Played in both brick-and-mortar and virtual gambling establishments, baccarat is a beloved casino staple. Even Hollywood has immortalised the game; renowned spy James Bond was a fan and played it often in his casinos. The instructions are straightforward, and the game is easier to pick up and play than it looks. You can wager on the player taking home the win, the banker taking home the loss, or a draw. For all its history, baccarat has maintained the air of being a high-society pastime. That view, however, has shifted with the rise of the online casino. Thanks to the rise of online casinos, baccarat may now be enjoyed from the convenience of anyone's home, provided they have a reasonable budget and a bit of interest. One can place a variety of wagers, and as is customary at online casinos, one can choose from a wide array of intriguing side bets.
An Overview of Baccarat's Past
More than 500 years of history are woven into the fabric of baccarat. Commonly referred to as "the game of the aristocrats and nobility in bygone days," the legend goes that Felix Falguiere of Italy invented it in the fifteenth century. The fact that the 10 card and all of the face cards have no value at all inspired the game's name, which means "zero" in Spanish. French baccarat is an improved version of the original Spanish word baccara.
Various accounts dispute the story's beginning. According to one version, the game originated from an old Etruscan tale in which a virgin rolled a nine-sided die to determine her destiny. With an 8 or 9 she would be elevated to the haloed priestess position, but with a 6 or 7 she would be barred from future religious or communal gatherings. If her throw was 5 or lower, she would be doomed to perish in the ocean.
There was a little difference between the original game and the modern version in terms of gameplay. Back then, there were four dealers, but now there's just one. Everyone had an equal opportunity to play the role of banker, and wagers could be placed on any participant, not only the banker or the player themselves. The game eventually made its way from Italy to France, where it gained the name Chemin de Fer and became a favourite of the aristocracy, notably King Charles VIII. It then made its way to England, where it had even more success.
The sport spread from its birthplace in England to other continents, including the Caribbean and South America. Punto Banco was the eventual name of the game, and a variant known as American Baccarat, in which the casino acts as banker, came into use afterward. Upon arriving in the United States in the 1950s, the game quickly became a fixture at Las Vegas's casinos, with its debut at the Sands Casino being the first. Online casinos and the proliferation of the Internet have propelled baccarat to the forefront of gambling culture around the world.
Baccarat: A Beginner's Guide
Learning how to play baccarat is a breeze. A baccarat table at a brick-and-mortar casino can accommodate twelve to fourteen players. Making a deposit, registering an account, and placing a wager are all that is required to begin playing at an online casino. Bets on the banker, the player, or a tie are always an option, no matter where you play. Typically, anywhere from six to eight decks of 52 cards are used for the game. The values of the cards in this game are as follows:
Aces: One ten-card and all other face cards are worth: Number zero
Numbers 2 through 9: To be valued at face value or per pip
The game begins with the player and the banker each receiving two cards, one face up and one face down. The total worth of a hand is equal to the value of its constituent cards. If the value of your hand is two digits, just the value of the right digit will be taken into account. The goal of the game is to obtain a hand valued at 9 or around it.
A hand with a value of 8 or 9 is a natural hand and whoever – banker or player – has the higher value is an automatic winner. If the player’s hand is valued at between 6 and 8 he stands; if his hand value is 5 or lower he hits and is given another card. The banker will also stand if his two-card hand is valued at between 7 and 9. A two-card banker hand total of 0 to 3 results in a hit. Depending on the total value of the player’s hand the banker may also hit on a hand total of between 4 and 6. The following is a brief summary of the banker’s hand play.
Initial hand value of 7, 8, or 9 requires him to stand.
Initial hand value of 4, 5, or 6 requires him to hit. The banker will also hit if he has a hand value of 3 against a player’s hand value of 8.
Depending on the player’s hand value, the following is the action a banker takes if he has a hand value of 4 to 6:
Banker hand value of 4 and player hand value of 2 to 7: banker hits
Banker hand value of 5 and player hand value of 4 to 7: banker hits
Banker hand value of 6 and player hand value of 6 or 7: banker hits
Bets in Baccarat
There are 3 major bets in baccarat. They are:
The Banker: This is the most commonly placed wager in baccarat because it has the lowest house edge among all the 3 different types of bets. It also ensures the third card rules work in favor of the banker. The payoff therefore is 1:1 and there is also a 5% commission that is charged per win.
The Player: The rules on the player winning in case of the third card are slightly skewed and less favorable to the player. The house edge in this bet is slightly higher than it is in the banker bet. The payoff in this bet is also even money, i.e. 1:1, but there is no commission involved.
The Tie: Also called the sucker bet, this is the least favorable of all baccarat bets. The odds of a hand resulting in a draw or tie are not quite great. The house edge in this bet is therefore way higher than in the other two, standing at a little above 15%. The payoff is also high for this bet, at 8:1.
There are a number of popular side bets as well that you see mostly at online casinos offering baccarat. These bets are great because they give you a good chance to rack up a few extra wins on the side. We list a few popular ones for you below:
Perfect Pair: Usually seen at Playtech and Evolution Gaming casinos. You get paid out if the first 2 cards in the player and banker hands form a suited pair. Payout for this bet is 25 to 1 under Playtech wagering rules. However, the rules and payout vary for Evolution-powered casinos: player and banker hands ending up being of the same rank and suit gives you a 250 to 1 payout, else it is the standard 25 to 1.
Either Pair: This is a side bet for the possibility of the first 2 cards of either the banker or the player forming a pair. The payout for this bet is 5 to 1.
Big and Small: The Small bet pays 3 to 2 if the banker or player hand value is 4. Given that 6 decks are in operation, the house edge stands at approximately 5.3%, while the odds of winning stand at around 37.8925%. The Big bet pays 0.54 to 1 if the banker and player’s hand value is at 5 or 6. Again assuming that 6 decks are in operation the house edge is at approximately 4.35% while the odds of winning stand at 61.1%.
Egalite: This is a bet on a specific tie being reached and is found usually at UK casinos. The probability of winning the house edge depends on the specific tie that is seen, e.g. 7-7, 8-8, 4-4, etc.
Lucky Bonus: This is a very specific side bet that pays 18 to 1 on the banker landing a winning 6. Surprisingly, this bet has a 2.4% player advantage.
3-Card Six: This is a specific side bet that pays 100 to 1 if the first 3 cards of both the banker and the player have a combined value of 6. The house edge in this game is big, at 13.37%.
Lucky Six: This is another side bet that pays out on a winning banker hand of 6. A 3-card 6-value hand gives a 20 to 1 payout, while a 2-card hand gives a 12 to 1 payout.
Super 6: This is another banker-specific side bet that pays 12 to 1 on the banker landing a winning 2-card total value of 6.
Dragon Bonus: A popular side bet, it offers different house edges for the banker and player depending on the number of card decks used:
4 decks result in a house edge of 2.70% for the player and 9.42% for the banker.
6 decks result in a house edge of 2.67% for the player and 9.39% for the banker.
8 decks result in a house edge of 2.65% for the player and 9.37% for the banker.
Essential Baccarat Strategy
Baccarat is essentially a game of luck as that is the only element that determines what cards form the player or banker hands after the deal. There is no highly comprehensive strategy, therefore, that you can adopt to win consistently unlike in a game like blackjack or even video poker, for instance. The good thing about baccarat is that the house edge is quite low, just 1.4% on the banker winning. Given all of this, it is critical you are able to work out the numbers in your head correctly and that will happen only if you understand their import. Know, therefore, the odds associated with the different bets.
The odds of a player win are 44.62% compared to the odds of a banker loss at 45.85%. The banker will win about 51% of the time compared to 49% for the player, provided of course there is no possibility of a tie occurring.
The odds of a tie happening stand at 9.53% which is why it has a high payoff of 8 to 1.
Another critical element is thorough knowledge of the different baccarat bets and the odds associated with each of them.
Baccarat Tips for Beginners
Here are a few tips to succeed in baccarat if you are a beginner at the game.
Play games at casinos operated by well-known casino operators because they will use software from renowned software providers.
Do not bet on the tie bet as it has a worst odds of winning.
Do not latch on to any of the winning systems floating around online for baccarat; this is a game of chance, not skill.
Set a budget when you are looking to play for real money and ensure that you stick to the budget you have set.
Check out the games before you play them; the number of decks used can directly influence the outcome of a game: for instance games with less than 8 decks give you better chances of winning.
