118 Gambling - How to Play Baccarat

How To Play Baccarat

Baccarat is a high-class card game with high minimum bets, generally played in a special roped-off part of the casino, with well-dressed players. James Bond played it in one of his movies. Some casinos have mini-baccarat in the regular gaming areas, which is the same game except the minimum bets are lower. You do not have to dress like up and the players do not get to take turns dealing the cards themselves.

Two hands are dealt, and the higher hand wins. You can bet on either hand to win. One hand is called the banker and the other is called the player but you still bet on either hand. On a funny note, they might as well be called hand 1 and hand 2. Also, there is only one player hand dealt no matter how many players there are. That is because the player hand is not really t he player’s hand, it is just one of the choices you can bet on.

Baccarat is so appealing and is an easy game to play and because there is no strategy to learn. The player’s decision is limited to deciding what kind of bet to make. From there on it is in the dealer’s hands and you can collect or pay when the game is over.

In the 1980’s, casinos began to reach over to the average customer with mini-baccarat, played on a seven-layer, blackjack-sized table on the casino floor with the rest of the tables games. It moves faster than baccarat, and the dealer deals all cards, but the rules stay the same. The mini baccarat, which is the only version most of us will ever see in play, and you do not even get the option of handling the cards. In casinos that cater to high rollers, baccarat has long been the game of whales, the highest of high rollers. In the whale games of European Baccarat they get to mangle the card whenever they like just for personal entertainment. But then they are dropping $1000 or more a hand and you can place a bet that buys a lot of replacement cards.

Most games with a low edge require you to learn some strategy, but in Baccarat, you get the same low edge no matter what because the only decisions you make are how much to bet and which of the two low-edge hands you want to be on, player or banker. The only way to lose is to make the tie bet which carries a high edge.

The casinos usually take a 5 percent commission on winning hands when you bet on the banker. The dealers keep track of this and you pay the commission when you cash out at the end of your session. Even with this commission, betting on the banker still has a lower house edge because the banker hand is much more likely to win against the player hand.

Baccarat is generally played at about 50-120 hands per hour, and mini-baccarat is played about 150-300 hands per hour. Remember the slower you play, the longer your money will last. Try to play Baccarat at crowded tables, because that slows down the play. It is also more fun to play with more people.

The first thing a casino plays ask themselves when stepping up to a game is how do I improve my odds? The answer is easy. You do not. Other than to avoid the tie bet, there is nothing you can do. There is no strategy. That is why it is simple, a slow game to play but fun.