign of Charles VIII. it had expanded to France, where it had been transformed into its present form and more well-known name “Baccarat”.  A while later, it finally reached Nevada in its modified form.

Initially, it was considered rather a social event, in which high-ranking nobles and officials had the opportunity to show their assets and thus confirm their position in society. Now this card game from the Middle Ages is open to everyone in 3 versions.

Basic rules

All 3 variants of Baccarat have the same elemental rules, the difference is only in the way of managing the pot. There are 4 to 8 decks of cards, no jokers. The player and the banker face each other, both receiving 2 cards and trying to get as close to 9 as possible, and of cours, to overplay the opponent.

Card Values:

• Card 2 to 9 represent its value.
• 10, jack, queen, and king have value of 0
• Aces are worth 1 point

If the sum of the cards exceed 9, the decimal number of a two-digit total is omitted.

Examples:

2 + 6 = 8
6 + 10 = 16 = 6
J + 10 = 0 + 10 = 0
10 + A = 10 + 1 = 11 = 1

After placing bets that you can only place on a banker, player or a tie, each player receives 2 cards. The banker is the last one to receive the same number of cards. If the first two cards total 8 or 9, the hand is called a “natural” and it wins automatically, unless both hands have equal value “naturals”, in that case it’s considered a tie. However, if the player or banker does not have a sum of 8 or 9, the game continues. A player receives a third card if the hand is made of cards from 0 to 5. At totals of 6 or 7, no additional card is distributed and the player stands. At this point, a banker with cards from 0 to 5 draws a third card.

Types of bets

A player bet (punto) means that players bet on another player, that is that the value of the player’s cards will be higher than the value of the banker’s cards.

The banco bet is the exact opposite. The participants of the game will bet that the value of the banker cards will be higher than the players.

The tie bet is probably more than clear… Game participants can bet on a tie, which occurs when both the player’s and the banker’s hands match. Betting on it is not exactly advantageous.

The minimum of bets vary depending on the type of game, but is not exactly small. In American casinos, minimum bets are around $20 and the maximum can go up to  $10,000. When a player or banker wins, a payout equals 1:1 to the bet. A tie is usually paid out in 8:1 or 9:1 ratio.

Variants of the Baccarat game

Punto Banco

The American version of Punto Banco, called “Nevada Baccarat”, has strict rules setting when to draw a third card or stand. It is literally a game of chance, so you don’t really have to think of any strategies or have any previous game experience.

Chemin de Fer

This variant of the game makes players bet against each other. One of them holds the bank and can decide what amount to wager. The role of the banker moves around the table, but if a player does not want it, it automatically moves on to the next. Unlike the previous version of the game, players can choose whether or not they want a third card in specific situations.

Baccarat Banque

Baccarat Banque also known as ‘Baccarat à Deux Tableux’ runs on two tables simultaneously. In the middle between the tables sits croupier who covers all bets on both tables and plays against them. Otherwise, the rules are almost the same as those of Chemin de Fer.

Are you interested in playing? Baccarat is a great game for beginners thanks to its simple rules. If you want to try the game and practice it nicely, free games will serve you well.