Baccarat Explained!
History
The game of Baccarat can be traced back to the latter part
of the 1400s, during the reign of Charles VII, King of
France. The game became very popular in French casinos in
the 1830s, and is still extremely popular in European and
South American casinos today.
The Game
Baccarat is the simplest table game in the casino to learn
and play. Its simplicity lies in the fact that the player
has only three choices, and all three deal with the
betting; no other playing skill is required. There are two
versions of the game; the American version and the
European version.
An eight deck shoe or a six deck shoe is dealt in the
American version of the game. All the numbered cards, 2
through 9, are counted as face value, with the suits
having no relative value. The ace is counted as 1. Tens
and all face cards are counted as zero. Any hand that adds
up to more than 9 is counted by the second digit only. For
example, if your hand totals 14, the hand is counted as 4;
likewise, 11 becomes 1. Using this system, the highest
possible score is 9.
Some Examples of Card Totals
If you get a 5 and 6, the total baccarat hand is 1.
If you get a 2 and queen, the total baccarat hand is 2.
If you get a 4 and 9, the total baccarat hand is 3.
If you get two 8’s, the total baccarat hand is 6.
If you get a 10 and king, the total baccarat hand is 0.
If you get a 4 and 6 and 9, the total baccarat hand is 9.
Baccarat is a very good game for you, the player,
primarily because it has a relatively low house advantage.
Additionally, it’s important for you to know that there is
a very strict set of playing rules that have been
established and that cannot be changed by the player or by
any actions of the house. In other words, in baccarat
there are no decisions or options, and no degree of skill
is required to play as either the player or the banker.
Phase 2 of Baccarat Explained! |