How to Play Baccarat

Although originally an Italian game, Baccarat became famous in France in the 15th
century. This is considered on of the most glamorous games in a casino.

The player's objective in Baccarat is to correctly guess which of three possible
propositions will win the round: Bank, Player, or Tie.

How to Play

Whichever hand is closest to nine is the winner. Two cards are dealt to the Bank hand and two cards are dealt to the Player hand. Sometimes a third card must be dealt to either or both hands; this depends on the outcome of the first two cards. The player needs not to worry about the third card as the dealer is the one responsible for keeping track of the game.

Betting

The player may start the game by placing a bet on the field that he or she feels will win the turn
" Player - Pays even money.
" Banker - Pays even money minus a 5% commission which is collected on winning bets.
" Tie - Pays 8 to 1 if the Player and Banker point totals tie.

Banker

It is important to understand that "Banker" does not represent the house but merely a field to place a bet on the Baccarat table. The casino house makes its money by taking 5% commission from the winnings of the banker field, should it be the winner. The game rules slightly favor the Banker's hand.

Deck

The game is usually dealt from an eight-deck shoe. It is reshuffled when the shoe reaches about 50%

Cards Value

Cards ACE to NINE are worth their face value of 1 to 9.
Cards TEN to KING are worth 0 (zero).
Cards are dealt in the following order: card to player, card to banker, card to player, card to banker. (4 cards)

Cards Total Value

The TOTAL value of the cards cannot exceed 9. So, if the total value exceeds 9 then the last digit is used. Example 8 + 9 = 17 Player has 7

Game Elements

Credits: displays the amount of money you currently have available in your casino account.

Paid: Displays the total amount paid on a winning bet.

Chip Selection: The chip denomination can be select by clicking on the chip labeled with the amount wish to place or a combination of clicks that will sum up the desired amount to be placed on the table.

Deal Button: Starts a new game. (This button is enabled only after a bet has been placed)

Clear Table: Clears the chips from the table

Cashier Button: The cashier button takes you to the cashier page, where you can transfer chips to and from the casino. It will not be enabled at all time, however-it will be operational when no hand is being played.

Exit Button: The exit button leaves the game and returns to the lobby. It will not be enabled at all times, how ever it will be operational when no hand is being played.

Banker and Player Hands

PLAYER and BANKER receive a 3rd card or STAND on their first two cards as per the rules below unless one of them has a NATURAL

Natural

Player has 9
Banker has 9
First 2 Cards Total 8 OR 9 Banker AND Player STAND - No more cards

Player's 3rd Card

Player Hand totaling 0-5: Player always gets 3rd card. Player Hand totaling 6-7 stands. Stands

Banker's 3rd Card

Banker's Hand totaling 3: Banker gets a 3rd card UNLESS Player's 3rd card is 8 OR Banker gets a 3rd card if Player's 2 cards total is 6 or 7
Banker's Hand totaling 4: Banker gets a 3rd card if Player's 3rd card is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 OR Banker gets a 3rd card if Player's 2 cards total is 6 or 7
Banker's Hand totaling 5: Banker gets a 3rd card if Player's 3rd card is 4, 5, 6, or 7 OR Banker gets a 3rd card if Player's 2 cards total is 6 or 7
Banker's Hand totaling 6: Banker gets a 3rd card if Player's 3rd card is 6, or 7
Banker's Hand totaling 7: Stands

Payouts

Winning Player
Player has 9
Banker has 8
A winning Player hand is paid off at one to one. Thus, if you bet ten dollars, you win ten dollars

Winning Banker
Banker has 9
Player has 7
A winning Bank hand is paid off at .95 to one. This means that if you bet ten dollars, you win $9.50

Winning Tie
Player has 9
Banker has 9

The Tie hand is paid at eight to one. Thus a winning tie bet of $10 will return $80. If you bet on either Bank or Player and the Tie wins, you do not lose your bet. It is a push

House Edge Percentage

Edge in favor of the casino is as follows depending on where the bet is placed:

Tie 14.1%
Banker 1.17% (5% commission on wins)
Player 1.36.%

The Tie bet has a 14.1 percent edge in favor of the casino. The house gets a 1.36 percent edge on the Player bet and a 1.17 percent edge on the Bank bet when the bank charges a five percent commission.

Strategy

A predominant aspect of the baccarat games played at the local casino is the scorecard. Casinos encourage this behavior simply because they know it has no bearing on the outcome of the game. One hand has no bearing on the next, and is never influenced by the preceding hands.

If you were betting on the flip of a coin, and it landed heads up 9 times in a row. The chance of the coin landing tails up on the 10th flip is exactly 50%, just as it was the first nine times. Any Baccarat strategy that makes you change your bets based on previous hands is useless and should be completely disregarded.