Baccarat Rules – Play Baccarat by the Rules
Learning baccarat rules is the best way to get started on the game. The game is one of the oldest games that you will find at a casino. Baccarat has a relatively low house edge compared to other classics.
More so, the table game of baccarat has quite several variations that players can enjoy playing online. These include; Punto Bunco, Banque, Chemin de Fer, and mini-baccarat. Here, our online baccarat experts will cover the basic rules of baccarat and provide you with a quick strategy on how to win.
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Baccarat Rules and Strategy
Baccarat is dealt from a shoe that holds 6 or 8 decks. What you need to do in the card game is to wager on which hand you think will win; either the player, the banker’s hand or bet on a tie. The winning hand is the one that has a total of 9 or as close to 9 as possible.
Below are some basic rules of baccarat game:
- Suits don’t count.
- Aces count as one.
- 10s and face cards count as zero – this is also known as a natural nine or baccarat. Should you be dealt a natural nine, you win and the game ends.
- If your hand equals more than 9, you remove the first number of the total. So, say you get a 17, then your hand totals 7.
- The casino charges up to 5% in commission for the banker’s hand.
- Wagers get returned if there is a tie or if the hand is considered a ‘push’
Rules for the player’s hand: if the first two cards dealt to the player total 6 or more, the player must stand without drawing a card. But if the cards total 5 or less, they must draw one additional card.
Rules for the banker’s hand: if the banker gets a total of 7 or more on his first two cards, they must stand without drawing a card. But if they get cards that total anywhere between 0 to 2, they must draw one card. Whereas, if they get cards totalling either number from 3 to 6, the draw will be determined by what the player drew.
Baccarat is a pure guessing game. However, the banker’s hand has more chance of winning, hence the casino also charges a 5% commission for banker bets. The player’s hand is also the best bet. The chances for a tie are very slim and this is one bet you want to avoid.
Betting Options
These are the three main bets you can make when playing by the casino baccarat rules:
- Banker – you can bet on the banker’s hand to win. This wager is loved by most baccarat players. The house edge is 1.17%.
- Player – this bet is on the player and has a house edge of 1.36%
- Baccarat Tie Rule – such a bet is made when you think that there will be a tie between the player and banker. The house edge for this wager is 14.2%, that’s why most players barely place it.
Overview
The rules for baccarat are fairly easy to learn, as you may have noticed. However, to get the most of your gambling experience, you will need proper money management and know your limit. Also, don’t chase your losses.
Only increase your wager when on a winning streak. Remember to browse through our other baccarat guides to increase your chances of winning when playing baccarat. Try baccarat at our highly recommended NZ casinos!
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