Baccarat is a card game commonly found in physical casinos and online casino platforms. It is played between two hands: you (the player) and the banker.
With the aim of the game to predict which hand will have a total value closest to nine or if the result will be a tie, we wanted to know more about this gaming classic so you know just what to expect when you head to a live Baccarat game or a computer generated game, both of which are available on many online casino websites.
Overview of the Game
- Participants: Baccarat can involve multiple players, but each participant’s role is limited to placing wagers on the outcome of the hands. There are no decisions during the game after your
- The deck: Baccarat is typically played with six or eight standard decks of cards.
- Card values:
Gameplay
- The deal
Two hands are dealt: one for you and one for the banker. Each hand starts with two cards.
Additional cards may be drawn according to pre-set rules (described below).
- Game criteria
The goal for any game of Baccarat is for one hand to have a value as close to nine as possible.
If a hand’s total exceeds nine, only the last digit of the total is counted. For example, a hand with a seven and eight (total 15) is valued at five.
- Third-card rules
If your or banker’s hand has a total of eight or nine from the initial deal, this is called a natural, and no more cards are drawn.
If neither hand has a natural, additional cards may be drawn:
- You: Draw a third card if your total is five or less.
- Banker: The banker’s decision to draw depends on their total and your third card (if any). These rules are fixed and not decided by participants.
- Betting options
- Your hand wins: A prediction that your hand will have a higher total.
- Banker’s hand wins: A prediction that the banker’s hand will have a higher total.
- Tie: A prediction that both hands will have the same total. This has higher payouts but occurs less frequently.
Important considerations
- Chances of correctly predicting
Baccarat is based entirely on chance. The fixed rules governing when additional cards are drawn mean you have no decisions to make after placing your wager.
- House edge
The banker bet typically has the lowest house edge, followed by the player bet. The tie bet has the highest house edge, making it less likely to result in a favourable outcome.
- Playing responsibly
Baccarat is a chance-based game. Set a budget and know that outcomes are unpredictable. Never assume patterns or trends will determine results.
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Now, you know a little more about Baccarat. Will you be backing the player’s hand, the banker’s hand or predicting a tie?
