Baccarat Basics
Baccarat is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It originated in Europe, but has made its way around the globe to casinos in Asia and the United States. The main goal is to get as close to nine as possible without going over. When all of the pips have added up, the hand closest to nine wins the round. In some variants of baccarat, the house pays a small commission on winning bets on the banker’s hand.
In the most basic version of baccarat, players and the dealer deal two hands of cards to each other. Each hand has a numerical value that is equal to the face value of the card. For example, a 2 is worth twice as much as a 3. Similarly, a six counts as three, while an eight counts as six. Generally, the house’s edge on these hands is slightly lower than the house’s edge on the player’s hand.
Baccarat is typically played with eight decks of cards. There are a few ways to bet, including the Tie bet, which pays 8 to 1. While the Tie bet offers slightly better odds than the player’s hand, the overall house edge is higher, about 14.1 percent. This is one of the few games where it is possible to do something to hurt the casino, as opposed to doing nothing.
Before starting the game, players choose which hand they want to bet on. The objective is to wager on a hand that is closer to nine than the other hand. If you bet on the banker, you’ll win a 5% commission on any win. You can also place a bet on the other hand, which is called the Player bet.
To make a decision, you need to know the first two cards. If you’re betting on the banker, you’ll know the banker’s third card, which is either a 0-5, a 4-or-5, or a 2 or 3.
Those of you who are playing the Player bet should be aware of the rules that are involved. When the banker’s total is a 0-6, a player should not draw a card. On the other hand, when the banker’s total is a 6-7-8, a player should draw a card. Alternatively, a player can choose to stand or call.
During the course of a round, a player is given the option of choosing the active player. An active player plays for the same side of the table in the next coup. Assuming that no other players have bet against the banker, the active player is free to draw a card. Otherwise, the player loses his turn. After a round, the turn for the active player passes to the next player in a counter-clockwise rotation.
A second version of the game is called Punto Banco, and is also played in casinos. This game has become particularly popular in Asia, with Asian cultures. Since most Asian casinos don’t like to be tuxedoed, the casinos in these areas often use a single-table format that is less expensive.