{"id":5209,"date":"2022-04-05T08:51:56","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T08:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.com\/blog\/\/blog\/?p=5209"},"modified":"2024-05-30T16:09:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T16:09:11","slug":"how-to-play-baccarat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/05\/how-to-play-baccarat\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Play Baccarat: Baccarat Rules Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
In the world of casino games, few tables games evoke as much glamour and excitement as baccarat. The game was a favourite leisurely pursuit of the Napoleonic French elites, before going on to find greater fame in the palatial casinos of Old Havana in the early 20th century.<\/p>\n\n
Today, online baccarat is one of the more popular games available. The classic game\u00a0continues to uphold its reputation for being an exciting game of luck that oozes old-world charm, perhaps helped along by the appearance of the game in numerous James Bond films.<\/p>\n\n
We spoke to the Wizard of Odds, Michael Shackleford, to find out everything you need to know about the rules of baccarat, along with some advice on the best way to play.<\/p>\n\n
When you play live baccarat<\/a>, the first thing you will notice is, of course, the baccarat table. There are three main baccarat variants<\/a> that you will encounter in a live baccarat lounge:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n In terms of table layout, the only difference is that the mini table\u00a0is the smallest, the big table is the largest, and the midi table is halfway in between. The larger the table, the more players and the higher the\u00a0limits.<\/p>\n\n In mini baccarat, the cards are dealt by the dealer and shuffled between shoes, as in a game of blackjack<\/a> dealt from a shoe.\u00a0 In midi baccarat, the player may not just touch the cards, but he may bend and rip them too.\u00a0 A shoe of cards is used only once, so the casino<\/a> doesn\u2019t mind.\u00a0 After a shoe is completed, the casino throws the cards away and brings out a new pre-shuffled shoe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Cards are dealt from a shoe consisting of eight decks of cards.\u00a0 Once you sit down, you can make your bet on the Player, Banker, or Tie. Once betting is closed, the banker will deal out two cards to the player and two to the banker, both of which will be face-up.<\/p>\n\n From here, a win-lose-tie\/third card outcome will occur depending on the criteria set out above. The player may choose to bet on multiple outcomes, such as a Player\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0a Tie in one hand. Once the third card has been dealt on both sides, there should be a clear outcome.<\/p>\n\n Again, it’s important to remember that one of the appeals of baccarat<\/a> is that low house edge. On a Banker bet, the house edge is only 1.06%, while the edge on a Player bet is just 1.24% – a fraction of the house edge on games such as roulette. This is what makes this all-time classic card game such a popular choice among high and low rollers alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Choose whether to bet on Player, Banker or a Tie. You can also choose to make side bets based on which cards will appear.<\/p>\n\n The dealer lays out two cards for the Player hand and two for the Banker hand. All of the cards are face-up and visible to all. Regardless of how many players are at the table, only two hands are dealt and players cannot take any action during gameplay.<\/p>\n\n A score totalling 8 or 9 from the two cards dealt is called a ‘Natural’. If Player or Banker hands are worth 8 or 9 then the game is over as a win for one or the other, or a tie if both have the same score.<\/p>\n\n If a ‘Natural’ was not dealt then the hand continues. The dealer will first give a third card to the Player hand (if the player has 5 or fewer points) and then may deal a third card to the Banker hand depending on the values of both hands.<\/p>\n\n The winning hand is the one with a score closest to 9. If a player picked the correct outcome then winnings are paid out at 1:1 for a Player win, 1:1 less 5% for a Banker win and 16:1 for a Tie. Side bet odds vary from 1:1 to 200:1 depending on the bet.<\/p>\n\n Let’s continue with our guide by taking a more in-depth look at baccarat gameplay and best practice:<\/em><\/p>\n\n The most important thing to remember before you play is that there are three main bets that you can make in a game of baccarat: Player, Banker, and Tie. This might seem confusing at first, since the player (you) and the banker (the house), are also the two participants in any game of baccarat.<\/p>\n\n \u201cBaccarat is like betting on the toss of a coin,\u201d Michael Shackleford says, \u201cwith the Banker and the Player being the two sides of the coin. But there can also be a tie. Imagine the coin landing on its edge \u2013 that is a tie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n This distinction is important to remember because, unlike the similar card game blackjack, baccarat allows you to go head-to-head with the house by betting on either a win for them (the banker) or a win for the player.<\/p>\n\n The goal is for you to bet whose hand will reach a total closest to 9 (much like 21 is the magic number in blackjack). To this end, you can wager on whether the player’s hand will come closest, the banker’s hand will come closest, or the result will be a tie.<\/p>\n\n On top of this, there are a number of additional wagers that might come up in a game of baccarat. Most common of these are the “Player Pair” and “Banker Pair” bets, in which you wager on one party having a pair in their hand.<\/p>\n\n For example, if you wager on a Banker Pair and the first two cards the banker receives are two jacks, then you have won the round with payout odds of 11 to 1. Just to recap, the most important bets in any game of baccarat are:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
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How to Play Baccarat in 5 Easy Steps<\/h2>\n\n
1. Players Place their Bets<\/h3>\n\n
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2. Two Hands are Dealt Face-Up<\/h3>\n\n
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3. If Either Hand Has a Score of 8 or 9 the Game is Over<\/h3>\n\n
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4. Maximum of One Extra Card is Dealt to Each Hand if Required<\/h3>\n\n
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5. Hand Value Closest to 9 is the Winner.<\/h3>\n\n
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The Different Bets: Player, Banker, Tie<\/h2>\n\n