How to play baccarat

The game of baccarat is a classic Bond film setting, which makes the game seem more intimidating than it should be. However, it’s actually a pretty simple game, just like other card games that can be explored on our website, https://zaboodles.com/. And in terms of betting, the baccarat strategy has a lot in common with the flip of a coin. What’s more, it features a player-friendly casino advantage.

The rules

Baccarat rules require that all bets on any given hand be called before the start of the game. The game then begins by dealing two cards to each of the two hands, known as the player’s hand and the pot hand respectively.

The objective of it in real time is to predict which of these hands will subsequently draw the amount closest to 9. This is done by betting on the bank hand, the player’s hand or on the round ending in a draw.

When counting any hand sum, all tens and “face” cards are zero, an ace is 1 and all remaining cards are valued at their face value. However, if any hand should score higher than 9, this score is adjusted by subtracting 10 from the original sum.

The internal rules at any particular place determine whether the bank or a player’s hand has the right to draw a third card. And in either case there will always be a maximum of three cards available for either hand. Those who bet correctly on the player’s winning hand are entitled to a 1-to-1 payout.

However, although those who correctly predicted the winning bank hand will also be entitled to a 1 to 1 payout, according to baccarat rules they must also pay a 5% commission. This brings the odds of a payout in this hand down to 19 to 20. A winning draw bet is entitled to an 8-to-1 payout.

Bets

If you bet on a player’s hand and it is closest to nine, you win twice your bet. If you bet on the banker’s hand and it’s the winning hand, the payout is 95% of your bet. But don’t forget that an amount greater than nine requires discarding the first digit to get the true value.

For example, 9 + 6 = 15, discard “1” = 5. A draw is another betting option, which, as mentioned, will give you a payout of 8 to 1. Scorecards are available at the live baccarat tables to help keep track of the score.

Player Hand

One thing that can be confusing in baccarat is the draw of the third card. But it’s important to remember: it’s not a matter of strategy; all these decisions fall under the rules of the game and are made by the dealer. So as a player you can just “go with the flow”, but it’s always good to have some idea of what’s about to happen.

When the sum of points in a player’s hand is between 0 and 5 or equal to 10, a third card is drawn. If the total is 6 or 7, the action is called ‘standing’, meaning that the third card is not drawn. Totals of 8 or 9 are described as “natural” and here the third card cannot be drawn either.

Banker’s Hand

The rules for the banker’s hand follow the same principles, but are a little more detailed. Again, the dealer is responsible for enforcing these rules and thus will announce the necessary actions.

And one more point: when there is a draw, there is no loser. If the first two cards are 8 or 9, the hand is considered “natural” and thus an automatic win, unless both hands give “natural” of equal value, in which case it becomes a draw.