Baccarat is a casino game unlike any other. It is simple to master, fun and easy to play, but still regarded as being one of the most sophisticated games at the casino.

Baccarat Rules

Although not that many people know how to play, Baccarat is actually one of the easiest casino games to learn. To begin the game, both the player and the banker are dealt two cards face down. The next move depends on the cards in their hands. In Mini Baccarat, which is the only version most of us will ever see in play, you don't even get the option of handling the cards. In the "whale" games of European Baccarat they get to mangle the cards whenever they like just for personal entertainment.

Play begins by all players betting either on the Player, Banker, or Tie. Bet on the Player, gives a house edge of 1.24%. Bet on the Banker's hand gives the edge of either 0.6% if there's a 4% house cut or 1.06% is the cut is 5%. Finally, the Tie bet gives the house almost a 5% edge (Pay 8:1) and at worst 14+% (Pay 9:1). So, for obvious reasons the Tie bet is not advantageous for players, unless some specific rules exist in a specific casino.

After all bets are down the baccarat dealer gives two cards each to the player and the banker. The objective of Baccarat is to draw a two- or three-card hand that totals closest to 9.

Cards values:

The score of the hand is the right digit of the total of the cards. So, if the total is more than 10, just drop the ten. Therefore, there’s no such thing as a "bust" hand. For example, if the two cards were an 8 and 7, then the total would be 15, and the score would be a 5.

The following Baccarat rule chart governs when the player and/or the banker will draws a third card in the baccarat game:

Notice: If either the player and /or the Banker has a total of 8 or 9, they both stand. This Rule overrides all other rules.

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