|
Baccarat Rules
Players who wish to try out one of the easier casino card games may be interested in online Baccarat because it relies mostly on the luck of the draw. Unlike other popular online card games, there is no option to bluff or even play against other players - the player must simply bet on who they think will win -either the player or the banker.
The game begins with the dealer dealing two cards to the player and two cards to the banker. The simplicity of baccarat rules is, you can bet on either one or the other, or a tie. If the hand you bet on wins, you get an even money payoff, that's one to one. If you bet on a tie, you get an 8 to 1 payoff. This is of course because a tie occurs less than once out of every ten hands, making it quite a gamble.
The objective of the game is to get a hand totaling as close to nine as possible without going over. Tens and face cards (except the ace) count as zero. The ace counts as one, and cards 2 through 9 are worth face value. Baccarat rules state that the hand closest to a count of 9 wins. There is no "bust" as in poker, and here is the tricky part. The first digit of a 2 digit total is dropped. This means, if a 6 and a 7 are drawn, the total is 13, but the first digit is dropped, so the count is 3.
If the first two cards achieve a count of 8 or 9 it is called a "natural", and as such wins automatically (excluding the event of a tie of equal valued "naturals"). If neither initial hand is a natural, additional cards are drawn to determine a winner. Baccarat rules state that winning banker bets are subject to a 5% house commission. This is of course because there is more of a chance for a banker win.
What you won't learn from reading any standard baccarat rules pages, is that even after the 5% house commission, there is still an advantage to betting on the house. The margin is slim at 0.19%, but it does exist.
All bets are made before the cards are dealt. In real life baccarat each player gets the chance to deal if they want to, or they have the option of passing to the next player.
Baccarat Strategy
It is a good idea to avoid tie bets altogether, since they give the house a significant advantage, close to 20%. By sticking to only the banker and player bets, the house advantage will remain at a minimum, thereby maximizing your chances of winning.
Betting on the player gives the house a 1.36% edge
betting on the banker gives the house a 1.17% edge
Either way, the house has the edge and should win in the long run.
Some baccarat players believe in streaks and will bet on whatever won the last hand. This strategy does not give you better odds though as each hand is like the flip of a coin.
|
|
