All About Baccarat and the Best Baccarat Casinos
Baccarat is one of the simplest card games, also known as Punto Banco. Typically, the dealer acts as the banker, but it can also be played against other players, where a player would serve as the banker. The goal of the game is to get as close as possible to a total of 9 points with 2 or a maximum of 3 cards. Among Asians, Baccarat is one of the top table games, and it is also gaining popularity in Europe.
Baccarat Rules
The cards in Baccarat have the following values: an Ace counts as 1 point, all face cards and 10s count as 0 points, and all other cards have their face value. If a player has an initial total of more than 10 points with their first two cards, 10 points are automatically deducted. For example, if a player receives a 7 and an 8, they effectively have 5 points, as 10 points are subtracted.
Before the player is dealt their cards, they must decide how the game will end. They can bet on the player, the banker, or that the game will end in a tie. The payout for betting on the banker or the player is 1:1, while the payout for a tie is 8:1. However, the house edge on a tie bet is 14%, making it inadvisable. Once the player has made their decision, the game proceeds according to the established rules.
Card Dealing
Once the banker and the player have received their first two cards, a third card is dealt according to the fixed rules. These are outlined in the following table:
Point value of the bank's first 2 cards | Bank draws this value of the 3rd game card | Bank does not draw at this value of the 3rd game card |
|---|---|---|
0-1-2 | Bank always draws one card | - |
3 | 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9 | 8 |
4 | 2-3-4-5-6-7 | 0-1-8-9 |
5 | 4-5-6-7 | 0-1-2-3-8-9 |
6 | 6-7 | 0-1-2-3-4-5-8-9 |
7 | Still Passt | - |
8-9 | Player cannot move | Player cannot move |
Baccarat is most commonly played in Asia, where entire casino halls are filled with Baccarat tables. Although the game originated in Europe, it is less prevalent there. In online casinos, it is, of course, a stundard part of the offerings, and while the rules are simple, it remains a popular game. Try it out in one of our recommended partner casinos.
