Baccarat History The word Baccarat descend from the Italian word baccara, which means zero. This is due to the picture cards and 10 counting as zero. There is a possibility that the game of baccarat originated in Italy and was invented by an Italian gambler Felix Falguiere. Around 1490 it was introduced to the French and until the early 1950's European Baccarat or “Chemin de fer” was the choice game of French nobles. American Baccarat originated in Great Britain and then spread to South America and then to Nevada. Game objective Baccarat is played with six or eight complete decks of cards excluding the jokers. All cards, ace through nine, are valued according to their face value. Tens and Picture cards count as zero. The highest total any hand can have is 9. The maximum amount of 3 cards can be dealt to the player or the dealer. If a hand exceeds 9 and go into double digits only the number on the right counts. When receiving a total of 9 with the first two cards dealt it is said that it is a natural and is the highest hand one can get. A total of 8 with the first two cards is the second highest hand and is also called a natural. If both the dealer and the player has the same total it is a tie. The objective is to place a wager on either the player or the bank on who will win the hand before the hand is dealt. This makes Baccarat one of the favorite casino games as it offers the best odds and is the only casino game that allows you to bet on the dealer. If you bet on the dealer you pay 5% commission. Money is paid out 1 to 1.
The fixed rules of baccarat apply in all American casinos: The highest total any baccarat hand can have is nine. A two-card total of nine is called a natural and cannot lose. An eight is the second best hand and is also called a natural. If both player and bank are dealt identical hands, it is a tie and neither bank nor player wins.
If neither hand has a natural, the player's hand is always the first to be played, followed by the dealer. If the first two cards total five or less, another card is drawn. If they total six or seven, no further cards can be drawn.
No more than a total of three cards can be drawn for either hand, and when both hands have been played out, the hand closest to nine wins.
Players bet by placing their chips in either the player, bank, or tie spot in the numbered box opposite their seat. Winning bets made on the player or bank are paid off at even money. The only other bet that can be made is a tie bet, which is paid off at 8:1. In most games, bets range from a $20 minimum to $2,000 maximum. The type of wager and the amount are the only decisions a player must make, after which point the dealer's actions take over. After the winner is announced, the two other dealers at the table pay off the winning bets and collect from the losers. If the bank was the winner, players who won must pay a 5% commission on their winnings. A record of the commission owed by each player is kept with plastic lammers in a numbered box. Players can pay this vigorish at any time, but it must be paid when the shoe is completed. Each time the shoe is depleted of cards, all decks are thoroughly shuffled and replaced in the shoe.
The house edge in baccarat is the lowest of any casino game. With only a 5% commission on winning bank bets and nothing taken from winning player bets, the player's disadvantage is only 1.37%. The payoff for ties is 8:1, but it is a bad bet as the house edge is increased to 14.1%. The Game After all bets have been placed, the dealer deals 2 cards each to the Banker and Player hands. The dealer will call the point total for each hand. All cards, Ace through to 9, are worth their face value. The 10, Jack, Queen and King are worth zero (0) points (the suits are irrelevant). To determine the value of a hand, the points of the cards are added together. If the total is greater than 10, the left-hand digit is dropped and only the right-hand digit is counted. For example:
J + 10 = 0 The point value is 0
7 + 5 = 12 The point value is 2
The object of the game is for you to draw a perfect hand - one worth 9 points. This hand is called a "natural". Point totals of 8 or 9 are naturals but a hand value of 9 points wins over a hand value of 8 points. After the initial deal, a precise set of rules determines if a third card is drawn to either the Player or Banker hands, or both hands (see table below). |